The Leafs Made A Video About Newfoundland Slang And People Claim They Got It All Wrong
The Toronto Maple Leafs arrived in Newfoundland this September for some pre-season training. The team is spending time in St. John’s before travelling home to the 6ix. In honour of the Toronto Maple Leafs' Newfoundland visit, the team tried to decipher local slang phrases and even took part in the island’s famous screeching tradition.
The Leafs posted a video on Monday of players attempting to translate Newfoundland slang into regular phrases. Phrases like “I’m gutfounded fire up a scoff” and “long may your big jib draw,” had the American athletes baffled.
Although most had a sense of humour about it, a number of people claim that the phrases weren't even legit.
@MapleLeafs Just saying we don’t say many of these things in every day life lol! But it’s fun to watch you guys try 🤣🤣— RamonaK (@RamonaK)1568723795.0
@MapleLeafs i’ve been going there every summer since 2010 and i STILL have no idea what half these sayings mean🤣 my… https://t.co/crIw6t8mYq— Asʜʟᴇʏ💙 (@Asʜʟᴇʏ💙)1568710168.0
@MapleLeafs hahaha we don’t use a ton of these much anymore but we definitely do have our own language!!— kylie (@kylie)1568683686.0
@MapleLeafs I have lived here for 9 years and have yet to hear most of these sayings. But great video none the less… https://t.co/o9NQ6fDYrg— Jeff Stevens (@Jeff Stevens)1568681374.0
@MapleLeafs I never say any of these, some I've never even heard of. This was hilarious, tho. 😋— 𝔏𝔞𝔲𝔯𝔞🥀 (@𝔏𝔞𝔲𝔯𝔞🥀)1568678443.0
@Andy58512656 @MapleLeafs I don't think I've ever heard anybody back there use those terms, and I'm from the bay haha... 🤷🏻♂️— Browner (@Browner)1568692265.0
@MapleLeafs These guys would not have done well at Newfie trivia night @olauson23 @Bar_Down_Bill @Ewhite709 @smitty_liam— Ashley Grant - MacDonald (@Ashley Grant - MacDonald)1568676015.0
Others couldn't help but chip in with their corrections.
@MapleLeafs It’s not “gut founded” it’s “ gut foundered”— Carolyn (@Carolyn)1568677610.0
@MapleLeafs Should’ve used “how you gon do nar ting if you got nar ting to do nar ting wit”— Cory Brake (@Cory Brake)1568674939.0
They may not be experts in local slang, but it's clear the team has done their best to do as the Newfoundlanders do during their visit. Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, Tyson Barrie, and Frederik Andersen, in particular, went above and beyond on Saturday.
The group volunteered to go to the famous George Street bar in St. John’s to get themselves “screeched in." A process that involves eating bologna, taking a shot of Screech (local rum), and kissing a cod.
At the end of the ceremony, the four Leafs were declared Newfoundlanders, which is pretty heartwarming. Let’s just hope that the fact that they kissed a fish on the mouth for the people of St. John’s gets them a pass on the wonky slang.
According to The Toronto Star, other members of the team took a tour of St. John’s Harbour, climbed Signal Hill, golfed and went for a helicopter tour. A few players also visited a local hospital.