270 SPORTING REMINISCENCES 



When it comes to cursing no nation on earth 

 beat the Irish. " The curse of Cromwell on ye," 

 is one of the bitterest, meaning that the speaker 

 hopes you will suffer as Cromwell made his country- 

 men suffer. 



" A short coorse to you." " The divil's own 

 luck to ye." " May ye never die till you see ye're 

 own funeral," meant in the old days " may you 

 be hanged." When you would see all your own 

 funeral in the crowd attending your demise. 

 " May ye die with a caper in ye're heel " meant the 

 same pleasant thing, or " May ye're last dance be 

 in the air." 



" May the grass grow before ye're dour," was a 

 solemn curse and horribly graphic with its hint 

 of decay and desolation. 



" May ye melt off the earth like the snhow," 

 is another. 



" Sweep ye," which they use very often, is an 

 abbreviation of the " Divil swheep ye from the 

 wurruld," and " Choke ye," a memory of " May 

 the Devil choke ye." 



" Bad cess (success) to ye " is a mere friendly 

 curse, used as we might say * ' Bother. ' ' ' * Bad scran 

 to ye " is another. 



'* The Devil and sixpence go wid ye, an' ye'll 

 want neither money nor company," is another 

 full of quiet wit and once very common. 



A very quick reply which they use is if one man 

 growls out " Bad luck to ye," the cursed one 



