The Ulsterman

Characteristics of an Ulsterman - August 27th 1826

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00A13FA395E137B93C5AB1783D85F428784F9

Wurd O' Tha Week - WHEESHT

This weeks, wurd o tha week is WHEESHT
Wheesht means to shush, to be quiet or wait your turn to speak.
This word is commonly spoken as part of the phrase: 'Howl yer wheesht.'

Coallie wud ye lick

Here's an oul yin A herd tha day. Its used tae describe sumyin hoos wile ticht. A cretter hoo refuses tae share whut they hae.
'He wudnae say coallie wud ye lick'

Wurd o' tha week: NYAM

This weeks, 'Wurd o' tha Week is NYAM. Nyam is used to describe one who is a nyammer or who is engaged in nyamin.
Nyam is one of those great Ulster-Scots words that sounds exactly like what it means. A nyam is the cry of a cat. And is used to describe someone who complains excessively. We all know a Nyam.

Wurd o' tha week - CARNAPTIOUS

This weeks wurd o' tha week is CARNAPTIOUS

Meaning a bad tempered person. Someone who's likely tae gie aff tae ye.
The next step down from carnaptious is crabbit, someone who is irratable.

There is a great wee article on these words at - http://caledonianmercury.com/2010/03/03/useful-scots-word-carnaptious/002757

Wurd o tha week: NYIMMLE

Yin o' my wife's favourite Ulster-Scots wurds:
Nyimmle (meaning a wee bit o simthin oor a wee bite)

A wee nyimmle o' chocolate

Gan Awa - Noo wi soon

Ir Ye No Gan Awa?

Audio Only (Fer aa thon wha fin tha Ulster-Scots herd tae read)

Iver tha past twathry weeks A hae bin ast half a dizin times whur ir ye gan on yer hoalidays? Whun A tell thum naewhur tha aa luk at mae dumfoonthered, like they cannae git thur heid roon oanyboady stayin at hame. Surely Am no tha ainly yin wha can mind whun gaen' awa on yer hoalidays wus a weeks stap at yer granmithers, a wheen o minutes doon tha road.

Ay, simmer hoalidays ir quarely changed fae whun A wus a wean. Yin o ma favourite Ulster-Scots writers Hugh Robinson summed up tha hale thing far better than A iver cud in haes book 'Across The Fields Of Yesterday' whur he tells iz aboot tha hoalidays o his youth. " As fair as us boys wur consarned, hoalidays hud naethin tae dae wi sim place ye wunt awa tae in the simmer. It wus aa aboot sim place ye didnae gan. Schuil."

Ay, tha stert o July wus a magical time whun tha eenless days o simmer stretched oot afore iz wi promises o swemmin' in tha tide, runnin' thru fiels an haein adventures. Tha simmer wus aa aboot freedim. But then freedim wus easier cumby fer iz weans. Fer whun ye hae nithin yeve nithin tae loass. Oanythin wus possible an tha hale kintrie wus oors tae plunder.

 Aff coorse wae didnae git tae rin roon aa simmer, thur wus wurk tae bae din gatherin prootas oor bringin' in tha bales, bit even thon wus a sort o' adventure fer iz weans. A chance tae prove oorsels. Tae enter tha wurl o oor faither's an thur faither's. Tae be trate like men fer twathry days.

Sadly thon days ir lang gan bit whiles a michtnae bae fit tae gaether prootas ir rin acroass a fiel, a quait danner doon tha beaches an loanins o hame is worth a dizin weeks o leein sweetin unner an umbrella. Sae whun sim yin tells ye thur gan naewhur fer tha simmer it micht jist bae because naewhurs haird tae bate,

Until nixt time lang mae yer lum reek an yer spicket dribble.