By The abundance of gobshitery and all who play it down. Have I become one of those hardened to the nonsense? Do I accept gobshitery as normal life now? Oh how they speak of the “new normal”, a side shift and major changes born out of a pandemic. What of the new normal that has been creeping in since God only knows when?
What may this be? A valid question you present to me and in the following post we shall take a closer look.
We have seen some classic usage of the term “gobshite” and are all so familiar, The snapper, what a great film. Colm Meaney who plays the father in the movie is a little upset about his daughter being pregnant and she will not tell him who the father to be is. In a scene in the movie the family kitchen and one of the sons is violently throwing up in the kitchen sink, the family are at the breakfast table and because of his hangover from the night before the brother is puking. The father delivers his speech to the family and on his way out the door, as he is obliged to say something to the son throwing up.
“And you, Gobshite, clean them dishes when you’re finished”
Another that we are familiar with from Irish film is the classic, My left foot. Daniel Day-Lewis plays a man who suffers from cerebral palsy. The only working part or his body that he can control is his left foot. The film is based upon the true life story of Christy Brown. In the movie there is a neighbouring woman taking care of the younger boy Christy Brown while his mother is taken away after falling, a neighbour is to take care of him til his mother comes back. The scene is how the woman holds her hand on him in a gesture of love and sympathy, as she tries to be sympathetic or console him for being disabled her monologue is this, “poor unfortunate Gobshite”. This is what she is telling him directly.
A couple of classic Irish films and a couple of very precise placements of the word Gobshite. We are all very familiar with these.
We all use the term “Gobshite” from time to time and if you say you don’t, I find that hard to believe. What is it that conjures up the idea to utter the word Gobshite? When we see something really stupid happening in front of our own eyes, as we look at the person carrying out the stupidity, we refer to them as a “Gobshite” . It really is as simple as that.
When we see something quite stupid, an example would be, when we see the photo of the newly constructed home with a new toilet and wash hand basin. The door is open and is a newly hung door also. The trouble we see is that the door is open and will not swing closed as the toilet is blocking the way. There is no room left in the design for the door to be swung closed. We see this picture and think of the installer and we call him a “Gobshite”.
When anything goes against what we might think to be simple and so called normal we may mumble under our breath a few key words “Gobshites, the lot or them”.
The government offices in Ireland where the government sits and debates and carries out daily government business is called Dail Eireann. Pronounced D ~ all air ran. You can shorten in the d and the all a bit to get the right pronunciation. It is an Irish language word and most of these do not sound as they might read. Back to the politicians though, several times a day a month or year there is stupid nonsense carried out among the government body. The dissatisfaction of the general public of how the Irish government may have acted or over spent unnecessarily will lead to many members of the public using the word to describe the government as “Gobshites”.
Can I say now that the word is in full daily use here in Ireland and could we stretch to say that it is part of our culture? Quite funny, yes indeed though truly no laughing matter.
So what gives to the continued use of the term “Gobshite”? By my own explanation above it is a term used when we see or view something very stupid in nature has been carried out, said or is being done. It may also be when a person expresses an opinion about another. Perhaps it is a more soft hearted attempt of being nice while insulting someone. Easier or less condemning than directly assaulting a person with words of slander. You stupid………….! You fill in the blank, though such a way in which to speak of another does seem a little too harsh though, “Gobshite” seems to fit without the harshness. Weird, isn’t it?
So why the continued use of the word “Gobshite”? The origin of the word I have not researched, I do however have an immediate assumption that it would be something to do with a person speaking nonsense. The use of their “Gob” (mouth) to speak the nonsense (shite). This word shite is a derivative of the word shit. This word shite is widely used in Ireland too. And so when someone speaks nonsense they could be considered, a “Gobshite”! Basically it is widespread and always in reference to something stupid. Kind of like, or very similar to “Dumbass”.
How or why is the use of the word is so abundant?
Why is it only used in Ireland?
Ireland is also a country where oh so many people have it all figured out. I have yet to meet an Irish person who will be honest and admit to not having a clue. I have some intelligence going for me on ny side and I have not much of a clue of what is going on around me most of the time. I hold my hands up or will admit hands down that the more I learn, the less I know. It does take being honest to admit that one does not really know much. Although when I lend my ear to anyone who so happily volunteers their opinion of how a thing “should” be or how they have an opinion of how they might know better or, of how other people “should” be living. I will openly admit I tend to mumble the word “Gobshite” to myself.
The abundance of the use of the word has to suggest that there is an awful amount of stupidity rampant in the beautiful country of Ireland. By the way, the word is used so much that it has to mean that nobody is doing anything right and all of us could be living so much better. How stupid are we all really?
I do sincerely believe that when we find a group of two or more “Gobshites” then the only thing that could be taking place is “Gobshitery”. There is the term of the decade, GOBSHITERY!
How can it be that we have become so accustomed to and so hardened against the stupidity that is running wild among us? We have become so accepting of gobshites carrying out endless amounts of gobshitery that we could class it as the real “new norm” and forget all about covid new normals. Then again on the other hand, how could we all be such professionals at analysing each other and so quick to point out or make statement of fact as to our opinion of others “gobshites the lot of them”.
I have no desire to be “oh so, perfect” that I can make such comments about others, though I do it more than I do not. What I do find most funny about the matter in which I or anybody calls another a gobshite is that, when did we all become so self righteous and so perfect in ourselves? Perhaps the real gobshite is the one who speaks it? Perhaps the real gobshite is me writing this post? Perhaps the real gobshite is you reading all the way to here?
Who really knows?
Food for thought & a smile, please do comment below.
Have a great week.
@TWOsonsTOOmany
A.McNallyauthor.com 