DCHP-2

screech [ult. < Scottish dial. screigh whisky, presumably from its effect on those who overindulge] Esp. Nfld, Slang DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

THIS ENTRY MAY CONTAIN OUTDATED INFORMATION, TERMS and EXAMPLES

1a n.
a potent dark rum.
See also: screech-in
- 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.