Sir, – Further to Frank McNally’s Irishman’s Diary (July 25th) and Noel Shanaghy’s letter (July 27th), Mr Shanaghy generously shares one of his father’s sayings: “And they say there’s no bone in liver.”
Aside from the obvious meaning of bone in the phrase, my research for a forthcoming reference book on Irish food indicates that, traditionally, the use of the word “bone” referred to the hard, uncooked, white-coloured centre in a parboiled potato, and was also known as the “half-moon” or “moon”. Sir William Wilde (surgeon, author, and father of Oscar) gives a particularly detailed description of “bone” and “moon” in his 1854 article “The Food of the Irish” in the Dublin University Magazine.
Notwithstanding Wilde’s scientific approach, I prefer and enjoy Florence Irwin’s recommendation in her 1949 book, The Cookin’ Woman, that courgettes should be cooked whole, without peeling, served with a white sauce, and eaten “body and bones”. She also advises that broccoli should be strained “while there is still a bone in them”. Clearly, on this evidence, the wisdom of the phrase is sound: there’s no bone possible in liver – whatever meaning “bone” is given. – Yours, etc,
JOHN D MULCAHY, PhD
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Dublin 6,
Sir, – I remember in the 1950s a friend of mine from Co Meath told me that a friend of his had described her new boyfriend as “Odious good looking”. The word odious was pronounced “o-juss”. – Yours, etc,
TONY GREANY,
Mornington,
Co Meath.
Sir, – I enjoyed Frank McNally’s article on the words associated with various counties. The word “horrid” is indeed used as a qualifier indicating approval in Cavan. I well remember a party many years ago in the Cuilceagh Mountains when my cousin, having listened spellbound to the city cousin’s rendition of “Oh My Beloved Father”, said with great fervour, “Jaysus ye have a horrid great voice!” And she did. – Yours, etc,
ITA McCORMACK,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – Frank McNally’s Diary brought to mind a tribute I once read on a headstone in a Fermanagh graveyard: “A horrid nice man”. – Yours, etc,
BRYAN MacMAHON,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.