DCHP-3

bedlamer

[< F bête de la mer sea beast]
Esp. Nfld
DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

Entry from the DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

This entry may contain outdated or offensive information, terms, and examples.

n.

the young of the harp seal, one or two years of age with brown fur.

Quotations

1773
He saw a shoal of bedlamers before his door one day last week.
1964
. . . the yearlings and two year olds are called "Young Harps" or "Turning Harps" and also Bedlimers (or Bedlamers).
1966
They paid 50 cents for the skin of an adult seal and 25 cents for a bedlamer (young seal) skin. (The word "bedlamer" is a corruption of the French "bête de la mer"--sea beast.)