The Quirky Quote
Really an Irish Blessing this week: As you slide down the banisters of life may the splinters never point the wrong way.
The Quirky Observation
E.Y. Harburg, the lyricist for the Broadway play “Finian’s Rainbow,” which centers on a leprechaun’s missing pot of gold, had a great deal of fun with words. At one point in the play, Sharon and Og are flirting with one another and sing a song called, “Something Sort of Grandish.” The lyrics include dozens of words ending in “ish,” many of which he simply made up.
Taking a cue from him, I made up a word game about ish words and found only one – licorice – which had the sound without the spelling. But looking at words that end in “ice,” licorice is also the only one I found that ends in that sound. Notice all the pronunciations of other words ending in ice: juice, spice, police, voice, office. No wonder English is confusing to foreigners!
The Featured Product
As noted last week, Celebrating the Irish is my latest slide show available at www.WiserNow.com. (See an excerpt there.) Among the 135 slides are trivia quizzes on what you know (or could learn) about Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day, the meaning of Irish surnames, famous Irish and Irish-American people, and a few quotes of famous Irishmen. Word games center on Irish songs, proverbs and the Swellish Condish of the Irish. Sure and begorra, you’ll love it. Order it now.
The Quiz
Because it is still “What’s in a Name? Month” this quiz asks what you know about the meaning of Irish names. It is excerpted from a longer quiz that appears in the Celebrating the Irish slide show.
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