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R. Linda:
Since the skunk scare, it's been a shaky time around here. We all sniff the air to make sure Mr. Stinks isn't back among us. So far so good, and between me and Da, we are making sure Mam keeps her glasses on so she recognises Mr. Kits and doesn't let Mr. Stinks in.
Mr. Kits be still mad over not having a go at Mr. Stinks and I be quite certain he be still smarting that his dinner was eaten by a skunk. That should teach him to eat it in one sitting instead of this, saunter over when I feel like a bite, stuff he's had going on for . . . like forever.
I was listening to me parents having a conversation in the kitchen a little bit ago and was struck by how much me Irish accent has suffered since living here. I realised as soon as one of them opened their mouth how Irish they sounded compared to meself. I have let words Americanise themselves in me pronunciation of them and it rather took me aback how much difference there is between their way of speaking and mine in so short a time.
Let me take you through a little conversation.
On looking at the World Series Giant's picture on the sports page, me Da was telling me Mam who won and he pointed at the picture and said, "Dat's dem dere in da peeper."
I actually would say "That's them in the paper" now.
Mam said looking over his shoulder at the picture, "I loike dis one," pointing out one smiling face among the many. "Ye stay long ye kin troy gittin' tickets."
"Oim a mind fer it if we coomb back in da spring." Me Da answered.
Later on, when I came in for tea I got from Mam, "Ha ware ya Gabe?"
I answered in the Irish way, "Grand altogether," and smiled as I took me place.
"I hay suum bahsil with tamahtoe if ya will, Gabriel."
"No, no tanks," said I. "Em could ya pahss the vth-tamin?" I was lapsing back.
"Prood ta," she said handing me the boddle. "C'mere O'Hare and say yer, ah, bee, sees fer yer Da."
And of course, he didn't and wouldn't say his A B C's.
"Awright, be dat way," she shrugged as he tore off up the stairs.
I raised me cup to her and said, "Cheers Mam."
Then me Da saw something in the peeper he didn't care fer and exclaimed to no one in particular, "Wot an ahrs, wot bollocks!"
So to help ya out with the fact me parents have "accents" and I am losing me own, I have a short vocabulary to keep ya up on the ting.
ah, bee, see = A B C
ah-rs = arse (oh excuse me, ass in American)
awright = all right
ay = yes
bahsil = basil
b'ataetas = potatoes
be = is
beeutiful = beautiful
boddle = bottle
bollocks = lacking credibility (hey I be trying to be nice here, LOL)
cheers = thanks
c'mere = come here
cooffee = coffee
coomb = come
da = the
dat's dem = that's them
R. Linda:
Since the skunk scare, it's been a shaky time around here. We all sniff the air to make sure Mr. Stinks isn't back among us. So far so good, and between me and Da, we are making sure Mam keeps her glasses on so she recognises Mr. Kits and doesn't let Mr. Stinks in.
Mr. Kits be still mad over not having a go at Mr. Stinks and I be quite certain he be still smarting that his dinner was eaten by a skunk. That should teach him to eat it in one sitting instead of this, saunter over when I feel like a bite, stuff he's had going on for . . . like forever.
I was listening to me parents having a conversation in the kitchen a little bit ago and was struck by how much me Irish accent has suffered since living here. I realised as soon as one of them opened their mouth how Irish they sounded compared to meself. I have let words Americanise themselves in me pronunciation of them and it rather took me aback how much difference there is between their way of speaking and mine in so short a time.
Let me take you through a little conversation.
On looking at the World Series Giant's picture on the sports page, me Da was telling me Mam who won and he pointed at the picture and said, "Dat's dem dere in da peeper."
I actually would say "That's them in the paper" now.
Mam said looking over his shoulder at the picture, "I loike dis one," pointing out one smiling face among the many. "Ye stay long ye kin troy gittin' tickets."
"Oim a mind fer it if we coomb back in da spring." Me Da answered.
Later on, when I came in for tea I got from Mam, "Ha ware ya Gabe?"
I answered in the Irish way, "Grand altogether," and smiled as I took me place.
"I hay suum bahsil with tamahtoe if ya will, Gabriel."
"No, no tanks," said I. "Em could ya pahss the vth-tamin?" I was lapsing back.
"Prood ta," she said handing me the boddle. "C'mere O'Hare and say yer, ah, bee, sees fer yer Da."
And of course, he didn't and wouldn't say his A B C's.
"Awright, be dat way," she shrugged as he tore off up the stairs.
I raised me cup to her and said, "Cheers Mam."
Then me Da saw something in the peeper he didn't care fer and exclaimed to no one in particular, "Wot an ahrs, wot bollocks!"
So to help ya out with the fact me parents have "accents" and I am losing me own, I have a short vocabulary to keep ya up on the ting.
ah, bee, see = A B C
ah-rs = arse (oh excuse me, ass in American)
awright = all right
ay = yes
bahsil = basil
b'ataetas = potatoes
be = is
beeutiful = beautiful
boddle = bottle
bollocks = lacking credibility (hey I be trying to be nice here, LOL)
cheers = thanks
c'mere = come here
cooffee = coffee
coomb = come
da = the
dat's dem = that's them
dem dere = them there
dis = this
em = um
fer = for
git = get
Ha-ware-ya? = How are you? -- Grand altogether (answer)
hay = have
hay = have
kin = can
loike = like
me = my
meself = myself
me = my
meself = myself
oim = I'm
pahss = pass
peeper = paper
prood = proud
sayin' = saying
suum = some
ta = to
sayin' = saying
suum = some
ta = to
tamahtoe = tomato
ting = thing
tink = think
turd = third
troyin = trying
toym = time
toym = time
v-th-tamin = vitamin
wahz = was
wahz = was
wot = what
ya = you
ye = you
yer = your
And a grand toym it wuz. LOL
Gabe
Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved
yer = your
And a grand toym it wuz. LOL
Gabe
Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved
