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--- Benct Philip Jonsson <bpj@hidden.email> wrote: Probably should be forwarded to celticonlang as well... > At 20:42 3.12.2003, Costentin Cornomorus wrote: > >malarkacious > > What's _malark-_? A new family of words for > me! > > Wait, the dictionary says _skitsnack_, lit. > 'sh*t talk' i.e. 'bullsh*t'. Yeah. A malarkist is one who is able to converse on a wide range of topics, explain ungothroughsome arcanities, offer an assortment of riens, trifles & bagatelles and provide a wide range of trivia both substantial and otherwise. > But what's the etymology? Tis Irish, of course. It is a fairly recent coining, dating to the troubled times of the uprising (1916). A particular IRA patriot by the name of Malachy �Connell had a particular gift for entertaining his comrades and commanders with his great store of witticisms and similar. At last, having been captured by the English, �Connell and his commander, Sean �Riordan were tossed in the gaol (Kilmainham Prison in Dublin where they would receive the Soldier's death) to await their end. While there, �Riordan wrote letters to family and friends (as did many in that place at the time). All the while, �Connell would keep up his commander's spirits with jests and wild tales, and all the while �Riordan would shout "Malachy! That's the stuff!" whenever he'd recite some tidbit of outrageous hyperbole. The English guards, hearing this over the next days, assumed "malacky" was Gaelic for nonsense and naturally misspelled it "malarky". Attempts at relating it to an ancient battle cry of the clan Forachbad, Maol Ar-chi! (Shavenheads onward!), has been discredited by most reputable scholars. Note that this art is closely allied to the other Irish art called Blarney. Padraic Official Malarkist to several conwhatsit lists. ===== la cieurgeourea provoer mal trasfu ast meiyoer ke 'l andrext ben trasfu. -- Ill Bethisad -- <http://www.geocities.com/elemtilas/ill_bethisad> Come visit The World! -- <http://www.geocities.com/hawessos/> .