go - Hamely Tongue
Source: The Hamely Tongue: A Personal Record of Ulster-Scots in County Antrim
Author: James Fenton
Comments: ‘The Hamely Tongue’ has been widely acclaimed as the authoritative record of contemporary (surviving) Ulster-Scots in its heartland of County Antrim where James Fenton faithfully recorded his dictionary items among a network of other native speakers over a 30-year period. This searchable online version of his book takes its text from ‘Part One’ of the fourth edition of 2014 and includes over 3000 word entries. The book preliminaries, supplementary word lists and end matter have been excluded.
go ~ n. the fashion (Lang hair’s the hale go nooadays); the quantity (usu. of water) brought on one trip (hence a go o watter two bucketfuls). v. go. at the first go-aff at the very outset. go a run/wak go for a run/walk. go-by a passing reference, a ‘dig’ (Ye couldnae dae withoot giein it a go-by, could ye?). go deep in (of food or drink) take a lot of (often neg.: A daenae think A’ll go deep in this stuff); (of a book) read or study at length (also often neg.). go for attack; defeat in a fight (could shane go for him); destroy, ruin, kill (That enless smokin’ll go for ye). go halfers share the expense. goin (of a couple) courting. go on a stick walk with the support of a walking-stick. go on yer ear fall flat. go the rakes perish; be destroyed; be wasted (The fairm’ll go the rakes tae, lake iverythin else). go through spend (money) in a wasteful or prodigal manner. go wrang lose one’s way; slip or fall morally (esp. conceive out of wedlock). (See g’, ga, went.)
