Friday, November 20, 2009

Various Things - some about words

The Irish word Póit is pronounced a little bit like poet - and means excessive drinking or hangover.
"go héasca" means fast to the Aran Islanders, and means easy and slow to the Connemara fishermen, so that when they go fishing together and one crew is shouting the instruction to let the nets out "go héasca go héasca", frantically urging them on, the other side is wondering how they could possibly go any slower.
German homeless people and sex workers get up early in the morning, and at least one walks around with her finger stuck in a book to keep her place in it.
No one in any American company is given any job below the level of Vice President, and most are CEOs.
The word yes is contained in the word eyes, the word no in the word nose.
In other news - here's an interesting article on how some great novels were written.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703740004574513463106012106.html

6 comments:

Rachel Fox said...

Would really appreciate your thoughts over at my post just now. Doing a kind of survey!
x

Dominic Rivron said...

So I suppose regular heavy drinking is póitry?

You've got me looking for words within words now (like who put the ache in teacher?)

Batteson.Ind said...

I can barely spell, never mind try to find words within words... my head is wrecked.... i like the irish fast and slow thing :-)

Niamh B said...

Interesting survey Rachel, lookin forward to a good summary of your findings after.
It's so fitting isn't it Dominic - so pubs were the original holders of Póitic licenses, and yeah words within words - there's alot of em - the art in party, kin in skin, craic in craiceann (irish for skin) etc etc etc.
Yeah Watercats - there's something class about that alright isn't there? some mischevious fisherman somewhere obviously spread the wrong meaning somewhere...

Totalfeckineejit said...

Póitin , poet,poteen = pissed as a poet?

Niamh B said...

Hungover with Poetry TFE!