What expanse of land is called a Tickle?

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Request for Question Clarification by answerfinder-ga on 22 Jul 2004 09:26 PDT

Dear ccduff-ga,
I have found a geographical reference to a tickle, but it refers more
to water than an expanse of land. Could this be the information you
are seeking?
answerfinder-ga

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Clarification of Question by ccduff-ga on 23 Jul 2004 09:00 PDT

I know that there are a few locations in Newfoundland and Labrador
that have "Tickle" in their name as a descriptor (i.e., Black Tickle,
Long Island Tickle) and I need to know if "Tickle" refers to a type of
land mass -- or water, for that matter.  I lived there for a while,
and thought it was a spit of land, but I am looking to you for the
definitive answer.

Dear ccduff-ga,

Thank you for your clarification. Yes, indeed, it is the Newfoundland
Tickle that I have information on.

The definitive answer comes from the Newfoundland English Dictionary. 
The word Tickle was first recorded in 1770.

"A narrow salt-water strait, as in an entrance to a harbour or between
islands or other land masses, often difficult or treacherous to
navigate because of narrowness, tides, etc; a 'settlement' adjoining
such a passage;"

The entry provides plenty of examples of its use. (It is a frames
based page and this takes you directly to the page. Use the link below
to explore more of the site).

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex/pages/5024.html

About the dictionary.
"It is the purpose of the Dictionary of Newfoundland English to
present as one such index the regional lexicon of one of the oldest
overseas communities of the English-speaking world: the lexicon of
Newfoundland and coastal Labrador as it is displayed in the sources
drawn upon in compiling the work, sources which range from
sixteenth-century printed books to tape recordings of contemporary
Newfoundland speakers."
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/d8ction.html

Here is another reference to the use of the term (more are accessed
using the search term below).

"To a mariner, a tickle is a narrow, dangerous body of salt water
where the current can often change direction without warning and
unseen water hazards lurk just below the surface. To this day, people
refer to a dangerous predicament as a ticklish situation. Newfoundland
has more than 200 ticklish spots, while New Brunswick has at least
seven, including Dark Tickle, Tickle Beach and Timble Tickle."
http://www.legionmagazine.com/features/celebratingcanada/04-05.asp


I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder

Search strategy
"a Tickle" geography led me to 
"a Tickle" "newfoundland"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=%22a+Tickle+%22newfoundland
and a link to the dictionary