Sir, – Alison Healy’s Irishwoman’s Diary (August 19th) reignited memories from three score and ten years back. Jig-acting and cod-acting were eclipsed by play-acting in my childhood – not the Shakespearian strutting and fretting on the stage activity. My mother’s charge of play-acting was sometimes an admonishment and other times not. She was not beyond occasionally indulging in a little creative mischief. Tone and context dictated if she was with or against me. Acting the maggot was a related phrase for less creative mischief.
Foostering was a much-used word of hers, but unlike play-acting, it did not have a potentially positive dimension. It was activity, bereft of any potential result.
Non-activity led to a charge of “moping”. Moping was always coupled to about. “Don’t be moping about, you could be cleaning up your room.” Potentially confusing, in that the cleaning up might entail mopping.
Cleaning up was another contextually bound term. If you were cleaning up at cards, you’d not be cleaning at all, at all; or indeed moping. – Yours, etc,
GERRY CHRISTIE,
Tralee,
Co Kerry.