The New York Times recently featured an article, “Proud to Live in a Town Called Dildo” about a Newfoundland fishing village with an odd name. The name was first applied to nearby Dildo Island and apparently dates to at least 1711, when it was spelled “Dildoe.” No one knows the origin of the name, but odds are that the island was not named after a sex toy. One common theory is that “dildoe” was a variation on somewhat phallic shaped “thole-pin” or “dole-pin,” single or double pegs in the gunnel of a dinghy or skiff, used as oarlocks when rowing. In addition to the town and the island, there is also the Dildo Arm of Trinity Bay and a point named Dildo Head.
The town locals, called Dildoians, have an annual waterfront festival, Dildo Days. This year it will be on July 27-31. According to the reporting in the NY Times, “a flotilla of boats circles the bay, led by a wooden statue of a certain Capt. Dildo in a rain slicker painted bright yellow. Souvenir-hunting visitors can purchase commemorative apparel, but be forewarned: The “I Survived Dildo Days” T-shirts sell out fast.” Fortunately, the wooden carving of Captain Dildo is of a fisherman with a white beard, smoking a pipe, bears no resemblance to a sex toy.
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