What’s In A Name? Cont. [The Dildo Series Part 3]

A continuation of the previous installment in the Dildo Series, we continue looking at possible origins of the name “Dildo”.

Theory #4: Named After a Part of a Ship, a Long Metal Cylinder
This has come up a couple times in my research, but I can find nothing to back it up. I can find no part of ship named dildo, nor a long metal cylinder named dildo (well, only exactly what you would imagine. So until more substantial evidence is found, I will have to discount this one, as I cannot actually find what this theory describes
Probability: Unlikely

Theory #5: Named After an Old Word for “Chorus”
Some have said that it was named after a word used in a Shakespeare play, The Winter’s Tale, which refers to a chorus. Looking into this, I discovered that this may part of the origin of dildo as sex toy. The term, tracing back to a “back and forth” meaning would account for use in the context of a song (back and forth to a chorus) and to the use of sex toy (no explanation necessary). What does this have to do with the town? Probably nothing, but that’s par for the course in Newfoundland. Given its old use, this possible origin of the name escalates into serious contention.
Probability: Possible

Theory #6: Named After a Short Sword, On Account of the Shape of Dildo Island
I looked cockeyed at this theory. I can’t think of a short sword named dildo, and at first I thought it might be a subtle reference to the sex toy. But the island is very sword-like in shape, so I wanted to look into this theory. And I found a sword called the Bilbo. No, not Sting. The Bilbo sword originates from Bilbao, a Basque local in Northern Spain. In fact, it was celebrated for its sword manufacture such that “Bilbo” is found in Old English. As you can imagine, the internet is not very forthcoming in information regarding the Bilbo Sword that is not Tolkien base, but from what I can find, it is a thrusting sword related to the rapier and epee, both originating in the area of Europe as well.
Probability: Maybe

So where does this leave us? I figure that most towns have the one origin story and that’s it, whether it is true or not. But given the unusual name, many attempts to justify the name have come to bear, just as many as any other town were there a need. In the end, there is no definitive answer, and much speculation. I guess the final judgment is yours, whatever turns your crank. Which, I suppose, is the whole purpose of Dildo.

What’s In A Name? [The Dildo Series Part 2]

Newfoundland is no stranger to unusual and thought provoking names. Joe Batt’s Arm, Nancy Oh, Nicky’s Nose Cove, and Heart’s Delight (not to mention Heart’s Content and Heart’s Desire) all grab the eye and illicit a chuckle or two. But none seem as outrageous as the town of Dildo. It’s a simple name, and straightforward in so much that the town has the exact name of a sexual pleasure device.

Now if you’ve met any of Dildo’s inhabitants, you’d realize that it is an ordinary, albeit absolutely beautiful town. Beautiful, but not so much that it requires a name related in some way, shape, or form to the female orgasm. So where did this name come from?

There are many theories, and it’s hard to nail down one over the other. Dildo is located at the heart of Trinity Bay, and a stone’s throw from Conception Bay (how ironic). This region has had its fair share of visitors, from the Maritime Archaic Indian, Dorset Eskimo, and Beothuk to European fishermen hailing from Spain, France, Portugal, and England. And there just as many theories as to where the name came from. I’ve outlined six, three of which appear here, three more which will show up in the third installment of the Dildo Series.

Theory #1: Traditional Name For Rowlocks
The most popular theory, probably because it also originates with a common tool, although a much less sexy one. Dildos is the traditional name for two pegs on a dory that would lock the oars in place during use. An obscure and little thing to name a town after, but in Newfoundland we’ve named towns for less.
Probability: Very Possible

Theory #2: Name of a Spanish or Portuguese Sailor
Spanish and Portuguese names are not rare in Newfoundland, given the importance of both countries in our own History. To trace such a name back, changed a couple times would be nigh impossible, but after a little research it became a bit more likely that the town’s name originated in this way. The Spanish name Delgado or the Portuguese Do Rego show how a name like Dildo could have started. Maybe.
Probability: Maybe

Theory #3: Named After the Caribbean Dildo-Pear Tree
Why would a town in Newfoundland be named after an obscure plant on Antilles? Rum, of course! Newfoundlanders have had a centuries-old love for Caribbean rum, an oft sought commodity when trading salt cod down south. The origins of Caribbean rum in Newfoundland is as foggy as the name Dildo, but some trace it back 250 years, sometime prior to the founding of Dildo in the late 18th century. A couple things against this theory, however: the area was well inhabited back to the early 18th century, and the Dildo-Pear Tree, or Pilosocereus royeni, is a cactus that is obscure with no particular value (at least that I can find) to Newfoundlanders, especially those visiting for the sake of trade. And as far as I can tell, the name “Dildo-Pear Tree” hasn’t seen much use, although I suppose I can’t comment on fashionable expressions of the late 1700s.
Probability: Unlikely

Stay tuned for Part 3, where three more theories for Dildo’s name will be explored.

Princess Leia and Dildo (Not Quite Slash Fiction) [The Dildo Series Part 1]

Ah. Dildo. Perhaps the greatest inspiration for this blog, and as you see above, this is only the first part of our discussion of Dildo. With all the craziness in Newfoundland language and geography, why does Dildo get all the attention on the late night talk shows, magazines, the internet, drive time radio shows?

My theory is this: of all the words that refer to sex and everything connected to it, very few have expressed singular definitions without room for double entendres and coy references. Dildo being one of them. A dildo is a fake penis used for pleasure and there’s no getting around that. Unless you count a town in Newfoundland, near Conception Bay across the way from Spread Eagle (each of which will receive their own blog entries in due time).

Instead of starting from the top and looking at the word, I want to introduce to you an article as introduction to what I will from now on call “The Dildo Series”.

A couple years back, Carrie Fisher (aka Princess Leia and little else by my reckoning) and Meg Ryan were in Newfoundland, and Carrie penned a travel article for none other than the New York Times (Screech and Tell @ NYT). The article is much as you would expect, describing the beauty, people, etc of Newfoundland, blah blah blah. But the article initially focuses on the Town of Dildo and how absurd Princess Leia and posse found the name. After all the souvenirs, they left kind of underwhelmed by the town, barring the scenery and pleasant folk. And then they go elsewhere, which seems to be much more fun.

The whole point of The Dildo Series will be as a counter-point to Carrie Fisher’s article. The town is much more than it’s name and once you get past that, there is a lot more of the story to tell.

Not to mention South Dildo, Upper Dildo, and Dildo Run of course. So not only do we have a town named Dildo, we have three and a provincial park.

So keep an eye out for future articles.