Page:English as we speak it in Ireland - Joyce.djvu/313




 * Nicely: often used in Ireland as shown here:— 'Well, how is your [sick] mother to-day?' 'Oh she's nicely,' or 'doing nicely, thank you'; i.e. getting on very well—satisfactorily. A still stronger word is bravely. 'She's doing bravely this morning'; i.e. extremely well—better than was expected.


 * Nim or nym; a small bit of anything. (Ulster.)


 * Noggin; a small vessel, now understood to hold two glasses; also called naggin. Irish noigín.


 * Nose; to pay through the nose; to pay and be made to pay, against your grain, the full sum without delay or mitigation.




 * Oanshagh; a female fool, corresponding with omadaun, a male fool. Irish óinseach, same sound and meaning: from ón, a fool, and seach, the feminine termination.


 * Offer; an attempt:—'I made an offer to leap the fence but failed.'


 * Old English, influence of, on our dialect, 6.


 * Oliver's summons, 184.


 * On or upon; in addition to its functions as explained at pp. 27, 28, it is used to express obligation:— 'Now I put it upon you to give Bill that message for me': one person meeting another on Christmas Day says:—'My Christmas box on you,' i.e. 'I put it as an obligation on you to give me a Christmas box.'


 * Once; often used in this manner:—'Once he promises he'll do it' (Hayden and Hartog): 'Once you pay the money you are free,' i.e. if or when you pay.


 * O'Neills and their war-cry, 179.