DCHP-3

upalong

DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)

Spelling variants:
up-along, Upalong

1an. — Newfoundland, Geography

a location that is not part of Newfoundland; often a reference to mainland Canada.

Type: 3. Semantic Change — Upalong is a term imported with British English dialects that has undergone semantic change in Canada. In Cornish speech it is reported as common with the meaning of 'up North, uphill' (OED-3, s.v. "up-along"). Another English meaning, more in line with the meaning developed in Newfoundland, is 'in or towards a larger community outside an isolated region' (ibid.).
See also COD-2, s.v. "upalong", which is marked "Cdn (Nfld)".
See: mainland(meaning 1a)

Quotations

1904
One of the tramps in question came here lately from "upalong," and is versed in all the American lore of the brotherhood.
1914
"The rich food give [sic] me cramps! D'ye think I'd kill myself wid [sic] cramps just to please a gentleman from up-along!"
1934
In the old days before the building of the lighthouses, the poor "noddies" of many a Newfoundland outport prayed for wrecks - aye, and with easy consciences. Only the few hundreds of them who took to deep-sea voyaging ever learned anything of the world and its peoples. All the world excepting their own desolate bays and "down Nort [sic]", was "up-along" to them.
1952
The three of us were summering at my native village in Trinity Bay on a visit from upalong where we live. My wife is also outport reared and knows the ropes.
1979
People from upalong, unaware that many of our forefathers came from England's West country, find some of our words and pronunciations a bit strange.
1990
The chap from Upalong who was giving us the benefit of his expert knowledge last week. Let's get on with it, then. Actually, this fellow seemed like a very nice person. Had he not been an expert from Upalong he would probably have got along quite well.
2002
I purchase The Telegram because it is a local paper. Calling it the people's paper is not possible any more. CanWest's editorial policy of near-total control from upalong is just a sad continuation of our history -- someone else telling us what is good for us.
1badj. — Newfoundland, Geography

foreign to Newfoundland, especially from mainland Canada.

Type: 3. Semantic Change — Recently, the term has acquired an adjectival meaning, characterizing persons and things not from Newfoundland.

Quotations

1986
The intercepters this time were male friends of the women involved, and an Upalong woman who was not part of the group.
2001
I have a question for the defenders of Brian Tobin: if Tobin sided with Ottawa and couldn't even pretend to represent Newfoundland and Labrador when he was an MP, cabinet minister or premier of the province, what makes you think he'll be any more responsive to Newfoundland and Labrador if he takes $10 million from his upalong corporate and political masters and becomes prime minister?
2006
What with all the salt cod I have to turn on the flakes, clothes to haul through the wringer-washer and swish-barrel concoctions to see to, it's amazing I can still find the time to be perturbed by another arrogant, ignorant upalong columnist who'll write anything to get a rise out of someone.
1cadv. — Newfoundland, Geography

away or outside, especially in reference to regions outside of Newfoundland.

Type: 2. Preservation — Note that upalong may refer to Labrador as well (see the 1972 quotation), which is part of the province, which means that the term is sometimes used to refer to any location not on the island of Newfoundland.
See also COD-2, s.v. "upalong", which is marked "Cdn (Nfld)", and DNE, s.v. "upalong"(1).

Quotations

1948
When we finally saw Mrs. Smith, she accepted us quite calmly, and looking at our hiking clothes, said: "Sure they're all right, they are. All the sports wears them upalong. Y'sees them in the catalogues."
1972
During a field-trip to Parson's Pond on the north west coast in 1966, an elderly woman spoke to Professor Halpert and myself about Jack the Ripper and asked us, "Didn't he live upalong, on the Labrador?"
1980
If the people "upalong" knew what they're missing, they'd be crowding like capelin aboard flights and ferries to cross Cabot Strait.
2006
"The money stays here, it doesn't go upalong," says LaBerge, a native Newfoundlander.
2n. — Newfoundland, slightly derogatory

a person from mainland Canada.

Type: 3. Semantic Change — The term has expanded its semantic range to refer to people from outside Newfoundland. The usage has an antecedent in an older Newfoundland meaning of upalong, which referred to a person residing inland or "to the south in a settlement" (see DNE, s.v. "upalong"[2]).

Quotations

1980
The upalongs are missing a good thing
2007
The nerve of that greasy upalong, Wangersky, stopping and using his head, not his gut, in trying to make sense of the new equalization scheme.

References

  • DNE
  • COD-2
  • OED-3