"............ agus Mahogany Gaspipe"

patjack

My Grandmother used to say something which sounded like " Mó lan gannta agus Mahogany Gaspipe".

The above interpretation may not be entirely accurate as in it could very well have been "Mól an Gabhannta ..... or some other variation, but anyway to young hears it sounded something along those lines.

Anyway wondering if anyone out there has ever heard anything similar?

Not in a Gaeltacht area, and my Grandmother wasn't a fluent Irish speaker but it was an expression she picked up from someone else.

Anyone shed any light on this?

GaelMise

patjack wrote: »

My Grandmother used to say something which sounded like " Mó lan gannta agus Mahogany Gaspipe".

The above interpretation may not be entirely accurate as in it could very well have been "Mól an Gabhannta ..... or some other variation, but anyway to young hears it sounded something along those lines.

Anyway wondering if anyone out there has ever heard anything similar?

Not in a Gaeltacht area, and my Grandmother wasn't a fluent Irish speaker but it was an expression she picked up from someone else.

Anyone shed any light on this?

The 'Mahogany Gaspipes' thing may have originated with Flann O'Brien, as shorthand for someone who wants to pretend to be authentically Irish by using Irish sounding terms, but who in reality can't actually speak Irish. Usually put as 'Tá sé Mahogany Gaspipes'. Which to someone who does not speak Irish sounds close enough to the real thing that they may think the speaker actually can speak Irish.
Another possible use for it was as a term of derision for Irish speakers. Terry Wogan is also reported to have used the phrase now and again.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mahogany_gaspipe

patjack

GaelMise wrote: »

The 'Mahogany Gaspipes' thing may have originated with Flann O'Brien, as shorthand for someone who wants to pretend to be authentically Irish by using Irish sounding terms, but who in reality can't actually speak Irish. Usually put as 'Tá sé Mahogany Gaspipes'. Which to someone who does not speak Irish sounds close enough to the real thing that they may think the speaker actually can speak Irish.
Another possible use for it was as a term of derision for Irish speakers. Terry Wogan is also reported to have used the phrase now and again.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mahogany_gaspipe

Thanks GaelMise, that makes since and ties in with a lot of sources, just wish I could make sense of the first part now, and it doesn't help that my interpretation is second hand. Anyone who does look at this post if they treat my interpretation of "Mo lán ganta" as phonetic i.e. "molawngawnta" thats just how I remember it sounding so it could be some variation of this. I know what I have is vague, but it might ring a bell with someone.