An Armoy neighbour of ours recently asked if we could help with the meaning of four Scots words: ELSHIN, JOOGANS, TOBER and TOORIE.
Perhaps you are familiar with these words, and have some idea what they mean?
Unfortunately, although my paternal grandparents were from Jedburgh, in the borders of Scotland, I was brought up in and around Edinburgh, where school, and my parents, drummed out any Scots slang words I may have picked up. So I was not able to help our neighbour personally, but I knew a man who could, and sure enough Charlie Reynolds came to the rescue.
Charlie was able to give us the following definitions; ELSHIN – shoemakers hole borer; JOOGANS – threadbare; TOBER – put manners on someone; and TOORIE - a piglet. Do you agree, or disagree?
I was delighted to be asked to help out, as I think it is wonderful that folks are trying to hold on to their old country words, in the face of the hurricane of American and Australian slang and accents, that are bombarding our lives these days.
Many young folk must be in danger of losing their own natural verbal identity to this global slang. Listening to young folk talk today, it seems that every second word is 'LIKE'! - what is that all about?
It used to be 'absolutely', or 'at the end of the day' or 'cool'.
A local man who surely knew his local dialect, and vocabulary, was the late Joe Holmes, one of Antrim's finest ever Fiddlers, Singers and Lilters, whose brother Harry, brought him a Fiddle home from France, after the First War, and many's a good night they had round the fire at their Killyrammer home, before Harry sailed for Canada.
FAREWELL TO BALLYMONEY AND COUNTY ANTRIM TOO,
LIKEWISE FAREWELL DEAR MOLLY I BID YOU A FOND ADIEU,
AMERIKAY LIES FAR AWAY ACROSS THE OCEAN BLUE,
I AM BOUND FOR THERE DEAR MOLLY AND AGAIN I'LL NE'ER SEE YOU.
Apparently a regular visitor with Joe was an Armoy man by the name of JOHN MCAFEE, who was a singer, and perhaps a Fiddler too? Does anybody out there know anything about this man, John McAfee?
Joe's house was a 'Ceili-house' and they regularly had a four hand reel, or a set of lancers stepped out nicely on their kitchen floor. Joe had two neighbour girls too, who sang a duet about a rich girl who fell in love with a sailor-boy.
MY LOVE HE IS A SAILOR BOLD HIS AGE IS SCARCE SIXTEEN,
HE IS THE FINEST YOUNG MAN THAT EVER YOU HAVE SEEN,
MY FATHER HE HAS RICHES GREAT, BUT REILLY HE IS POOR,
AND BECAUSE I LOVE MY SAILOR LAD HE CANNOT ME ENDURE.
Were you one of those Killyrammer girls, or does anyone remember who the two were, who sang this duet?
In those far off days, they had lots of special occasions, which were good excuses for a good Ceili of songs, music and dancing.
Events like Lint-pullings, Country-dances, Churns etc.