This particular rabbit hole was inspired by Michael Harding’s book, Chest Pain. I spotted it on my first visit to the library post cardiac incident and it just had to come home. Towards the end, page 363 to be precise, there is a story about damage to a statue to the Blessed Virgin Mary that was not spotted by any of the parishioners, even after the bishop had thrown a ‘skite’ of water on it as a blessing.
‘When the people gathered around the crib that Christmas night I was terrified that someone might notice the damage. This immediately had me thinking that that is not what I thought ‘skite’ was. I would have used ‘skite’ as a trip, adventure, or even a session that was an escape from normality. One could go on a ‘bit of a skite’ – some me time to recharge the batteries. I definitely would not have used it as a volumetric measurement – a dollop of water but not a skite. The Dictionary of Cork Slang suggests that my use may not be that common in Cork – they equate a ‘skite’ to a drinking session. Chambers’ Dictionary has it as a ‘boast’. Merriam-Webster has options including blow or impact; trick or prank; a disagreeable offensive person; or a boaster. Collins Dictionary supports the argument for boast; blow; and drinking session - it adds ‘a person held in mild contempt’. The use of the word by both Michael Harding and yours truly is not supported by the dictionaries – yet. |   |
“Words are in dictionaries because they exist – they do not exist because they are in dictionaries”
Máire Nic Mhaoláin
