Down East

"Down East", also "Downeast", is a term referring to parts of eastern coastal New England and Canada, particularly the U.S. state of Maine and Canada's Maritime Provinces. The phrase apparently derives from sailing terminology: sailors from western ports sailed downwind toward the east to reach the area. The area referred to closely corresponds to the historical French territory of Acadia. Within Maine, the phrase may refer specifically to the easternmost regions, also called Down East Maine. A person from the area may be called a down-easter.

Etymology

The origin of the phrase "Down East" is typically traced to nautical terminology referring to direction, rather than location. In the warm months most suitable for sailing, the prevailing winds along the coast of New England and Canada blow from the southwest, meaning ships sail downwind to go east. As such, the northeastern stretches were said to be "Down East" in relation to the major western cities such as Boston. Correspondingly, sailors spoke of going "up to Boston" from these ports, a phrase still common in Maine, despite the fact that Boston is around fifty miles to the south of Maine. The term can be used as an adverb, adjective or noun. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the earliest known use in print to 1825. The phrase "down-easter", meaning a person from "Down East", appeared in print in 1828.

Down East (disambiguation)

"Down East" is a term for parts of eastern New England and Canada's Maritime Provinces.

Down East may also refer to:

  • Down East (North Carolina), communities east of Beaufort in Carteret County, United States
  • Down East, The Magazine of Maine, a monthly magazine in Maine
  • Down East Books, a publishing imprint of Rowman & Littlefield
  • See also

  • Down Easter (disambiguation)
  • East Down (disambiguation)
  • Way Down East
  • East Down

    East Down may refer to:

  • East Down, Devon, a village in England
  • The eastern part of County Down in Northern Ireland
  • East Down (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
  • East Down (UK Parliament constituency), former constituency in County Down, Northern Ireland
  • See also

  • Down East (disambiguation)
  • Podcasts:

    PLAYLIST TIME:

    Down

    by: Suede

    All the people in your life say you're down
    And the strangers in the night say you're down
    And the loonies on the right say you're down and you're down
    And the ambulances sigh that you're down
    And the traffic speeding by says you're down
    And the people in your life say you're down and you're down
    Hey you chase the day away
    Hey you draw the blinds and blow your mind away
    And there's a sadness in your style
    And there's a blankness in your smile
    And the people in the park say you're down
    And the strangers in the dark say you're down
    And the pissheads in the bars say you're down
    And the audiences cry that you're down
    And the ambulances sigh that you're down
    And the boyfriends in your life say you're down and you're down
    Hey you chase the day away
    Hey you draw the blinds and blow your mind away
    And there's a sadness in your style
    And there's a blankness in your smile
    Hey you chase the day away
    Hey you draw the blinds and blow your mind away
    And there's a sadness in your style




    Latest News for: down east

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    The Providence Journal 09 Mar 2025
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    Uvalde Leader News 09 Mar 2025
    At 11.31 a.m., firefighters responded to a grass fire, caused by downed power lines, at the intersection of Hacienda Road and Raine Lane ... Highway 90 East ... where a downed power line caused a small fire.

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    The Business Desk 09 Mar 2025
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    ATC to navigate 225 obstacles around Navi Mumbai airport, runway threshold adjusted

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    Hanover Park sophomore wins second straight state girls wrestling title

    northjersey.com 09 Mar 2025
    “It feels great ... She now has the opportunity next year to become the East Hanover school’s third three-time winner. “A lot of our people have been down here and they’ve helped us train and deal with the pressure and all the attention,” Conte said.

    New York governor declares emergency as brush fires burn in Long Island

    CNN 09 Mar 2025
    Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Saturday after several wind-driven brush fires broke out in New York’s Long Island, sending large smoke plumes into the air and shutting down a highway.

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    Colorado state basketball tournament: Class 6A Great 8 live coverage, results

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