English As We Speak It in Ireland Part 55

Whisht, silence: used all over Ireland in such phrases as 'hold your whisht' (or the single word 'whisht'), i.e., be silent. It is the Gaelic word _tost_, silence, with the first _t_ aspirated as it ought to be, which gives it the sound of _h_. They p.r.o.nounce it as if it were written _thuist_, which is exactly sounded _whisht_. The same word--taken from the Gaelic of course--is used everywhere in Scotland:--When the Scottish Genius of Poetry appeared suddenly to Burns (in 'The Vision'):--'Ye needna doubt, I held my whisht!'

Whisper, whisper here; both used in the sense of 'listen,' 'listen to me':--'Whisper, I want to say something to you,' and then he proceeds to say it, not in a whisper, but in the usual low conversational tone.

Very general all over Ireland. 'Whisper' in this usage is simply a translation of _cogar_ [cogger], and 'whisper here' of _cogar annso_; these Irish words being used by Irish speakers exactly as their dialectical English equivalents are used in English: the English usage being taken from the Irish.

White-headed boy or white-haired boy; a favourite, a person in favour, whether man or boy:--'Oh you're the white-headed boy now.'

Whitterit or whitrit; a weasel. (Ulster.)

Whose owe? the same as 'who owns?':--'Whose owe is this book?' Old English. My correspondent {350} states that this was a common construction in Anglo-Saxon. (Ulster.)

Why; a sort of terminal expletive used in some of the Munster counties:--'Tom is a strong boy why': 'Are you going to Ennis why?' 'I am going to Cork why.'

Why for? used in Ulster as an equivalent to 'for what?'

Why but? 'Why not?' (Ulster.) 'Why but you speak your mind out?' i.e.

'Why should you not?' (Kane: Armagh.)

Why then; used very much in the South to begin a sentence, especially a reply, much as _indeed_ is used in English:--'When did you see John Dunn?' 'Why then I met him yesterday at the fair': 'Which do you like best, tea or coffee?' 'Why then I much prefer tea.' 'Why then Pat is that you; and how is _every rope's length_ of you?'

Wicked; used in the South in the sense of severe or cross. 'Mr. Manning our schoolmaster is very wicked.'

Widow-woman and widow-man; are used for _widow_ and _widower_, especially in Ulster: but _widow-woman_ is heard everywhere.

Wigs on the green; a fight: so called for an obvious reason:--'There will be wigs on the green in the fair to-day.'

_Will you_ was never a good fellow, 18, 114.

Wine or wynd of hay; a small temporary stack of hay, made up on the meadow. All the small wynds are ultimately made up into one large rick or stack in the farmyard. {351}

Wipe, a blow: all over Ireland: he gave him a wipe on the face. In Ulster, a goaly-wipe is a great blow on the ball with the _camaun_ or hurley: such as will send it to the goal.

Wire. To _wire in_ is to begin work vigorously: to join in a fight.

Wirra; an exclamation generally indicating surprise, sorrow, or vexation: it is the vocative of 'Muire' (_A Mhuire_), Mary, that is, the Blessed Virgin.

Wirrasthru, a term of pity; alas. It is the phonetic form of _A Mhuire is truaigh_, 'O Mary it is a pity (or a sorrow),' implying the connexion of the Blessed Virgin with sorrow.

Wit; sense, which is the original meaning. But this meaning is nearly lost in England while it is extant everywhere in Ireland:--A sharp Ulster woman, entering her little boy in a Dublin Infant School, begged of the mistress to teach him a little _wut_.

Witch: black witches are bad; white witches good. (West Donegal.)

Wish; esteem, friends.h.i.+p:--'Your father had a great wish for me,' i.e.

held me in particular esteem, had a strong friends.h.i.+p. (General.) In this application it is merely the translation of the Irish _meas_, respect:--_Ta meas mor agum ort_; I have great esteem for you, I have a great _wish_ for you, I hold you in great respect.

Wisha; a softening down of _mossa_, which see.

With that; thereupon: used all over Ireland. Irish _leis sin_, which is often used, has the same exact meaning; but still I think _with that_ is of old {352} English origin, though the Irish equivalent may have contributed to its popularity.

'With that her couverchef from her head she braid And over his litel eyen she it laid.'

(CHAUCER.)

Word; trace, sign. (Ulster.) 'Did you see e'er a word of a black-avised (black-visaged) man travelling the road you came?'

Wrap and run: 'I gathered up every penny I could wrap and run,' is generally used: the idea being to wrap up hastily and run for it.

Yoke; any article, contrivance, or apparatus for use in some work.

'That's a _quare_ yoke Bill,' says a countryman when he first saw a motor car.