Comments on: Long finger

By: ultrasound technician

ultrasound technician — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:19:28 +0000

My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!

By: remmy

remmy — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:23:34 +0000

it is mostly to pospone/to delay ie. if you have courted a fellow or lass for a while but stilll not married … a long engagement?
The long finger they are engaged now six years but no wedding plans yet? The long finger?

By: Dermot

Dermot — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:52:25 +0000

I’m in NZ and just wrote a business letter, which I ran by my Kiwi wife before printing. “What’s “the long finger”?” says she. I never realised it was a particularly Irish expression until now, though thinking about it, I was aware of “an mhéar fhada”, I just didn’t put two and two together. The funny think is that, when I explained it to her, she then went on to say “I’d change that.” God of Almighty! As if I’d leave it in a business letter knowing now, as I do, that it is not universally understood. She’s obviously bought into at least one of the Irish stereotypes

By: Shivaun Conroy

Shivaun Conroy — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:24:29 +0000

Thanks a lot Dymphna.

By: Dymphna Lonergan

Dymphna Lonergan — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:58:34 +0000

In my book Sounds Irish: The Irish language in Australia I suggest that Aus. kip (the small stick used to toss the coins in ‘two-up’ ) is Ir. cipin ‘a little stick’; Aus. brumby is Ir. bromaigh ‘colts (young male horses); Aus. sheila ultimately derives from Ir. Sile ‘a homosexual’; and didgeridoo is Ir. dudaire dubh ‘black trumpet player’. These words are discussed in depth in an Ozwords article that is still online.

By: Sinead

Sinead — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:49:17 +0000

I’m really enjoying this Irish-English week. Also very curious about the examples given of disguised Irish words in Australian English (kip, brumby, sheila, didgerydoo). Could you Dymphna (or anyone else) give some details on the etymological connections?

By: Cait

Cait — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:35:18 +0000

Noreen,

To be ‘on the pig’s back’ is a reference to the death of Diarmuid in the legend of Diarmuid and Gráinne. You should be able to find a version of the story here:
http://www.google.ie/#hl=en&q=diarmuid+and+grainne&meta=&aq=&oq=diarmuid+and+grainne&fp=82c707a70029d905

By: Tweets that mention Long finger -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention Long finger -- Topsy.com — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:28:06 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Irish Arts Center, giolchairithe, Caroline Short, Caroline Short, Macmillan Dictionary and others. Macmillan Dictionary said: 'To put something on the long finger' in Ireland, means? http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/irish-english-long-finger/ [...]

By: Maria C. Costa

Maria C. Costa — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:11:01 +0000

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While reading its Blog, we get so much peculiar information English Language-related. Here we can have an accurate and broader view of how users of English around the world are welcoming it. Thank you for this month plan.

By: Noreen Doherty

Noreen Doherty — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Hello Dymphna, I have been putting this query to you “on the long finger” (notice!) since I read your article but finally have a little space to satisfy my curiousity about another saying. Here in Ireland we use the term “to be on the pig’s back” to mean somebody is doing well, is successful, everthing is going beautifully etc. This is a literal translation from the Irish “ar mhuin na muice bige”. But where does it come from – who or what was the pig and why should being on its back represent success etc?

Go n-eirigh an bothar leat ‘san obair.