It\u2019s fascinating to me when 1930s slang shows up in today\u2019s political headlines, as happened recently with President Obama\u2019s now famous use of the phrase \u201cto take a shellacking.\u201d\u00a0 Even more fascinating to me, as you may have guessed, is to ponder how this might be expressed in Irish.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a two-part investigation.\u00a0 First, we\u2019ll briefly examine the basic words, \u201cto take\u201d and \u201cshellac.\u201d\u00a0 Which probably won\u2019t get us very close to the Irish equivalent, since the phrase \u201cto take a shellacking\u201d is so<\/em> idiomatic. Then we\u2019ll look at some Irish equivalents for \u201ctaking a strong beating,\u201d even though they, presumably, will have nothing to do with shellac.\u00a0<\/p>\n Why?\u00a0 First, it\u2019s useful enough in its own way.\u00a0 To discuss the verb \u201cto take\u201d could involve about 20 blogs, minimally, since there are at least dozens (maybe scores) of phrasal uses, involving prepositions and adverbs ranging from \u201cto take after\u201d to \u201cto take up.\u201d\u00a0 Our take on the topic in today\u2019s blog will be the most basic. But there\u2019s always room for another \u201cmionsraith<\/strong>,\u201d especially if I hear back from you that that would be of interest.\u00a0 A second reason is that understanding the origin of shellac (as varnish, etc.) reminds us all of how one of our planet\u2019s most lowly feithid\u00ed<\/strong> can contribute to a) the history of recorded sound, b) the value and beauty of furniture and c) the swallowability of pills.\u00a0 And finally, there may be times when it\u2019s useful to refer to someone taking an actual beating, drubbing, thrashing, or trouncing, whether it\u2019s in sports, in politics, or for all its \u201cunappeal,\u201d physically.\u00a0<\/p>\n First, let\u2019s take a look at \u201cto take.\u201d\u00a0 Here are the two most basic uses, as I see it:<\/p>\n T\u00f3g an cise\u00e1n sin<\/strong>.\u00a0 Take (as in \u201clift\u201d or \u201clift up\u201d) that basket.<\/p>\n An nglacann t\u00fa le c\u00e1rta\u00ed creidmheasa<\/strong>?\u00a0 Do you take (accept) credit cards? (from glac<\/strong>, take, accept, handle)<\/p>\n I\u2019m giving \u201ctake\u201d short shrift here, I know, but that\u2019s what I said I was going to do.\u00a0 More on \u201ctake\u201d later, if there\u2019s interest.<\/p>\n Next, for \u201cshellac,\u201d I\u2019ll simply say that the Irish word, seileaic<\/strong>, like the English, is based on the French \u201claque en \u00e9cailles<\/em>,\u201d which itself comes from the Sanskrit l\u0101ksh\u0101<\/em> via the Hindi <\/tt>l\u0101kh<\/em>, a resin secreted by the feithid leaice<\/strong> (lac insect).\u00a0 That\u2019s the Irish for the \u201clac insect,\u201d not the Sanskrit, in case there was any ambiguity!\u00a0 And why is shellac so important, aside from giving us an idiom to dissect as a blog topic?\u00a0 Shellac was used in making the 78 rpm records of yesteryear, is used in furniture polish (\u201cFrench polish\u201d) and in the finishing of guitars, and, since it\u2019s edible, can be used as a coating for pills.\u00a0 What more could an fheithid leaice<\/strong> ask for in terms of how it contributes to society?<\/p>\n By the way, I\u2019m not unaware of some other aspects of the word \u201cshellacking,\u201d but I don\u2019t think they belong i mblag a thaca\u00edonn le teaghlaigh<\/strong>.\u00a0 Suffice it to say, that whatever the slang as such may mean, there\u2019s also a theory out there that \u201cshellacking\u201d in the sense of a defeat is indirectly based on either \u201csail \u00e9ille<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cS\u00edol \u00c9alaigh<\/strong>,\u201d which leads us to a well known Irish souvenir item and St. Patrick\u2019s Day card icon.\u00a0 So if that obscures the issue, well, it\u2019s meant to.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyway, back to our phrases for \u201cto take a shellacking,\u201d here are some possibilities for expressing the same basic idea (\u201cHe took a beating\u201d) in Irish:<\/p>\n Greadadh \u00e9<\/strong>.\u00a0 He was trounced (as in \u201cGreadadh sa troid \u00e9<\/strong>,\u201d he was trounced in the fight).<\/p>\n Rinneadh greadlach air<\/strong>, very literally, a trouncing was made on him.<\/p>\n Of course, one can also give a shellacking.\u00a0 Some Irish equivalent would be:<\/p>\n Thug s\u00e9 greadadh maith buailte do She\u00e1n<\/strong>, lit. he gave a good lashing of a beating to Se\u00e1n.\u00a0 Or more simply, Ghread s\u00e9 Se\u00e1n<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Thug s\u00e9 broicne\u00e1il do She\u00e1n<\/strong>.