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In the recent Vice Presidential debate there was much made of Joe Biden’s use of “Marlarkey.” This term first appeared in the midwest of the US in the 1920’s, and it means “blather” or “bull.” It is used like this: “That’s a bunch of Marlarkey.”
I doubt it actually has an etymology rooted in Irish, but I have been having some fun speculating on one. I’m trying to come up with a phrase that uses
“mala” “labhairt” “ar” and “í” or “caoi” to convey the sense of an eyebrow raising statement. Any ideas?
Ní ritheann aon leagan liom leis na focla atá uait, a Jim. Ach tá focal eile ann i nGaeilge atá sách cosúil le “marlarkey”… 🙂 Ní maith liom é a scríobh anseo mar ní focal múinte atá ann, “b*llocks” an t-aistriúchán a bheadh air i mBéarla.
Níl dada mímhúinte faoi magairle, ach tá amhras orm!
Tá tagairtí ar líne feicthe agam do shloinne Éireannach mar fhoinse do marlarkey (nó mallarkey) ach ní dóigh liom go bhfuil fianaise láidir ann.
“magairlaí” umm dhéanfeadh sé sin ciall, isdóice. Ach ní deirtear “magairlaí” mar fhocal eascainigh i nGaeilge. Mar sin níor tháinig sé díreach ón nGaeilge.
Mar a tharlaíonn sé is do bhall colainn mná a thagraíonn an focail ar truflais i nGaeilge:
Brilléis!
Tá a fhios ‘agam, a Bhríd. “Cacamas” nó “seafóid” nó rud eicínt mar sin a déarfaí i nGaeilge. Is éard a bhí mé ag ceapadh go mb’fhéidir go ndearna imircigh Éireannacha i Meireacá an focal Béarla a “aistriú ar ais” ina dteagna dhúchasach le greann… Ach, ar ndóigh, is dócha gur agatsa atá an ceart. 🙂
Mar a tharlaíonn sé is do bhall colainn mná a thagraíonn an focail ar truflais i nGaeilge:
Brilléis!
Ní raibh ‘fhíos ‘am é sin.
Bhuel, deacair bheith iomlán cinnte – tá breall & brille ann; iad gaolta le chéile. Maíonn Mac Bain gurbh ionann breall agus bod (agus murlán mar bunchiall leo araon)
Go raibh maith agaibh. “Magairle” is as good as anything I have seen in the press. I found all the comments intersting- learning a lot of anatomical terms! 🙂
With your indulgence, I was looking at “mar-lar-key” as possibly a phrase and not a word. Perhaps it could be a mutated form of “mar sin é?” or how about “Mar labhair sé!” to mean “So he said!” in a mocking way. I don’t know enogh to say if that phrase would be grammatically correct or merely a bearlaism.
A phrase ending with “caoi” might even be closer in sound to “marlarkey.”
As the experts have said, we will probably never know where it came from.
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