DCHP-2
tamarack'er down tamarack-er-down, tamarack 'er down, tamarac' er down DCHP-2 (November 2016)
v. — Atlantic Canada, Social customs
to engage in lively dance.
Type: 5. Frequency — Tamarack'er down was a phrase often heard in the Englishes of Eastern Canada during celebrations that included upbeat, spirited dance sessions. The word tamarack is a name for a type of larch tree, Larix laricina, found in most parts of Canada and some parts of the US (see COD-2, s.v. "tamarack"). Because its wood was often used for floorboards, tamarack'er down was a call to dance so vigorously that the floor gets pounded down (see the 2008 quotation). DNE lists "break'er down" and "wallop'er down", which are similarly used in the context of dance (see DNE, s.v. "break'er down" & "wallop'er down"). The expression is currently a popular choice for song titles on fiddle music albums, because of its associations with square dancing and acoustic instruments (see the 1964 and the third 2014 quotations). Internet search results indicate that tamarack'er down appears most frequently in Canada (see Chart 1). Tamarack derives from an Algonquian word for 'wood for making snowshoes' (see tamarack).
