"I went to fishing but they called me Squally Quoyle. See, I was a jinker, carried bad winds with me. I 'ad no luck. None of the Quoyles 'ad no luck." --Nolan Quoyle in The Shipping News, E. Annie Proulx
Jinker, from jink, 'to play tricks; to frolic.' Hence jinker (Newfoundland: an unlucky fellow); jinx. "A person (on a vessel) bringing bad luck; a Jonah. 1924 England 220 Jinkers are common enough; men who always carry bad winds and weather with them. Such men usually acquire nicknames like 'Foggy Bill,' 'Heavy-weather Jack,' or 'Squally Jim.' ... 1933 Greene 170 There is a 'jinx' on the ship, or a 'jinker' aboard; and then the hands may settle that this jinker is some unfortunate who has a cast in his eye, or who was born with 'foxy-coloured' hair, or a stammer—anything of the most foolish. But, foolish or not, Heaven help the miserable one on whom they may decide as the guilty one. His life will be a burden to him till the seals are struck or the Voyage is over—for all sorts of tricks, painful and otherwise, will be played on him when either sleeping or waking." --Dictionary of Newfoundland English, 2nd ed.
"I went to fishing but they called me Squally Quoyle. See, I was a jinker, carried bad winds with me. I 'ad no luck. None of the Quoyles 'ad no luck." --Nolan Quoyle in The Shipping News, E. Annie Proulx
Jinker, from jink, 'to play tricks; to frolic.' Hence jinker (Newfoundland: an unlucky fellow); jinx. "A person (on a vessel) bringing bad luck; a Jonah. 1924 England 220 Jinkers are common enough; men who always carry bad winds and weather with them. Such men usually acquire nicknames like 'Foggy Bill,' 'Heavy-weather Jack,' or 'Squally Jim.' ... 1933 Greene 170 There is a 'jinx' on the ship, or a 'jinker' aboard; and then the hands may settle that this jinker is some unfortunate who has a cast in his eye, or who was born with 'foxy-coloured' hair, or a stammer—anything of the most foolish. But, foolish or not, Heaven help the miserable one on whom they may decide as the guilty one. His life will be a burden to him till the seals are struck or the Voyage is over—for all sorts of tricks, painful and otherwise, will be played on him when either sleeping or waking." --Dictionary of Newfoundland English, 2nd ed.