Sir, – As a schoolboy travelling across the Border into Derry years ago from the “Free State”, I was introduced to the standard greeting at that time: “Yes, Hi”, or simply “Yes”. No need for these elaborate folksy Southern greetings. But as with a lot of Northern speech, it was the way you said it.
Even today I am often caught out how to reply to the standard Belfast greeting: “How’s about ye?”. Does this can mean either: “How are you?” or maybe just “Hello”, or even “Who the hell are you and what are you doing up here?”
It’s all in the interpretation, like so much coming out of Belfast. – Yours, etc,
DONAL Mac POLIN,
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Dublin 15.
Sir, – In our town it wasn’t so much the conversation when you met someone on your way up the town. If you happened to bump into them on the way back down the town the salutation “That’s the way” was regarded on both sides as sufficient. – Yours, etc,
ITA McCORMACK,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.
Sir, On the day Limerick were playing in the All-Ireland I recalled that Dermot Kelly of a Limerick team of long ago responded to my routine inquiry as to his well-being by telling me he was “clinging to the wreck”. – Yours, etc,
LIAM MEADE,
Ballyneety, Co Limerick.
Sir, – My late husband, when asked how he was, would reply “Looking down at the daisies, not up”. – Yours, etc,
HELEN MCSHARRY,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 14.