Lossoge; a handful or little bundle of sticks for firing. (Mayo.) Irish _las_ [loss], fire, a blaze, with the diminutive termination.
Low-backed car; a sort of car common in the southern half of Ireland down to the middle of the last century, used to bring the country people and their farm produce to markets. Resting on the shafts was a long flat platform placed lengthwise { 289} and sloping slightly downwards towards the back, on which were passengers and goods. Called trottle-car in Derry.
Loy; a spade. Used in the middle of Ireland all across from shore to shore. Irish _láighe_, same sound and meaning.
Luck-penny; a coin given by the seller to the buyer after a bargain has been concluded: given to make sure that the buyer will have luck with the animal or article he buys.
Ludeen or loodeen [_d_ sounded like _th_ in _then_]; the little finger. Irish _lúidín_, same sound and meaning. From _lu_, little, with the diminutive termination.
Luscan; a spot on the hillside from which the furze and heath have been burned off. (Wicklow and round about.) From Irish _losc_ to burn: _luscan_, 'burned little spot.'
Lusmore; fairy-thimble, fairy-finger, foxglove, _Digitalis purpurea_; an herb of mighty power in fairy lore. Irish _lus_, herb; _mór_, great; 'mighty herb.'
Lybe; a lazy fellow. (MacCall: Wex.) See Libber.
Lyre; the full of the two hands used together: a beggar usually got a _lyre_ of potatoes. (Munster: same as _gopen_ in Ulster.) Irish _ladhar_, same sound and meaning.
Mad; angry. There are certain Irish words, such as _buileamhail_, which might denote either _mad_ or very _angry_: hence in English you very often hear:--'Oh the master is very mad with you,' { 290} i.e. angry. 'Excessively angry' is often expressed this way in dialect language:--'The master is blazing mad about that accident to the mare.' But even this expression is classical Irish; for we read in the Irish Bible that Moses went away from Pharaoh, _air lasadh le feírg_, 'blazing with anger.' 'Like mad' is often used to denote very quickly or energetically: Crofton Croker speaks of people who were 'dancing like mad.' This expression is constantly heard in Munster.
Maddha-brishtha; an improvised tongs, such as would be used with a fire in the fields, made from a strong twig bent sharp. (Derry.) Irish _maide_ [maddha], a stick; _briste_, broken:--'broken stick.'