Blarney

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Dr. Goodword
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Blarney

Postby Dr. Goodword » Mon Aug 25, 2014 11:11 pm

• blarney •

Pronunciation: blahr-nee • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass

Meaning: 1. The ability to cajole, to flatter eloquently with a silver tongue. 2. Nonsense, poppy-cock; foolish, misleading talk.

Notes: Today's word is a lexical orphan, albeit an unusual one. It is unusual for a noun to refer to an activity; activities are usually expressed by verbs. So, today's Good Word may itself be used as a verb, to blarney, which has all the forms of a verb: blarneys, blarneyed, blarneying. The verb opens the door for an agent noun, blarneyer "someone good at blarney".

In Play: The semantic slide of today's good word from eloquence to nonsense aptly illustrates the English-speaking world's skepticism of eloquent speech. "Sean got his gift of blarney from the Good Words at the Alpha Dictionary site, though he is known to kiss the occasional rock." If your blarney is unconvincing, it becomes something quite different, mentioned in meaning No. 2 above: "That story of her love affair with a leprechaun is pure blarney."

Word History: The eponym of today's good word is the tiny village of Blarney, just outside the city of Cork, Ireland. The Blarney Stone is perched high up in the battlements of Blarney Castle there. Legend has it that anyone who kisses it will be blessed with the gift of eloquent speech. The stone was given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in recognition of his support in the Battle of Bannockburn, seen in the motion picture Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson. Legend would have it be half the Stone of Scone over which Scottish Kings historically were crowned.
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call_copse
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Re: Blarney

Postby call_copse » Tue Aug 26, 2014 7:35 am

I wonder if the authour Cormac McCarthy, whose work I enjoy greatly, chose that name because of the Irish antecedent? I think he was born Charles McCarthy. I would associate his work with the opposite of Blarney though - for me his lyricism comes through terseness of prose as much as anything.
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Re: Blarney

Postby LukeJavan8 » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:46 pm

Blarney Castle is located near Cork, Ireland. I've visited it
a number of times. Doc's picture does not due the Blarney
Stone justice, however, not that has to. But it is located at
the top of Blarney Castle down in the walkway where soldiers
used to walk and shoot arrows and other sundry things
between the upright stone battlements. After climbing the
stairs to the top of the castle and working one's way around
the top floor which is on the roof, then one must make way
to the area where the stone is located down low where the
guardian soldiers walked. There are two iron bars located
in front of the stone. One lays down backward, leans over
and then kisses the stone which reputedly gives you the
gift of blarney or 'gab'.
Blarney Castle is the home site of Clan McCarthy ,call copse
mentions Cormac McC.

Me mither, of sainted memory, refused the trek, saying
she had 'nuff o' the gab. Didna need more'.

pics: https://www.google.com/search?q=blarney ... 24&bih=719
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

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Re: Blarney

Postby Perry Lassiter » Tue Aug 26, 2014 4:35 pm

Is "baloney" meaning not true a corruption of blarney?
pl

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call_copse
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Re: Blarney

Postby call_copse » Wed Aug 27, 2014 11:35 am

I have been there too Luke, just the once. As a geeky introvert I don't think it gave me the gift of the gab in any way, perhaps because I would have been unreceptive to such a gift.
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LukeJavan8
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Re: Blarney

Postby LukeJavan8 » Wed Aug 27, 2014 12:06 pm

I grew up in a similar way, and would have been just
as adamant against receiving such a gift. But became
a high school teacher, and do remember talking on and
on to use up time. So the gift took hold I guess.


As for "baloney/blarney": it would take someone far more
gifted to answer the question, but I am interested in the
answer.
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Perry Lassiter
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Re: Blarney

Postby Perry Lassiter » Wed Aug 27, 2014 2:55 pm

OK, I quit being lazy for the moment and came up with this 1894, variant of bologna sausage (q.v.). As slang for "nonsense," 1922, American English (popularized 1930s by N.Y. Gov. Alfred E. Smith; in this sense sometimes said to have been one of the coinages of legendary "Variety" staffer Jack Conway), from earlier sense of "idiot" (by 1915), perhaps influenced by blarney, but usually regarded as being from the sausage, as a type traditionally made from odds and ends. It also was ring slang early 20c. for an inferior fighter.
The aristocratic Kid's first brawl for sugar was had in Sandusky, Odryo, with a boloney entitled Young Du Fresne. He gave the green and nervous Kid a proper pastin' for six rounds and the disgusted Dummy sold me his find for a hundred bucks, leavin' the clubhouse just in time to miss seein' the boy get stung, get mad, and win by a knockout. [H.C. Witwer, "The Leather Pushers," "Colliers," Oct. 16, 1920]
from the Online Etym D:

In the process, i also discovered this, which is useful:
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~korista/baloney.html
A Baloney Detection Kit
pl


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