Read other letters about this article

• Thursday, January 24, 2008 03:26 PM

  Anonymous p.l4 is a genius

  I was just taking a leisurely ramble through these posts when, to my amazement, I discovered that you had rumbled the worldwide leprechaun conspiracy. You#ve mentioned all those "sleepers" (Soviet style) that we've planted throughout the English-speaking world, although you failed to mention the Australian Prime Minister, Keating, who preceded that dull fellow Howard. I suspect that you could be one of those dreadful "male chauvinists" because you didn't mention Maureen Dowd of NYT and I've a strong feeling that Joan Walsh of Salon is touched by the magic. There's another lassie who writes in NYT that I also suspect. Her name is Gail Collins but I wouldn't be too gone on her opinions. It takes all sorts, of course.

  Now on the question of Senator Obama and your hint about Irish heritage, wouldn't you know it: they're already laying claim to him in Co. Offaly, a county which badly needs a bit of glamour! Your suggestion of O'Bama is spot on. In ancient Gaelic society the "O" signified granchild of, so that the original ancestor would have been Bama. I've just realised that I must sound barmy but you are all so stressed out worrying about the South and the rest of it that I felt like giving you all a break. Naturally enough, we know about John McCain but you can keep Huckabee. Any claims he makes to Irish ancestry are totally false. Sure, isn't the man a teetotaller! I haven't the time to go into all of this and those Homeland Security crowd might not like it but I'll tell you what: Irish people have a great fondness for talk and to think that some of those chancers of Irish heritage are over there in Amerikay getting paid for it, while we do it all the time for free, is enough to make a dog strike his father. to be perfectly honest, we also have a fair share of amadans (pr. omma-dawns) over here so we kind of understand when you lot lose the head and make right eejits of yourselves. Bono is a bit of a pain and he's now over in Switzerland with Gore, pontificating about this, that and the other. I much prefer the Irish soldier (we have them too!) who was being examined by a medical officer and was giving very stupid answers to the doctor's questions. Finally, the exasperated doctor more or less gave up, demanding of the raw recruit: "Man, don't you know the Queen's English?" The dopey soldier responded in surprise "No, sir. Is she?" Ah, but was he just a clown or was he making a subversive and patiotic statement? The "Queen's English" is standard, orthodox English but the leprechauns stole it a long time ago.

  —maureenodonnell Read maureenodonnell's other letters
  Permalink
  Flag
  Click "Submit Flag" if you feel this post is inappropriate. Explain why below if you wish.

  Cancel