a broad Scot
Scottie Bowman (bowman@mail.indigo.ie)
Fri, 06 Mar 1998 20:21:42 +0000
So that all Bananafish may be in possession of the authentic
background to their great shibboleth - from a native speaker.
What Rabbie actually wrote was:
Gin a body meet a body
Coming through the rye;
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry ?
The word `gin' (pronounced with a hard "g") means `should'
as in: `Should someone chance to meet someone...',
`Should it happen that someone gives someone a kiss....', etc.
It's a fine word & one that will bring awed mystification when
used anywhere south of Toronto. It features in many Scots
poems including possibly the most poignantly nostalgic of them all:
Oh, gin I were whar Gaddie rins
At the back of Bennachie.....!
(Oh would that I were where the river Gaddie runs
At the foot of Bennachie mountain...)
Right ? Right.
Scottie B.