Irish Proverbs Traditional Wit & Wisdom

by Williams, Fionnuala Carson

• ISBN13: 9780806935379
• ISBN10: 0806935375
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-06-30
• Publisher: Sterling

Summary

Savor the wit and wisdom, charm and humor of Irish everyday life in words that have stood the test of time. Each delightful, thought-provoking proverb, from the oral tradition, reveals the attitudes, concerns, and down-to-earth vision of ordinary folk. The topics covered are wide-ranging: tenants and landlords, food and drinks, hunting and fishing, money, the law, occupations, and so many more. Here are a few thoughts to live by: It is not the hen that cackles most that lays the largest eggs. A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures in the doctor's book. Be the road straight or crooked the high road is the shortest. If there is a way into the wood there is also a way out of it. Many examples appear in both English and Irish. 128 pages, 5 3/8 x 8 1/4.

Table of Contents

Preface	5	(4)
Acknowledgments and Notes	9	(4)
Fireside and Candlelight	13	(7)
Tenants and Landlords	20	(2)
Food and Drinks	22	(12)
Butter and butter making	25	(2)
Meal, porridge, and bread	27	(2)
Broth, meat, fish, and vegetables	29	(2)
Milk and tea, water, wine and porter	31	(3)
Farm Animals	34	(16)
Asses and horses	34	(3)
Cows	37	(2)
Sheep and goats	39	(2)
Pigs	41	(1)
Dogs and cats	42	(5)
Hens, geese, and ducks	47	(2)
Bees	49	(1)
Cultivation	50	(6)
Apples and orchards	54	(2)
At the Mill	56	(2)
Hunting and Fishing	58	(4)
Woods and Wells	62	(4)
Wildlife	66	(4)
Highroads and Byroads	70	(5)
Money and Markets	75	(4)
The Law	79	(2)
Friends and Neighbors	81	(5)
Sports and Pastimes	86	(4)
Church and Clergy	90	(3)
Occupations	93	(4)
Clothes and Appearance	97	(6)
Marriage	103	(4)
Health	107	(3)
Death	110	(3)
Luck	113	(2)
The Supernatural	115	(4)
Further Reading	119	(1)
Index	120