English As We Speak It in Ireland Part 26

'To cure a person's hiccup' means to make him submit, to bring him to his senses, to make him acknowledge his error, by some decided course of action. A shopkeeper goes to a customer for payment of a debt, and gets no satisfaction, but, on the {203} contrary, impudence. 'Oh well, I'll send you an attorney's letter to-morrow, and may be that will cure your hiccup.'

The origin of this expression is the general belief through Ireland that a troublesome fit of hiccup may be cured by suddenly making some very startling and alarming announcement to the person--an announcement in which he is deeply concerned: such as that the stacks in the haggard are on fire--that three of his cows have just been drowned, &c. Fiachra MacBrady, a schoolmaster and poet, of Stradone in Cavan (1712), wrote a humorous description of his travels through Ireland of which the translation has this verse:--

'I drank till quite mellow, then like a brave fellow, Began for to bellow and shouted for more; But my host held his stick up, which soon _cured my hiccup_, As no cash I could pick up to pay off the score.'

The host was the publican, and the stick that he held up was the tally stick on which were marked in nicks all the drinks poor MacBrady had taken--a usual way of keeping accounts in old times. The sight of the _score_ brought him to his senses at once--_cured his hiccup_.

A verse of which the following is a type is very often found in our Anglo-Irish songs:--

'The flowers in those valleys no more shall spring, The blackbirds and thrushes no more shall sing, The sea shall dry up and no water shall be, At the hour I'll prove false to sweet graw-mochree.'

So in Scotland:--'I will luve thee still, my dear, till a' the seas gang dry.' (Burns.)

A warning sometimes given to a messenger:--'Now don't forget it like Billy and the pepper': This {204} is the story of Billy and the pepper. A gander got killed accidentally; and as the family hardly ever tasted meat, there was to be a great treat that day. To top the grandeur they sent little Billy to town for a pennyworth of pepper. But Billy forgot the name, and only remembered that it was something hot; so he asked the shopman for a penn'orth of _hot-thing_. The man couldn't make head or tail of the _hot-thing_, so he questioned Billy. Is it mustard? No. Is it ginger? No.

Is it pepper? Oh that's just it--_gandher's pepper_.

A man has done me some intentional injury, and I say to him, using a very common phrase:--'Oh, well, wait; _I'll pay you off_ for that': meaning 'I'll punish you for it--I'll have satisfaction.'

_Dry_ for _thirsty_ is an old English usage; for in Middleton's Plays it is found used in this sense. (Lowell.) It is almost universal in Ireland, where of course it survives from old English. There is an old Irish air and song called 'I think it no treason to drink when I'm _dry_': and in another old Folk Song we find this couplet:

'There was an old soldier riding by, He called for a quart because he was _dry_.'

Instances of the odd perversion of sense by misplacing some little clause are common in all countries: and I will give here just one that came under my own observation. A young friend, a boy, had remained away an unusually long time without visiting us; and on being asked the reason he replied:--'I could not come, sir; I got a bite in the leg of dog'--an example which I think is unique. {205}

On the first appearance of the new moon, a number of children linked hands and danced, keeping time to the following verse--

I see the moon, the moon sees me, G.o.d bless the moon and G.o.d bless me: There's grace in the cottage and grace in the hall; And the grace of G.o.d is over us all.

For the air to which this was sung see my 'Old Irish Folk Music and Songs,'

p. 60.

'Do you really mean to drive that horse of William's to pound?' 'Certainly I will.' 'Oh very well; let ye take what you'll get.' Meaning you are likely to pay dear for it--you may take the consequences. (Ulster.)

'If he tries to remove that stone without any help _it will take him all his time_': it will require his utmost exertions. (Ulster: very common.)

When rain is badly wanted and often threatens but still doesn't come they say:--'It has great _hould_ [hold] of the rain.' On the other hand when there is long continued wet weather:--'It is very fond of the rain.'

When flakes of snow begin to fall:--'They are plucking the geese in Connaught.' 'Formerly in all the congested districts of Ireland [which are more common in Connaught than elsewhere] goose and duck feathers formed one of the largest industries.' (Kinahan.)

Now James you should put down your name for more than 5s.: there's Tom Gallagher, not half so well off as you, _put the shame on you_ by subscribing 1. (Kinahan: pretty general.) {206}

In stories 'a day' is often added on to a period of time, especially to a year. A person is banished out of Ireland for a year and a day.

The battle of Ventry Harbour lasted for a year and a day, when at last the foreigners were defeated.

There's a colleen fair as May, For a year and for a day I have sought by ev'ry way Her heart to gain.

(PETRIE.)

'Billy MacDaniel,' said the fairy, 'you shall be my servant for seven years and a day.' (Crofton Croker.) Borrowed from the Irish.

The word _all_ is often used by our rustic poets exactly as it is found in English folk-songs. Gay has happily imitated this popular usage in 'Black-eyed Susan':--

'All in the Downs the fleet was moored'--

and Scott in 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel':--

'All as they left the listed plain.'

Any number of examples might be given from our peasant songs, but these two will be sufficient:--

'As I roved out one evening two miles below Pomeroy I met a farmer's daughter _all on_ the mountains high.'

'How a young lady's heart was won _All by_ the loving of a farmer's son.'

(The two lovely airs of these will be found in two of my books: for the first, see 'The Mountains high' in 'Ancient Irish Music'; and for the second {207} see 'Handsome Sally' in 'Old Irish Folk Music and Songs.')

'He saw her on that day, and _never laid eyes on her_ alive afterwards.'

(Speech of Irish counsel in murder case: 1909.) A common expression.

A wish for success either in life or in some particular undertaking--purely figurative of course:--'That the road may rise under you.' As the road continually rises under foot there is always an easy down hill in front.

(Kerry.)

Regarding some proposal or offer:--'I never said against it'; i.e. I never disapproved of it--declined it--refused it.

Be said by me: i.e. take my advice. (General.)

When a cart-wheel screeches because the axle-tree has not been greased, it is _cursing for grease_. (Munster.)

When a person wishes to keep out from another--to avoid argument or conflict, he says:--'The child's bargain--let me alone and I'll let you alone.'

When a person goes to law expenses trying to recover a debt which it is very unlikely he will recover, that is 'throwing good money after bad.'

'I'm the second tallest man in Mitchelstown'--or 'I'm the next tallest.'

Both mean 'there is just one other man in Mitchelstown taller than me, and I come next to him.'

'Your honour.' Old English: very common as a term of courtesy in the time of Elizabeth, and to be met with everywhere in the State papers and correspondence of that period. Used now all through Ireland by the peasantry when addressing persons very much above them. {208}

_The cabman's answer._ I am indebted to this cabman for giving me an opportunity of saying something here about myself. It is quite a common thing for people to write to me for information that they could easily find in my books: and this is especially the case in connexion with Irish place-names. I have always made it a point to reply to these communications. But of late they have become embarra.s.singly numerous, while my time is getting more circ.u.mscribed with every year of my long life. Now, this is to give notice to _all the world and Garrett Reilly_ that henceforward I will give these good people the reply that the Dublin cabman gave the lady. 'Please, sir,' said she, 'will you kindly tell me the shortest way to St. Patrick's Cathedral.' He opened the door of his cab with his left hand, and pointing in with the forefinger of his right, answered--'In there ma'am.' {209}

CHAPTER XIII.

VOCABULARY AND INDEX.

[In this Vocabulary, as well indeed as through the whole book, _gh_ and _ch_ are to be sounded guttural, as in _lough_ and _loch_, unless otherwise stated or implied. Those who cannot sound the guttural may take the sound of _k_ instead, and they will not be far wrong.]