DASG Blog

Gnàthasan-cainnt ann an Dùthaich MhicAoidh (Pàirt 3)

Welcome back to part three, and the final part, of Idioms in "MacKay Country", Sutherland! We are now carrying on from M to the end of the alphabet.

M
[Man] “Bodach air a’ bhodach, bodach air MacNéill, Bodach air fear an taigh ’s bodach orm fhèin. Co meud bodach a tha sin? Aon.”
[“Bodach on the bodach, bodach on MacNeill, Bodach on the man of the house and bodach on myself. How many bodachs is that?” One.”]
 
[Many] 1. “’S iomadh rud eadar a’ chreathail ’s an uaigh” [“Many a thing (will happen to a person) between the cradle and the grave”]
2. “’Nach iomadh rud a thig air an laogh nach saobhal a mhàthair” [“Aren’t there many things which will happen to a calf whose mother is not alive”]
 
[Midge] 1. “’S e cìobair math a tha sa mheanbh-chuileig” [“The midge is a good shepherd”] (In order to move the sheep to another part of the field)
2. “A ghaoth a tuath, trobhad is cuir air falbh na cuileagan!” [“North wind, come and blow the midges!”]

[Mill] “An t-Asainnteach, An t-Asainnteach, Nach beir sinn air, nach beir sinn air”
“The Assynt man, the Assynt man Won’t we take take hold of him, wont we take hold of him” (Sound of the mill-wheel according to the MacKay people).]
 
[Molehill]
“A’ dèanamh beinn à ùir an ath-mhùgaich” [“Making a mountain out of a molehill”]
 
[Moon] “Gealach bhuidh’ buain a’ chorc’” [“September moon”]
 
N
[Need] “Dh’fhaodadh feumas crochair a dhèanamh de dhuine onarach” [“Need can make a rogue from an honest man”]
 
P
[Penny] “Ged a bhiodh am boll’ air an sgilling, dé tha sin nuair nach eil an sgilling ann?”
[“Although a bowl of meal would cost a penny, what difference would that make when people don’t enen have a penny?”]
 
[Possessions] “Cuid an fhear mharbh don fhear beò” [“The possessions of the dead person passing to the living person”]
 
[Prayer] 1. “Guma beannaich Dia mo shùil, Gum’ beannaich mo shùil na chì, Gum’ beannaich mise mo nàbaidh, ’S gum beannaich mo nàbaidh mi.”
[“May God bless my eye, May my eye bless what it sees, May I bless my neighbour And may my neighbour bless me”]
2. ”Gum’ beannaich Thu na tha sa chrò-as, Gun cùm Thu aid às na h-uile trioblaid, Gum beannaich Thu na ’s aithn’ dhuinn timcheall oirnn Is gum’ beannaich èad sinn.”
[“May You bless all in this dwelling, May You preserve them from all trouble, May You bless all those that we know around us And may they bless us.”]

S
[Shinty-ball] “Cho cruaidh ris a’ chnaig” [“As hard as the shinty-ball”]
 
[Skullomie] “Sgulamaidh chreagach nam bealach ’s nam beàrn” [“Craggy Skullomie of the passes and the clefts”]
 
[Sly]
“Cho starrach ris a’ mhadadh-ruadh” [“As sly as a fox”]
 
[Snore] “Bha srann aig’ a chuireadh ruaig air na Frangaich”
[“He had a snore that would frighten off the French” (From the time of the Napoleonic wars)]
 
[Sowens] “’S e lit’ is làghan biadh duin’ làidir; ’s e aran is brochan biadh a’ chrochair”
[“Porridge and sowens are a strong man’s food; bread and brose are the rogue’s food”]

[Sparrow] “Pigidh na h-Òcraich” [“Peggy of the Midden”]
 
[Spring] “Mìos Fhaoilleach, Naodh latha Gearraidh, Trì latha Sguabag; Siod suas an t-Earrach”
[“A month of Faoilleach, Nine days of Gearraidh, Three days of Sguabag; On with the Spring”]
 
[Strath Point] “Rubh’ Shrathaidh bho thuath, an rubh’ as fhaid’ a-muigh; eadar teamhair-suipearach agus meadhan na h-oidhch’, cha mis’ a bhàthadh air an rinn a-muigh”
[“Strathy point from the North, the point furthest out; between supper-time and midnight, I was drowned on th outermost point”]
 
T
[Talon] “Tha spuirean air na h-Àisirich” [Gnàthas-cainnt air a chanadh mu mhuinntir Àisir]
[“The Oldshore people have talons” (Saying said of the people of Oldshoremore).]

[Tea] “Tha an teatha cho làidir ri cairt” [“The tea is as strong as bark”]
 
[Thin] “Cho caol ri crodh caol na h-Èipheit” [“As thin as thin cattle of Egypt”]
 
[Thrush] “Cho son’ ris na smeòraich” [“As happy as the thrushes”]
 
[Tough] “Cho righinn ri gad seilich” [“As tough as a willow withy”]
 
[Trouble] “Tha a chuid trioblaidean aig na h-uile neach” [“Everyone has their own troubles”]
 
W
[Way] 1. “Tha a rian fhèin aig na h-uile gin” [“Everybody’s got their own ways”]
2. “Tha rathadan neònach aig seann bhodaich” [“Old men have strange ways”]
 
[Wet]
“Cho fliuch is ged a bhiodh e a’s Poll Ruairidh”
[“As wet as if he had been in Poll Ruairidh” Area of sea between Dubh-sgeir bheag and Dubh-sgeir mhòr]

[White] “Cho geal ri sneachd na h-aon oidhch’” [“As white as snow of one night”]
 
[Wind]
“Gaoth fo sheòl, gaoth tre tholl is gaoth fhuar aitimh bàrr bheann – trì gaothan as fhuair’ a dh’fhairich mi ann riamh”
[“Wind under a sail, wind through a hole and a cold thawing-wind off the coldest winds I ever felt”]

[Wish] “Na h-uile rud as fheàrr no a chéil’ dhut!”
 
[Whatever you wish] “Do thoil dhut a thaitneas!” [“Whatever you wish!”]
 
Y
[Yawn] “Farmad a’ mhéanain” [“Jealosy of another person’s yawn”]
 
We are done! Do you know any of the idioms above? Do you know of any others? Let us know on facebook, twitter and our website!