'What did he do to you?' 'He hit me with his stick, _so he did_, and it is a great shame, so it is.' 'I like a cup of tea at night, so I do.' In the South an expression of this kind is very often added on as a sort of clincher to give emphasis. Similar are the very usual endings as seen in these { 11} assertions:--'He is a great old schemer, _that's what he is_': 'I spoke up to the master and showed him he was wrong--_I did begob_.'
I asked a man one day: 'Well, how is the young doctor going on in his new place?' and he replied 'Ah, how but well'; which he meant to be very emphatic: and then he went on to give particulars.
A strong denial is often expressed in the following way: 'This day will surely be wet, so don't forget your umbrella': 'What a fool I am': as much as to say, 'I should be a fool indeed to go without an umbrella to-day, and I think there's no mark of a fool about me.' 'Now Mary don't wait for the last train [from Howth] for there will be an awful crush.' 'What a fool I'd be ma'am.' 'Oh Mr. Lory I thought you were gone home [from the dance] two hours ago': 'What a fool I am,' replies Lory ('Knocknagow'), equivalent to 'I hadn't the least notion of making such a fool of myself while there's such fun here.' This is heard everywhere in Ireland, 'from the centre all round to the sea.'
Much akin to this is Nelly Donovan's reply to Billy Heffernan who had made some flattering remark to her:--'Arrah now Billy what sign of a fool do you see on me?' ('Knocknagow.')
An emphatic assertion or assent: 'Yesterday was very wet.' Reply:--'You may say it was,' or 'you may well say that.'
'I'm greatly afeard he'll try to injure me.' Answer:--''Tis fear _for_ you' (emphasis on _for_), meaning 'you have good reason to be afeard': merely a translation of the Irish _is eagal duitse_. { 12}
'Oh I'll pay you what I owe you.' ''Tis a pity you wouldn't indeed,' says the other, a satirical reply, meaning 'of course you will and no thanks to you for that; who'd expect otherwise?'
'I am going to the fair to-morrow, as I want to buy a couple of cows.' Reply, 'I know,' as much as to say 'I see,' 'I understand.' This is one of our commonest terms of assent.
An assertion or statement introduced by the words 'to tell God's truth' is always understood to be weighty and somewhat unexpected, the introductory words being given as a guarantee of its truth:--'Have you the rest of the money you owe me ready now James?' 'Well to tell God's truth I was not able to make it all up, but I can give you £5.'
