Leinster Feis.

Competition No. 3.

IRISH WORDS IN THE SPOKEN ENGLISH
OF LEINSTER.

Sgiath, a wicker basket for straining potatoes, &c.
Sgáiltín, whiskey warmed and mixed with but-
ter, &c.,
Sgrath, a grassy sod.
Sgrugal, a spout of a kettle or teapot.
Sgiob, to snatch.
Sgiobaire, a man of unprepossessing appearance;
a ragged-looking man. The primary meaning may be
a pickpocket.
Sgeamhadh, a turn or wind. "There's a sgeamhadh in
the road," "He went sgeamhadh ways" = he went
diagonally. (Eng. skew, askew? - Ed.)
Sgaimh-bhéal, a crooked mouth.
Seiriceach, miserable; delicate.
Seiric, a delicate, consumptive person.
Searbhán, a large soft weed, which grows in rich
tillage ground.
Seann-riabhach. The first ten days of April are called
the seann-riabhach days. March borrowed a week from
April to skin the old cow (seann-riabhach = old grey
cow). The week passed, and the cow was alive and
kicking; he borrowed the next three days, however,
and succeeded in skinning the cow.
Seachrán, wandering about. "On the seachrán" =
out of work, and walking about from place to place.
Fiarán has the same meaning.
Sgéaltach, chatty, friendly.
Sopalach, soft, rotten straw.
Sídh gaoithe, a blast of wind which raises dust on the
road. It is said that the fairies cause this whirlwind.
Sgailmín, a mean fellow; a hanger-on. One who is
led by the nose, or toadies.
Sgaoinse, a tall girl.
Seatach, an urchin; an illegitimate child. (Con-
nected with siota?)
Seabhas, bitterness; vexation, chagrin. "He would
put searbhas on you" = He would bore you, telling lies
about his own exploits, &c.
Searbhasach, sorry with oneself for having made some
blunder; chagrined, crestfallen.
Sáithteoir, an instrument of wood used by a thatcher
for pushing home the fangle. (The latter is called by
an Irish name which I cannot now remember.)
Seoltach, sprightly; lively.
Sgileog, a potato "set"; the potato cut for seed.
Sgiomáil, prowling for food, as a dog or pig; loafing
or watching for drink, in the case of man. "A mean
sgiomálaidhe".
Sgiomálaidhe, a loafer; a dog, pig, &c., which searches
diligently for food.
Sgeach, a whitethorn bush.
Sgeachóir, the haw or berryj of the whitethorn.
(plural - sgeachóirí).
Sgeachóirí muc, the berries of the sweetbriar.
Sgannán, the filament round the entrails of animals.
Sgead-shúil, a squinting or crooked eye.
Sgiar, a crookedness of one eye.
Sidheog, a fairy; a stunted or delicate person or
animal.
Siabhra, a person of delicate appearance; one who
is supposed to have some connection with the "good
people"; a fairy doctor.
Sgraiste, a lazy, slothful man.
Sgiolla-bheartaidhe, a powerful, well-built, supple
fellow.
Seangán, a thin, puny person.
Sail, dirt oozing out, as in washing a very dirty
garment.
Súlach, same as sail.
Síbín, a house where poitín is sold unknown to the
authorities. Síbín license is licence to sell drink
to people standing.
Sean-tigh, an old house; a public-house which has
standing license only.
Seana-bheist's, the name of a faction which existed
in Munster and South Leinster long ago. They were
opposed to another faction called the "carabhat's".
Sé do bheatha, "You are welcome."
Sgoltadh na mbolg, plenty to eat and drink.
Saidhbhín, a leek.
Sgreachán, a small potato.
Sleamhain, smooth-spoken.
Sleamhnán, smooth, coaxing talk, with the object of
gain.
Sleamhnánaidhe, a smooth-spoken person, who pushes
friendship in order to gain something.
Slacht, tidiness, neatness; engaging appearance or
manners. "There's no slacht in her" would be said
of a young woman who was not pretty, or of a woman
who was slovenly, or a bad housekeeper.
Sláimín, a slovenly, untidy woman.
Sláinte, "good health," said when taking a drink.
Slán-lus, the herb rib-wort, which is said to be
wholesome to eat.
Slaoibhín, a toady; a cringing person.
Slinnín, a small piece of slate. (This word is used
in the neighbourhood of the slate quarries, Walsh
Mountains, Kilkenny.)
Splinc, a squinting or half-closed eye.
Splódar, boasting; opulence.
Spreasán, a good-for-nothing fellow; a mean fellow.
Slúdar, coaxing; to coax.
Stadhcam, a tall, fixed post; anything tall and in the
way; a very tall man.
Steall, a splash of water, milk, &c. "I drank a
steall of tea."
Stealladh, dashing of water, &c. "It is raining ar
stealladh."
Stéigíní, the neck-parings of pork.

