Old sayings and colloquialisms

Sir, – Further to Paul Clements's An Irishman's Diary (September 24th), upon hearing bad news or when going through a bad patch, my late father was wont to say, "Sure it won't be always dark at six." I have used this saying as my basic philosophy throughout my own life. – Yours, etc,

BARRY HAMILTON,

Swords,

Co Dublin.

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Sir, – As they say around Cavan, they were engaged in a battle of wits but were careful with the ammunition. – Yours, etc,

JOHN K ROGERS,

Rathowen,

Co Westmeath.

Sir, – My nonagenarian mother, who grew up in rural Co Fermanagh, bemoaning the ever-increasing complexity of form-filling for one purpose or another, often warns: “You’ll need a wet cloth round your head starting into that!” – Yours, etc,

FINBARR DOMONEY,

Rathgar,

Dublin 6.

Sir, – My late father, when referring to a person easily led, would say, “You could lead him with a snow rope.” – Yours, etc,

JOE JONES,

Ashbourne,

Co Meath.

Sir, – Comment by an old Dublin woman in the Liberties on the weather: “The weather’s so changeable ye wouldn’t know what to pawn.” – Yours, etc,

TOM BRACE,

Dublin 8.

Sir, – My late father-in-law Paddy would often say, in relation to accepting the consequences of one’s actions, “If you burn your arse you sit on the blister.” – Yours, etc,

MATT WALSHE,

Abbeyleix,

Co Laois.

Sir, – When his wife would interrupt my uncle’s newspaper reading to hand him a list of chores, he would say with a loving smile, “The softest part of her is her teeth”! – Yours, etc,

ALICE

DELEHANTY,

Monkstown,

Co Dublin.