Archaic phrases

[bboruimhe]

Originally Posted by 'orebel

We used to buy loosies (single cigarette) and the person with you would call 'next on that' and if there was someone else, they'd call 'next on the next' while telling us not to horse (suck to hard) it or bog (soak) it. Then we would all go home to our gaffs to do our ecka, before we got grief from the auld lade or even a bateing

we used to say 'Butts on ye', and 'Don't put a jew's arse on it' (i posted this previously but interesting to hear others remember the same thing). We bought loose majors for a penny (went up to 3p, c. 1974). This was Northside Dublin in the early 70s.

[macdarawhitfield]

Originally Posted by bboruimhe

we used to say 'Butts on ye', and 'Don't put a jew's arse on it' (i posted this previously but interesting to hear others remember the same thing). We bought loose majors for a penny (went up to 3p, c. 1974). This was Northside Dublin in the early 70s.

Do kids still say 'Nix!' when the guards are coming?

[The Field Marshal]

Originally Posted by macdarawhitfield

Do kids still say 'Nix!' when the guards are coming?

They do, and if they are real gougers they will spiha gollier at them.

[cry freedom]

Draining the Shannon!
Widely used by Fianna Fail hopefuls at election times.
The last person I can remember using it was Pascal Mooney.
In a letter to the Irish Times, I think it was ?
He signed off with an auld "Up the Republic".
This too seems to have gone out of fashion.

[The Field Marshal]

Originally Posted by cry freedom

Draining the Shannon!
Widely used by Fianna Fail hopefuls at election times.
The last person I can remember using it was Pascal Mooney.
In a letter to the Irish Times, I think it was ?
He signed off with an auld "Up the Republic".
This too seems to have gone out of fashion.

All pending the re-integration of the national territory.

[MsAnneThrope]

Yolkamebob - an important object or technical component of something that you don't understand - "Sorry we're late Betty, but the car wouldn't start until Paddy fiddled around with the yolkamebob"

Thingamijig - an object you've temporarily forgotten the name of - "Paddy, are you sitting on that thingamijig to change the channel?"

Whatchamacallit - same as a thingamijig - "I'm meeting Nuala for a pizza tonight so I'll miss the Late Late, but sure I have it set to record on the whatchamacallit!"

"a few onions short of a stew" - not the full shilling - "Would ya look at the outfit on that one Grettie?". "Ach, don't mind her Annie. She's a few onions short of a stew!"

Wojus - of poor quality; terrible - "Dorothy was telling me herself and Dick tried that new Chinese restaurant the other night. God she said it was wojus altogether!"

[Baron von Biffo]

Originally Posted by MsAnneThrope

[I][B]Wojus - of poor quality; terrible - "Dorothy was telling me herself and Dick tried that new Chinese restaurant the other night. God she said it was wojus altogether!"

I've often wondered if that one was a corruption of odious.

[MsAnneThrope]

Originally Posted by Baron von Biffo

I've often wondered if that one was a corruption of odious.

Could well be. Reminded me of another one - melojen = terrible also; really bad. "We went to see a film the other night. God it was melojen". I wonder is that a corruption of malodorous, originally meaning smelling bad, but adopted to describe anything bad in any way?

[Baron von Biffo]

Originally Posted by MsAnneThrope

Could well be. Reminded me of another one - melojen = terrible also; really bad. "We went to see a film the other night. God it was melojen". I wonder is that a corruption of malodorous, originally meaning smelling bad, but adopted to describe anything bad in any way?

I heard it used to mean accordion so I assumed it came from 'melodeon'

[cry freedom]

Originally Posted by MsAnneThrope

Could well be. Reminded me of another one - melojen = terrible also; really bad. "We went to see a film the other night. God it was melojen". I wonder is that a corruption of malodorous, originally meaning smelling bad, but adopted to describe anything bad in any way?

An even more convoluted one: Spelled phonetically it sounded like "Gower puck má cat melogen