Stéig, a piece of bad land; a steak, or piece of meat;
a paring of meat.
Stiall, a slice or piece of meat; a piece of anything.
"A stiall of ground." v. To tear or cut a piece off
anything.
Stiug, to perish or expire. "In the poorhouse
you'll stiug." "I'm ready to stiug with cold," &c.
Spáig, an ill-shaped foot.
Stáig, a large, heavy foot.
Stoch, to pull violently. "They were stoching each
other's hair. Also a person who is always toiling, and
in hardship.
Stol, a thick-witted person.
Stualán, same as stol.
Stradhpán, the after-birth of a cow, mare, &c.
Stiopla, a tall pole, tree, house, &c.; a tall person;
a steeple (?)
Smúis an smaois mean a sullen face.
Smaoiseálaidhe or smúiseálaidhe, a gruff, sullen-
looking person.
Smul, a big, gruff face.
Strupais, a poor, ragged woman.
Snabóg, the wick of a rosin or dip candle.
Smut, a flat, small nose.
Smutach, having a small nose.
Smutachán, a pug-nosed, person.
Smug, the mucus of the nose.
Smachtín, a flax mallet.
Sparán, a legacy left to a person; money accumu-
lated by a miser.
Spailpín, a labourer; a farmer's servant boy.
Spreách, spirit. "There's no spréach in him" = he
has no spirit.
Spunc, the plant coltsfoot; courage or manliness.
Spál, a small splinter of stone.
Speic. "He put a speic on me" = he stopped me
and kept me talking. Same as cearr.
spuaic, a sulk or ill-humour. "He has a spuaic
on him" = he is vexed or nettled.
Staingín, a bold child.
Stuimire, a tall person.
Suím, heed, attention. "He put no suím in me" =
he paid no attention to me.
Slúcán, Carrigeen moss, I think.
Sgiortán, cow's vermin.
Stara, a protruding tooth.
Starachán, a person with large or protruding teeth.
Spóirseach, a large, blazing fire.
Smeig, the chin; a blow of the fist on the face or
chin.
Smuilc, the nose.
Stáca, a tall, heavily-built woman (used in contempt
or derision).
Stróinse, a tall girl.
Straoil, an untidy woman; anything dragging
along. "He was streeling the sgeach after him."
Straoileach, slatternly; untidy.
Straoilín, the milky way in the heavens; a con-
tinuous, uneven, line, row, or track of anything on
the ground. "There was a hole in the sack, and the
corn was dropping out, leaving a straoilín along the
road."
Sream, a blear in the eye.
Sreamach, blear-eyed.
Sreamachán, a blear-eyed person.
Smearach, greasy-faced.
Smearachán, a greasy-faced, swarthy woman.
Súgán, a hay or straw rope.
Sguaibín, a game at cards; sguaibín man, a trick-
of-the-loop, card-sharper, or professional gambler;
sguaibín house, a gambling house.
Smúiteán, a mist of rain.
Struisín, a mixture used by country weavers for
stiffening.
Strus, neatness; luck. "There is no strus on
anything he does" - i.e. there's no neatness about it;
it does not give satisfaction. "There's no strus on
him" = he never prospers; he is not doing well.
Stuaic, a frown or sulk; a slanting or leaning to one
side; "there's a stuaic on the chimney; it will soon
fall."
Stuacach, stubborn; ill-tempered; easily vexed, and
slow to forgive an insult or injury.
Stuacán, a person of a silent, sulky disposition.
(The three last words are very common in Kilkenny
amongst English speakers).
Stocán, a piece of plank or stout stick fixed in a
wall; a post fixed in the ground.
Sprang, a manure fork.
Suíste or suidhiste, a straw seat or "boss".
Stuparún, an ignorant, stubborn, self-willed person.
Stócach, a tramp or one who excites distrust; an
unwelcome guest; a stroller; a mischievous urchin.
Slip, a young or store pig.
Suirsing, a very stout-waisted, corpulent woman.
Smalcadh, eating quickly.
Strachaille, applied to very long, twisted, tangled
corn when cutting or binding.
Súmaire, a small water insect.
Seas, a bunch of straw.

Tálach, tálachas, soreness in the wrist from reap-
ing, &c.
Taoibhín, a patch on a boot or shoe.
Tapaoileach, rubbish of straw.
Taosgán, a small load; a quantity less than the full
of a sack, bushel, &c. "A taosgán of a can of milk."
T'anam aig an diabhal! Your soul to the devil!
T'anam ó'n diabhal! Your soul from the devil!
Tóchtán, hoarseness.
Tóchtánaidhe, a hoarse person.
Tír na n-óg, "Down to tír na n-óg" = down very
deep in the earth. Used same as domhan tiar.
Torc sa chró, a wild boar in the sty = great con-
fusion; things tossed about or heaped on each other in
confusion.
Tárthálach, sprightly; good-humoured; gay.
Tuilleadh. A "tilly" is an extra or something given
in with the ordinary weight or measure; also the part
of the spade on which the foot is pressed in digging.
Tulán, a hillock.
Toicín, a tom-boy; a bold little girl.
Tur tar, without any condiment. "Eating bread
tur tar."
Trom-luidhe, the nightmare.
Trí n-a chéile, through each other; to and fro; in
confusion.
Tráithnín, the stem and top of the grass called
meadow catstail.
Treasluach, a disease of a cow's foot.
Tulcais, a fat woman.
Thugnais, a fat woman.
Troighthín, a stocking without the vamp, or sole.
Triopallach, gay, nimble, in good form.

Seann-draoi.

Supplementary.

Drámh, a non-trump. "I had no trump, but I had
good drámh cards."
Sgráb, a scrape; to scrape.
Sniug, to draw the last strippings of milk from a
cow.
Seo anois, "there now!" said to a cow which kicks
when being milked.
Piocórum, oats when shelled in a mill.
Suarach, miserable, insignificant.
Olltach, a person versed in witchcraft. It is the
Southern pronunciation of Ultach, a native of Ulster,
as the charmers and fortune-tellers came from Ulster.

Seann-draoi.