Sir, – Hagappagy, according to my sons who are of that vintage, means “happy”. It was spoken by them with friends of both sexes in the early 1980s, and still exists in isolated pockets. They heard that it may originally have been used by shopkeepers and/or prisoners of war for reasons of confidentiality, but this is unsubstantiated. However, the translation for “girl” was not pc, and as Hagappagy became intelligible to too many people they invented “Heebappeeby” and also “Ermywermy”. Cagould agit bage aga fagorm agof pagig lagatagin? – Yours, etc,
HEATHER SMITH,
Greengates,
Adelaide Road,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin
Sir, – I am pleased that some remember the secret teen language of the ’50s and ’60s. I do have sympathy with the boys and girls of Waterford in that they truly believed that their parents had cracked the code. The very fact that Waterford teenagers (Letters August 13th) would jointly converse in front of their parents sets them apart from all other teenagers on the planet. Whether you view the practice as a cultural tradition lost or a silly subculture (I opt for the former) my central question remains : how and when did this wonderful argot decline to the point of extinction. Is the texting language of today its cultural replacement and will the advent of the obnoxious social media sites be its nemesis? I somehow think an aspiring PhD student could prosper in exploring this piece of social history. – Yours, etc,
DEREK MacHUGH,
Westminster Lawns,
Foxrock,
Co Dublin