Hi all,

I have a couple questions. Could someone tell me how a dog would be called? Something that would correlate with "Come here, boy" in English. Also, on the subject of animals, how are they named (i.e., human names, descriptive names, etc.)?

I also have some English phrases that I've been told were commonly used in Ireland. I was wondering if anyone could give some input as to whether these phrases sound familiar:

Making a hand of = making fun of/poking fun at
Going on with = teasing (i.e., “don’t be going on with her”)
Give over = stop it
Glad of it = glad
Handle your feet well = dance
Give hard with the tongue = scold (i.e., “Mam’s going to give you hard with her tongue.”)
Amplush = mess
Upon my life= I swear
Go off on = get mad


Thanks in advance for any help!

Christy

I say Goile a lot for come here, I picked that up from conamara speakers.

never heard some of those English phrases used except give over but I'd say that's more common in England. Ive heard glad of it & Upon my life but I wouldn't say it's common. I'd say 'Go off on one' but again very common in England too

Making a hand of = making fun of/poking fun at (Never heard this; I regularly hear ' to slag someone' is to tease them.)
Going on with = teasing (i.e., “don’t be going on with her”) (Never heard this either)
Give over = stop it ( I have heard this, but not very often. I have frequently heard 'cut it out')
Glad of it = glad (I have heard this, but not very often)
Handle your feet well = dance (I don't think I have heard this)
Give hard with the tongue = scold (i.e., “Mam’s going to give you hard with her tongue.”) (I have never heard this)
Amplush = mess (I have never heard this)
Upon my life= I swear (I have heard this, but not sure it was in Ireland. Much more likely to hear 'I swear to God' or perhaps with someone younger 'Cross my heart, hope to die'. Sounds a little ominous, I know)
Go off on = get mad (I have heard 'to go off on one' as in 'he really went off on one')

My guess is that different phrases are common in different parts of the country. There are probably some pretty standard ones and others that are quite localised. Now where have I heard that kind of thing before......!

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I'm pretty much in agreement with everything Saoirse said.

Me too.

Domhnall

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Ultach mé agus Gaeilg Uladh a labhraim go measardha maith!

Make a hand of I've heard as in doing something well as " She made a good hand at baking that bread" or " He has a good hand on him for fixing things". I've also heard " She hasn't a hand on her at all. That dinner wasn't good". Amplush I found in P.W. Joyce ENGLISH AS WE SPEAK IT meaning a fix, difficulty.

Making a hand of = making fun of/poking fun at
I've never heard it.
(ag spocadh le duine - but be careful it also has other meanings OR ag piocadh as duine OR magadh faoi dhuine)

Going on with = teasing (i.e., “don’t be going on with her”)
I've heard - go on with ya ... as as interjection of disbelive (Dublin slang mostly)

Give over = stop it
I've heard in the media, but not personally.
(Éist liom/leave me alone (it also means "listen to me")

Glad of it = glad
I've heard it, fairly common I think, but I don't use.

Handle your feet well = dance
I've never heard that.
(there is an Irish idiom but I can't think of it)

Give hard with the tongue = scold (i.e., “Mam’s going to give you hard with her tongue.”)
I've never heard that. But people say "give out". It comes from the Irish "ag tabhairt amach".

Amplush = mess
Never heard it. What kind of mess do you mean?

Upon my life= I swear
Sounds archaic/old. Like Saoirse said - I swear to God - is more common.
dár m'anam (upon my soul) / others will come to me

Go off on = get mad
I believe that also has a sexual meaning. ?
Bhain sé an cloigeann dhó /He took the head off him. (I think the English comes from the Irish, but not sure)

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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Thanks for the input! These phrases came from a book called "English as We Speak It in Ireland," which was written in 1910 by a P.W. Joyce from Limerick/Cork. So perhaps they are so old that they're not used anymore. I'm very careful to ensure what I'm writing is accurate, though, so thank you for the input; I'd rather remove questionable dialect than [i]hope[i] it's correct.

Thanks again!

Christy

Did Christy want Irish translations for these phrases? I thought it was confirmation of the English usage that was being sought.

However, I think this was her Irish language question:

'to get off with someone meant to snog them when I was out and about fadó, fadó......

Absolutely, I should have thought of this. Irish people definitely 'give out' to their children (and husbands!!! )

Crossed with Christy!

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