DCHP-1 Online

screech [ult. < Scottish dial. screigh whisky, presumably from its effect on those who overindulge] Esp. Nfld, Slang

• 1a n. a potent dark rum.

  • 1957  He is little addicted to the Island's national drink called "Screech."
  • 1958  Pinkie is a cheap wine highly regarded by waterfront connoisseurs, a chaser for screech.
  • 1965  A couple of shots of Newfie Screech or Big Dipper and you get a crying jag on. . . .

• 1b n. See 1958 quote.

  • 1958  Screech is a mixture of rums now sold by the liquor board under a new label that displays a map of the island and the legend "Newfoundland's Famous Screech."
  • 1959  The most favored libation is a dark, evil-looking rum prophetically labelled "Screech."

• 2 n. any cheap, potent liquor or wine.

  • 1945  [The rating] gets hold of some bootleg scotch--"high life," they call it on the West Coast, and "screech" in Newfie--and then he's away to doing something that may easily end him up in Cells or Detention.
  • 1957  Early on the great morning of the 22nd July [1948] "Grandpa" set out to take charge of the local polling station, with a forbidden bottle of "screech" in his pocket.