In my idle moments, I can’t help but be anxious over the impending doom that jig-acting faces. Much akin to the precarious status of the Bornean orangutan, jig-acting too is flirting with extinction. Unless timely action is taken, this Irish initiation is destined to vanish into oblivion, much like the dodo.
The craft of jig-acting is an Irish emblem, holding its ground alongside hurling and sean-nós singing. It’s our moral obligation to safeguard this tradition, akin to how we shield the Waterford Blaa or Connemara Hill Lamb from harm. The beauty of jig-acting lies in its lack of a necessary skill set, unlike hurling. For the untrained eye, jig-acting simply translates into engaging in innocent fun or harmless mischief. Although it’s predominantly witnessed along the western coast, people in Dublin are known to prefer cod-acting, while trick-acting is no less appreciated.
My childhood memories don’t comprise of urging to commence jig-acting. However, it was quite the norm to be reprimanded to stop jig-acting. Occasions attracting widespread disdain for jig-acting encapsulated school, Mass, news telecasts, or unpredictable rosary reciting. Paradoxically, these were the very instances when the temptation to indulge in jig-acting was hard to resist. What’s more rewarding and gratifying than causing someone to break into laughter when they’re supposed to be serious?
Liam O’ Flaherty and John McGahern are among the illustrious authors who employed jig-acting to enhance their works. A quick online scan revealed that jig-acting still survives in certain virtual niches. A Reddit user credited an air-raid siren to Putin, describing it as his customary jig-acting. TheJournal.ie pondered over how proximate the Russian navy intended to perform its jig-acting to the Cork coast. Additionally, a Cork-based correspondent to the Irish Examiner advocated action against jig-acting goalkeepers.
The trend of seaside saunas, where one sits semi-nude alongside strangers, has most certainly pushed several individuals outside their comfort zones. Altius, Citius, Hibernicus, an adventurous Irish continuation of the 1924 Paris Olympics, as penned by Frank McNally, expresses this new normal.
In the same vein, the tradition of jig-acting hasn’t faded away. However, it behoves us to use it patriotically at least once a week to keep it in our vocabulary. It wouldn’t hurt to also sprinkle our conversations with a dash of cod-acting and trick-acting for judicious measure.
Likewise, the protection of some endangered phrases has become necessary. “Making strange,” an action every baby in yesteryears was inclined to do, has now practically vanished. Could it be that today’s socially smart babies have outgrown this practice, or is the harsh reality of the present day leaving them perpetually in a state of “making strange” and hence its inconspicuousness?
“Foostering” requires our heed as well. Despite being renowned as world-leading “foosterers,” the longevity of this word is uncertain. Borrowed from the Irish word ‘fústar’, meaning fuss or fidgetiness, “foostering” involves random rummaging and should be particularly irritating to someone in close proximity, all while achieving distinctly nothing.
Stan Carey’s Irish blog, ‘Sentence First,’ devoted to the English language, highlights this term, pointing out that James Joyce used it to describe a man searching his pockets for change in the ‘Lotus Eaters’ chapter of ‘Ulysses.’ Due to a production error in the first edition, it was inaccurately altered to “fostering” for numerous years, as per the Joyce Project.
In his expansive poem “Christmas Day,” the poet Paul Durcan portrayed long spells of ‘foostering’. This day is indeed cherished for its foostering activities, especially when Irish coffee is enjoyed a little too promptly. Suddenly, minor things such as a misplaced favourite spatula, vanishing Brussels sprouts from the fridge, or opened cupboard doors without reason can create confusion.
Unfortunately, despite the dedication of these authors, it’s disheartening to note that the younger generation seems oblivious to the charm of ‘foostering.’ A simple inquiry of whether a teacher has cited them for ‘foostering’ to any ten-year-old will bear my argument.
Prompt action is needed in this context because if we suspend ‘foostering’ and our playful antics, we will find ourselves heading towards a dangerous decline.
Before we realise it, we may forget to stow away the groceries appropriately.
That moment of forgetfulness will leave us truly perplexed and confounded.