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bergy bit
DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)
Spelling variants:bergy-bit
n. — especially Atlantic Canada, Outdoors
a small iceberg (see Image 1).
Type: 5. Frequency — The earliest known Canadian and US attestations of bergy bit are from the same newswire story on US explorer Lincoln Ellsworth, detailing his Antarctic expedition (see the 1939 quotation). The first British attestation comes from the Geographical Journal of the British Royal Geographic Society in 1935 (see OED-3, s.v. "bergy" [b]). Although bergy bit appears to be a colloquial term, it is used by both the US National Ice Centre with the definition "a medium to large fragment of ice. Its height is generally not greater than 5 meters above sea-level and its area is normally about 100-300 square meters" (see USNIC reference). Environment Canada defines it as "a piece of glacier ice, generally showing 1 to less than 5 m above sea level, with a length of 5 to less than 15 m. They normally have an area of 100-300 m2" (see Environment Canada reference). The term appears to be a diminutive of iceberg. Bergy bit is prevalent in Canada (see Chart 1).
See also ITP Nelson, s.v. "bergy bit", which is marked as "Atlantic Canada", OED-3, s.v. "bergy" (b), and W-3, s.v. "bergy bit".
See also ITP Nelson, s.v. "bergy bit", which is marked as "Atlantic Canada", OED-3, s.v. "bergy" (b), and W-3, s.v. "bergy bit".
Quotations
1939
Then, as we were beside a small "bergy bit" of ice and with three men on the ice chipping blocks with which to fill our fresh water tanks, one end of the ice broke away and the three men were cast into the water.
1980
There is pond ice, brackish ice, landfast ice. There are groaners and bergy-bits, multi-year ice and new ice.
1995
The jobs involve harvesting chunks of icebergs - known as bergy bits - to made a premium vodka that will be marketed as coming from 12,000-year-old water.
2002
It's dangerous work. A bergy bit can be four metres high, 15 metres long and weigh 100 tonnes, according to the U.S. Coast Guard[...]
2011
I have been blessed with beautiful selfless gifts - sealskin mittens sewn especially to fit my hands; lovely Pang hats crocheted with my son and daughters' names in syllabics; caribou legs, still steaming, handed to me in my doorway after a successful hunt, and a chunk of million-year-old ice harvested from a trapped 'bergy bit' near Bylot Island after a friend's trip to Pond Inlet. I still remember how it snapped and fizzed when the ice was put into drinks.
2015
May has been a good month for viewing icebergs close to shore and from the East Coast Trail. Not so every season nor every year.
One way to find them is to take a hike on one of our developed coastal paths and come across an iceberg, or some smaller “bergy bits” by surprise. Otherwise, check icebergfinder for bergs detected by satellite and reported by local ambassadors.
References
- OED-3
- W-3
- ITP Nelson
- Environment Canada • "Ice Glossary"
- USNIC • "FAQ"
Images
Image 1: Bergy bits near Tasiilaq, Greenland. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo: C. Zenino
