Now, when we are in lockdown, Killorglin Archives would like to involve you in remembering old sayings. If you can think of a few, please send them on, be they in Irish or English. A lot of them have a lot of common sense in them.
Irish Words in Common Usage during the 1950s.
Kindly donated to Killorglin Archive Society by Professor Donncadh O’Corráin
SECTION 1: TYPES OF PEOPLE
| Gaelige | English | Example |
| giolla mile shaothair | no common sense | He’s a right g. |
| buaileam sciath | a boaster | Your uncle Jim is a right b. |
| cábún | impotent man | She married a right c. |
| fostudhach | an ungainly, stupid person | |
| amadán | fool | |
| óinseach | foolish woman | also applied to a man perjoratively |
| criceálaí | a mad or silly person | |
| ógánach | teenager (perjorative) | |
| padhsán | miserable person | That dirty little p. |
| bastún | clumsy fool | |
| bacach | lame, also beggar | |
| gligín | silly person | |
| scaothaire | boaster | |
| tathaire | a pert person | |
| mantachán | gap-toothed person | |
| maidrín lathaighe | a person who humiliates himself | |
| gamalóg | a fool | |
| núidí náidí | a person difficult to please | |
| ainnis | wretched, untidy | |
| ainniseoir | wretch, unfortunate person | |
| balbh, balbhán | stammerer, of unclear speech | |
| pusghail, pusaíl | crying (low) | |
| teaspach, teasbach | heat, warmth, energy | A good day in the bog will knock the t. out of him |
SECTION 2: PARTS OF THE BODY etc.
| Gaelige | English | Example |
| pluc ‘cheek’ plucamus | swelled cheeks, mumps | Look at the red p. ‘s on the child |
| ribe | a hair (of the head) | Bald as an egg; he hasn’t a r. |
| mantach | gap-toothed | |
| meigeall | 1. goat’s beard 2. a beard | |
| liobar | hang lip | |
| méascar | a weeping cut (from binding corn) | |
| lipín báite | a sodden person | The child is a l. b. by you, out in the rain |
| sparán | big belly | |
| gob | 1. beak 2. mouth | |
| ag lamhncán | crawling (of a child) |
SECTION 3: PLANTS
| Gaelige | English | Example |
| fiaile dhearg | red shank | The turnips are full of f. dh. |
| táithfhéithleann | wild woodbine | He’s as tough as t. |
| geosadán | ragwort | Mac has a fine field of g. |
| buachallán | ragwort (understood but not used s. of the Laune) | |
| bainne cín éan | henbane | |
| praiseach bhuidhe | charlock | |
| fionnán | coarse white bog grass | |
| caisearbhán | endivia sylvestris | They have plenty c. to pick fir the pigs i.e. they have time enough to get married |
| sceachóidín | wild rose |
SECTION 4: ANIMALS, BIRDS & INSECTS
| Gaelige | English | Example |
| céis | half-grown pig | I have three good c. ‘s |
| banbh | piglet (also dim. bainbhín) | Smallest banbh of the litter |
| iarlais | useless person, animal or thing | |
| gearrcach | nestling | |
| pocán | male goat (also a nickname) | |
| deilg | minnows | |
| nóirín raga | heron | |
| pilibín | plover | |
| réabhóg, riabhóg | meadow pipit?, henlark? that follows the cuckoo | He has no more sense than the r. |
| puiscín, piscín, puisín, | young cat, kitten |
SECTION 5: FARM
| Gaelige | English | Example |
| crúb | hoof also foot (disparagingly) | |
| síogóg | strawrope granary | |
| mhuc, mhuc, mhuc | call for pigs | |
| thuiris, thuiris, thuiris | call for a sow | |
| gheois, gheois | call for a cow to stand still | |
| cuing | swingle-tree (pron. quin) | |
| srathar | straddle | |
| srather fhada | a long or pannier straddle | |
| back, baccán | catch for hanging a door | |
| sceallthán, sceallán | cut seed potato | |
| broc | badger , also a nickname “broc an abhlaigh” | |
| criochán | small potato | |
| ciaróg | black beetle | He don’t ate no c. i.e. he is no fool |
| sceartán | tick | |
| sciodar | 1. very sour milk 2. scutter 3. mess | He made s. of the spuds |
| bogán | soft egg | |
| uiscealach | weak tea | |
| sughlach | fluid in which meat is boiled taken as food with bread broken into it | |
| broghais | placenta of a cow, anything dirty or wet | You dirty b. |
| praiseach | a mess | He made p. of the spuds (by overboiling) |
| spairt | wet turf | |
| cadhrán, caorán | hard compact turf | |
