School: Stormanstown, Ardee (roll number 9371)

Location:
Stormanstown, Co. Louth
Teacher:
P. Ó Ceallaigh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0668, Page 007

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0668, Page 007

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  1. (continued from previous page)
    (12) "That beat all!" "beat" is pronounced "bet".
    Means something like, "I've never heard anything like that, in my life!" Is a most useful phrase. When one hears of the eveil deeds of a villain; or of a wonderful invention; or of the success of somebody, especially if uexpected; or of the brilliancy of a child as told by the child's father, one says, "That bet all!" It seems to me much more forceful than the usual (but never heard here), "That bangs Banaquer!"
    (13) "What could your expect from a pig but a grunt?" = "Cad a dhéanfadh mac an chait ath luch a mharbhadh?"
    (14) "He (she) is a Willie!"
    He is proficient at his job. If an old woman were unable to thread a needle and handed it to a child she'd say, when he had done the job, "You're a Willie!" Sometimes au aguisín is put to it: "You're a Willie - if you had a tail," but Mrs Callan says her father or mother never used the latter form. It is of recent origin.
    (15) "As much as would grease a gimlet."
    Said in reference to a minute portion of fat, butter, &c.
    (16) "As old as a field."
    The person or thing so described is very old.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
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    English