GREETINGS TO the self-isolating captive audience of the Buffer’s Guide to Irish.
El Bluffo was thinking about steiréitíopaí - stereotypes this week after reading about that Argentinians call all Spaniards Galicians because most (70%) of the early settlers to the country were from that part of northern Spain.
These early immigrants generally came from lucht na tuaithe - the peasantry and were bocht - poor, gan oideachas - uneducated.
As happens everywhere, their “betters” made jokes about them.
E.g. “Four gellegos died last night, two in an assassination and two more in the police reconstruction.
Ouch!
Needless to say, this got me thinking of Kerryman jokes that were popular at one stage.
As usual, people from sophisticated places like Dublin, Carlow and Westmeath but especially in its immediate neighbour Cork would stereotype Kerry people as thick.
For example: How do you make a Kerryman laugh on a Monday morning?
Tell him a joke on Friday evening!
How would you get a Kerryman to climb onto the roof of a pub?
Tell him the drinks are on the house!
Not very funny. But there are also national stereotypes that we have grown used to.
The Irish have a certain reputation for certain traits. Is maith linn a bheith ag troid - we like fighting.
Ólann muid barraíocht - we drink too much.
Tá muid cráifeach - we are pious.
Now this is true for some people in Ireland but not everybody and that’s what stereotypes are. They take the behviour or the traits of certain people and turn them into the characteristics of the whole nation.
Unusually for a nation, the Irish themselves have bought into this. There is a National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin, in ainm Dé - in the name of God.
There’s the seamróg - the shamrock and ádh na nÉireannach is the Irish for the luck of the Irish although the Bluffer couldn’t find it in any dictionaries.
There is an awful lot of plastic Paddy-whackery going on but is the Bluffer going overboard?
At rugby union matches you’ll see Welsh people dressed as cainneann - a leek and Frenchmen with oinniúin - onions round their shoulders so it seems that other nations are happy to embrace their naff national symbols.
If we get miffed about what others think of us, I’m sure other natonalities wouldn’t be too enamoured of how we view them.
Na Fraincigh - the French? - Uaibhreach - baughty but rómánsúil - romantic.
Na Gearmánaigh - the Germans? Sotalach - arrogant.
Na hIodálaigh - Italians? Cleasaithe - chancers.
Meiriceánaigh - Americans? Bómánta - thick and Gaeil-Mheiriceanaigh - Irish Americans? Níos bómánta arís! even thicker.
(I know some Irish Americans who would wipe the floor with many Irish peope for erudtion,)
So what should we see as proper Irish symbols – hurling, the language, traditional music, what do yous think?
CUPLA FOCAL
steiréitíopaí(shtericheepee) - stereotypes
lucht na tuaithe(lucht na tooeeha) - the peasantry
bocht(bawkht) - poor
gan oideachas(gan ijihss) - uneducated
Is maith linn a bheith ag troid(iss myh lin a vay ag tridge - we like fighting
Ólann muid barraíocht(awlan midge bareeakht) - we drink too much.
Tá muid cráifeach(taa midge craafakh ) - we are pious
in ainm Dé(in anyim jay) - in the name of God
Na Fraincigh(ne fraankee) - the French?
uaibhreach(ooivrakh) - haughty
rómánsúil(romaansooil) - romantic
na Gearmánaigh(ne gyaramaanee) - the Germans
sotalach(sotalakh) - arrogant
na hIodálaigh(he hidalee) - Italians
cleasaithe(classeehe) - chancers
Meiriceánaigh(merakaanee) - Americans
bómánta(bomaanta) - thick
Gaeil-Mheiriceánaigh(gayl-verikanee) - Irish Americans
níos bómánta arís (neess bomaaanta areesh) - even thicker
cainneann(canaan) - a leek
seamróg(shamrawg) - the shamrock
ádh na nÉireannach(aow na nerinakh) the luck of the Irish