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smatchy
DCHP-2 (Mar 2014)
1aadj. — Newfoundland, rare
tainted or spoiled food.
Type: 2. Preservation — The term smatchy is used to describe food, usually pickled or salted (see the 1990 quotation), that is "tainted, spoiled, [or] improperly cured" (see DNE, s.v. "smatchy"). Smatchy is a preservation from British English, deriving from the dialect noun smatch, which is defined as "a flavour, taste, twang [that is] generally of an unpleasant taste" (see EDD, s.v. "smatch"). Thus, EDD notes the development of the adjective smatchy, described as "having contracted a bad flavour" (see EDD, s.v. "smatch"). Note that the noun smatch is documented as an assimilation of the term "smack" (see EDD, s.v. "smatch"), which is defined as a peculiar or distinctive taste or flavour (see OED-3, s.v. "smack" (n)(1a)). The term is most likely outdated, since the writer of the 2007 quotation claims that the word "has totally gone out of our local lexicon". Moreover, as seen in the 2012 quotation, the young woman is unaware of the meaning of smatchy, a term listed as an example of "antiquated" maritime terminology. Accordingly, the internet chart (see Chart 1) suggests that smatchy is a low frequency item that is exclusive to Canada.
A second meaning of 'bad taste or smell' has been suggested (linguist Sandra Clark, MUN, Dec. 2013), but we were unable to find written quotations for that meaning with our resources.
See also DNE, s.v. "smatchy".
A second meaning of 'bad taste or smell' has been suggested (linguist Sandra Clark, MUN, Dec. 2013), but we were unable to find written quotations for that meaning with our resources.
See also DNE, s.v. "smatchy".
Quotations
1897
A fisherman will complain of the pork supplied him being smatchy
1920
He has no use for white fish; won't buy it. He wants thick, yellow fish, which he eats raw. He doesn't want it salty, but almost smatchy and not hard. They have a national meal of rice and curry, and it tastes very much like smatchy fish. They don't want hard fish; they want a soft fish.
1924
Sometimes a seal hunter, after his travelling expenses are paid, will clear only $15 or $20 for his "spring"; and I have heard some of the men growl that more than once they had 'got home wid not'in' but a bundle o' dirty clo'es an' a gad of smatchy [tainted] fippers!'
1938
So far mild and rainy days have filled the calender, with only a teasing bit of cold frosty weather from time to time. Of course it's easy on the fuel, but not too good for our supply of fresh meat, which, as we say here, is in great danger of becoming "smatchy".
1990
C 71-129 [Smatchy] used in connection with salt meat which somehow had the pickle taken from it. When the meat was boiled it had a taste my father always called 'smatchy.'
1999
smatchy (adj.) of food in the early stages of spoilage, caused by improper processing. "The salt beef looked a little rusty and, when we tasted it, we could easily tell that it was smatchy."
2007
It had rained on this particular St. Swithins Day and it hadnt stopped for the rest of the summer. There were lots of fish that summer but it had all gone smatchy, a word that has totally gone out of our local lexicon.
2012
VIK ADHOPIA (REPORTER):
Many words are now antiquated in part because they often refer to maritime terminology no longer used. So which words are still used every day? We try to find out.
YOUNG WOMAN: Smatchy? Maybe being like saucy or something, but I'm completely guessing
VIK ADHOPIA (REPORTER): Smatchy is tainted meat.
YOUNG WOMAN: Smatchy? Maybe being like saucy or something, but I'm completely guessing
VIK ADHOPIA (REPORTER): Smatchy is tainted meat.
1badj. — Newfoundland
a bad taste or smell.
Type: 2. Preservation — The term smatchy can also describe a bad taste or smell (suggested by Clarke in December of 2013). This term probably derives from meaning 1a, as spoiled or tainted food arguably possesses these traits. Thus, it is likely that smatchy was semantically generalized to describe anything with a bad taste or smell, beyond the semantic domain of food.
See: fousty
Quotations
References
- DNE
- OED-3
- EDD
Images
