n. — Gaspé peninsula, possibly elsewhere; derogatory, extremely offensive, historical, Ethnicities
(for Francophones in some regions) an Anglo-Canadian.
Type: 4. Culturally Significant — English-French tension has produced Canadianisms from a historical perspective ("Memorial") and as culturally significant in the history of Canada. The abusive term crawfish was spotted by Walter S. Avis, editor-in-chief of DCHP-1 in the 1970s, while collecting entries for a new edition of this dictionary which did not appear, mainly because of his early death, at 60, in 1979. Our only attestations come from the Avis files at Queen's University. It is unclear whether the term was only in use among Francophones in the Gaspé Peninsula, where René Lévesque grew up in the 1920s and 1930s, or had (or has) more widespread currency.
See also: peasoup ((1)) peasouper chink kraut wop
- The term is included for reasons of historical accuracy and completeness. It is not intended, as clearly indicated in the usage labels "derogatory" and "extremely offensive", as a term for current use or a term, meaning or usage that is in any way condoned.