\u00a0 He gave Se\u00e1n a drubbing.<\/p>\n Li\u00far s\u00e9 Se\u00e1n<\/strong>.\u00a0 He beat Se\u00e1n, with the implication that it was by means of a \u201cli\u00far\u201d<\/strong> (long pole), but, of course, the pole could be metaphorical.\u00a0 This could be clarified by saying, \u201cThug s\u00e9 li\u00far de bhata do She\u00e1n<\/strong>,\u201d lit. he gave a blow of a stick to Se\u00e1n, i.e. he walloped him with a stick.\u00a0<\/p>\n Leadair s\u00e9 Se\u00e1n<\/strong>.\u00a0 He thrashed Se\u00e1n (this could also mean \u201chewed\u201d or \u201chacked,\u201d but hopefully only if the object is a forest or tree or some other inanimate object.\u00a0 Fargo didn\u2019t hear that, I guess!).\u00a0 Presumably \u201cFuair Se\u00e1n leadradh<\/strong>\u201d could also mean \u201cSe\u00e1n got a leathering,\u201d as in lines like Pat Tierney\u2019s reference to \u201cthe possible leathering I would get on my return,\u201d from his autobiography, The Moon on my Back<\/em>.\u00a0 But for some reason, actually translating \u201cleadradh<\/strong>\u201d as a \u201cleathering\u201d doesn\u2019t seem to be the norm.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thug s\u00e9 l\u00e9asadh maith do She\u00e1n<\/strong>.\u00a0 He welted Se\u00e1n well.\u00a0<\/p>\n R\u00faisc s\u00e9 Se\u00e1n<\/strong>.\u00a0 He trounced Se\u00e1n.\u00a0 This one also could mean \u201cto peel,\u201d as in the bark off a tree, or \u201cto shell,\u201d as in beans, etc.\u00a0 Again, creepy shades of Fargo!<\/p>\n Are you a glutton for punishment?\u00a0 In other words, do you want some more?\u00a0 F\u00e1ilte<\/strong>!\u00a0<\/p>\n Chuir s\u00e9 greadfach i Se\u00e1n<\/strong>, lit. \u201che put as stinging pain in Se\u00e1n,\u201d which could be loosely translated as \u201cHe warmed Se\u00e1n\u2019s hide.\u201d\u00a0 Or \u201ctanned,\u201d IIRC.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n D\u2019fh\u00e1g s\u00e9 riasta\u00ed ar She\u00e1n<\/strong>. He welted Se\u00e1n, lit. he left welts on Se\u00e1n.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bhuail s\u00e9 dual na droinne ar She\u00e1n<\/strong>.\u00a0 This one, I think, needs a pre-explanation before the explanation.\u00a0 \u201cDual droinne<\/strong>\u201d means \u201ca tuft of wool used a mark on the back of a sheep,\u201d sort of specifically the humped part of a sheep\u2019s back.\u00a0 Not sure what\u2019s going on with Se\u00e1n\u2019s possible hirsutism or kyphosis here, but taking it metaphorically, the sentence basically means \u201che hit Se\u00e1n\u2019s back.\u201d \u00a0Presumably by specifying the important wool-tuft on the curve of the back, it means the blow was especially effective.\u00a0 In areas where sheep might graze in common pasturage, the identifying mark on the animal\u2019s back would be especially important to confirm ownership.<\/p>\n A little more bland, unless you\u2019re on the receiving end, would be to simply say \u201cBhuail s\u00e9 \u00e9<\/strong>\u201d (He hit him) or \u201cBualadh m\u00e9<\/strong>\u201d (I was hit).\u00a0 But that doesn\u2019t necessarily convey the thoroughness of the situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n These days, we\u2019ve mostly shifted more into the realm of verbal reprimands, as opposed to physical, and Irish is right there with us, offering idioms galore.\u00a0 Some relevant phrases are \u201cgreadadh teanga<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cscalladh teanga<\/strong>,\u201d both of which mean a \u201ctongue-lashing,\u201d or \u201c\u00edde b\u00e9il<\/strong>\u201d (verbal abuse), based on \u201c\u00edde<\/strong>,\u201d ill usage.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n And if we want to avoid the physical implications altogether, we could just say \u201cBuadh ar She\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cBriseadh ar She\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d (Se\u00e1n was defeated).\u00a0<\/p>\n As expected, none of these have anything to do with \u201cseileaic<\/strong>\u201d or \u201cseileaice\u00e1il<\/strong>,\u201d and none are based on any of the basic words for \u201cto take\u201d (t\u00f3g\u00e1il, glacadh<\/strong>).\u00a0 Ach t\u00e1 s\u00fail agam gur chuir t\u00fa suim ann<\/strong> (I hope that you took, lit. \u201cput,\u201d some interest in it).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s fascinating to me when 1930s slang shows up in today\u2019s political headlines, as happened recently with President Obama\u2019s now famous use of the phrase \u201cto take a shellacking.\u201d\u00a0 Even more fascinating to me, as you may have guessed, is to ponder how this might be expressed in Irish. It\u2019s a two-part investigation.\u00a0 First, we\u2019ll…<\/p>\n