IRISH EXPRESSIONS.
[TO Ts EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."' may offer your correspondent "H. M. W." an explanation of the expression "black-mouth Presbyterian" which is at least simple, and may be true; at all events, I have never heard any other. It is said to have been an opprobrious reference to the vary strict Sabbatarianism of the older Presbyterians; so strict that they would not even shave on Sunday, but on that day especially were " black-mouthed." My own early memories do not go back quite far enough to enable me to confirm this, but I can quite well remember that in my childhood one was not allowed to whistle on Sundays. And ultra-careful families, when distance from the "meeting-homse " (one would not have said " church ") forced them to drive thither on the Sabbath; only "walked" the horse. I think "H. M. W." may be assured that the expression has nothing to do with "sour-faced "" or "whey-faced." Any one who had seen an old Northern farmer, who on weekdays shaved only his upper lip, and on Sundays not even that, would agree that the phrase is at least picturesque.—I am, Sir, &c., J. S. B.
Previous page