| sleaghán | turf spade | He’s a good man on the s. A s. of turf is a day’s cutting |
| cocaí | a tough fibrous weed in the bog, that grows down about three sods | |
| gabháil | two armfuls | A g. of turf, hay, straw |
| bán | lea, unploughed grassland | |
| móinteán | boggy land | |
| sliabh | rough land, mountain | |
| na cnuic | rough land near the river | |
| inis (pron. inch) | land beside a river or lake | |
| tráithnín | a single blade of grass | It isn’t worth a t. |
| cloch | stone | |
| salachar (pron. slachar) | filth, dirt, weeds in a crop | |
| súgán | straw rope | |
| púicin | bag, blind for an animal | |
| poll | a pool in the river | Poll Mór, Poll Mholly |
| lochán | pool, small lake | Throw out that wet coat, don’t be leaving locháns on the floor |
| casúr | hammer (only in a nickname) | |
| slibire | slime from a cow showing she is about to calve | |
| bannrach | pit, milking yard, dunghill | Throw him out in the b., the filthy fellow |
| graidhscleach | clay and stone mix that remains as a lump in river pools | Look out, there’s a lump of g. in the bottom of the pool |
| sop | wisp, small bundle (of straw) |
SECTION 6: BELIEF
| Gaelige | English | Example |
| púka | pooka | |
| péist | a monster (in a lake) | |
| piseog | superstition | |
| leipreachán | leprechaun | |
| diabhal | the devil | |
| a dhiabhail | you devil (pron. “yell”) | |
| Ó Mhuire | O Mary |
SECTION 7: VARIOUS
| Gaeilge | English | Example |
| meadhrán | dizziness, migraine | I’ve got a m. in the head |
| olagón | lament, crying | There he is o. ing in the corner |
| miádh | misfortune | There is some m. down on him |
| cráidhte | tormented, vexed | He is c. by that one |
| sonc | push | He gave him a s. |
| strócáil | getting by badly, poorly | He is only s. ing |
| útamáil | fumbling, botching | |
| géatsaí | tricks, antics | |
| scrios | damage | He did s. in the pub, blind drunk of course |
| splinnc | a tiny bit | He hasn’t a s. of sense |
| rúille búille | ri-ra, uproar | |
| gallán | standing stone | |
| taoibhín | a side-patch (in a shoe) | |
| caidhp bháis | kibosh | |
| lapadghail | messing (in water, fluid etc.) | |
| lapa | hand (pejorative) | |
| tuistiún, teastún | four pence | |
| smuta, smut | piece of anything | |
| dúidín | clay pipe | |
| gal | a smoke (of tobacco) | |
| cnáimhseáil | complaining | |
| gáinéalaí | trader, messy trader | |
| sodar | trotting | There’s a s. on him today |
| taoscán (pron. tadhscán) | small quantity | |
| poitín | illegal whiskey | |
| mo léir cráite | alas | |
| mo thrua | alas | |
| giobal | a rag | She’s dressed in giobails by him |
| crúst | to throw stones (at a house) | |
| deocán | a whistle made from a straw | |
| bladar | soft or foolish talk | |
| cailín | girl | |
| cailleach | hag | |
| sponc | coltsfoot | |
| dher faic | nothing at all | |
| Seoinín | Shoneen | |
| carraig | rock | |
| a laogh | darling | |
| spág | leg, foot, paw, a big wide one | Take your spágs off the chair |
| druib | large chafer found in the bog | |
| gandal | gander | |
| bolg | belly | |
| plámás | flattery | |
| bata droighin | blackthorn stick | |
| bóthar ó thuaidh | northern road | |
| gabhal | fork (of the body) | |
| gabhal éadar | lascivious loins (disparagingly of a woman | |
| cac | ordure (caca babytalk always used with children) | |
| fadharcán | erection |
SECTION 8: NAMES
| Gaeilge | English | Example |
| Cnocán na gCeap | ||
| crón | sallow | Sullivan Crón, crónach |
| Mucaidh Foley m. | ||
| Macha na Muinge | ||
| Broc an Abhlaigh | ||
| Gobhán Saor | ||
| [Ó] Coinchinn | pron. Quinihin, now Counihan | |
| Póirsín na Graighneach |
SECTION 9: ADDENDA
| Gaeilge | English | Example |
| mothall | a fleece, a bush of hair, bushy head (of hair) | |
| póirsín | ||
| garsún, garsuínín | ||
| adhastar | halter for an animal | |
| gor | hatching | A gorry hen, knock the g. out of her |
| buaircín | piece of wood for tying a rope | |
| buairicín | a little spancel | |
| cuas | hollow | |
| cúbai | cow with inward turned horns | |
| ciseán | a large basket | |
| cliabh | a very large basket carried on the back | Bring in a c. of turf |
| luidín | small finger |