The locals on Cape Cod refer to a newly arrived outsider as a wash-ashore. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Wash-Ashores”
Not long ago, we had a conversation with Melinda, who had moved to the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia, and she noted that people referred to her as a come here.
That’s a transplant to the area.
You remember that conversation?
Yeah.
So a come here is from away. They’re an outsider, a newbie. They’re not born here. Right, right. And it turns out that there are lots of terms for that in different parts of the country.
We heard from Sarah Wilcox who said, here on Cape Cod, we have a similar term, wash ashore. A wash ashore is any person who lives on Cape Cod but was not born there. So even if you’ve lived on the Cape for 50 years, you’re still a wash ashore.
And she signs it, Sarah Wilcox, native Cape Codder. Not a wash ashore. I love that imagery that a wash ashore might just be somebody who fell off a passing boat.
Yeah, right.
And they’re like, oh, this looks nice. I’ll stay here. These are friendly people.
Right. They’re still dripping.
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