My grandson, Lachlan, is sometimes described by islanders as "cunning." You may be thinking, does that mean he is wily, tricky, and sly? Well, he may be that...but not in a mean or nasty sense. At any rate, that is not what my neighbors mean by "cunning."
Cunning, on Ocracoke is often used in its early sense to mean clever, cute, appealing, and even "displaying keen insight."
So, if you hear an Ocracoker calling someone cunning, be assured it is a compliment.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a 1921 letter written by a former
slave, Harrison Williams, to Ocracoke native, Martha Ann Howard Wahab.
You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news112113.htm.
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Yesterday, UPS delivered my copy of "A Blessed Life - Growing Up on Ocracoke Island" by Della Gaskill. Part of the charm of this book is that it's written exactly as she would tell the story, and not edited to be prim and proper. I have a list of people wanting to read it as soon as I'm through!! It was an early Christmas gift from me to myself ... and I couldn't be happier with it :)
ReplyDeleteIt's also a common saying here in Maine.
ReplyDelete