234
ENGLISH AS WE SPEAK IT IN IRELAND.
[CH. XIII.
Chalk Sunday; the first Sunday after Shrove Tuesday (first Sunday in Lent), when those young men who should have been married, but were not, were marked with a heavy streak of chalk on the back of the Sunday coat, by boys who carried bits of chalk in their pockets for that purpose, and lay in wait for the bachelors. The marking was done while the congregation were assembling for Mass: and the young fellow ran for his life, always laughing, and often singing the concluding words of some suitable doggerel such as:—'And you are not married though Lent has come!' This custom prevailed in Munster. I saw it in full play in Limerick: but I think it has died out. For the air to which the verses were sung, see my 'Old Irish Music and Songs,' p. 12.
Champ (Down); the same as 'caulcannon,' which see. Also potatoes mashed with butter and milk; same as 'pandy,' which see.
Chanter; to go about grumbling and fault-finding. (Ulster.)
Chapel: Church: Scallan, 143.
Chaw for chew, 97. 'Chawing the rag'; continually grumbling, jawing, and giving abuse. (Kinahan.)
Cheek; impudence; brass: cheeky; presumptuous.
Chincough, whooping-cough: from kink-cough. See Kink.
Chittering; constantly muttering complaints. (Knowles.)
Chook chook [the oo sounded rather short]; a call for hens. It is the Irish tiuc, come.
Christian; a human being as distinguished from one of the lower animals:—'That dog has nearly as much sense as a Christian.'
