Meaning of mahogany gaspipe | Babel Free

Definitions

a representation of how the Irish language sounds to a non-speaker; gobbledegook.

Ireland, dated, slang

Examples

“It is completely false to suggest⟳ that Irish was ever the natural or the native language of this city of Dublin, or of any of our other cities. I always think⟳ that Dubliners' attitude to the Irish language is summed up in four words: “Tá sé mahogany gas-pipe”.”

“"Thaw shay mahogany gas-pipes" is a venerable native witticism. It is the facetious Gaelic sally of a person without Gaelic. Suitably mouthed, it sounds frightfully Irish. Leaguers resent it as a sneer.”

“"Buy⟳ Irish" is a strongly ritualistic tradition ever since the infancy of the Gaelic League whin all Irish islanders wore Irish tweed and according to Myles na Gopaleen had only to say⟳ "Mahogany Gas Pipes" at a ceili to be immediately accepted as native Irish speakers.”

“I've no idea what they're going on about - it's all mahogany gaspipe to me - but next thing Brendan tips me the nod and a wink and gives me to understand⟳ that the job is oxo.”

“The original ‘Italian’ reads ‘Raphèl maí amèche zabí almi’, which Carson renders as ‘Yin twa maghogani gazpaighp boke!’, blending Ulster-Scots and ‘mahogany gaspipe’, the non-Irish-speaker's proverbial idea of what the language sounds like⟳.”

CEFR level