Week 11 Theme: "Lucky ME"
With Saint Patrick's Day coming up, I figure it's a good time to think about Luck. Do you have mostly good luck, or mostly bad? Do you have any personal items that bring you luck? Maybe you don't believe in luck?
I'm part Irish, but I've never really thought I had particularly good luck. Where did the phrase "the luck of the Irish" come from anyway? Well, I had to look it up, so here's a little history for you.
*According to Edward T. O’Donnell, an Associate Professor of History at Holy Cross College and author of ‘1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History,’ the term is not Irish in origin.
"During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. . . .Over time this association of the Irish with mining fortunes led to the expression 'luck of the Irish.' Of course, it carried with it a certain tone of derision, as if to say, only by sheer luck, as opposed to brains, could these fools succeed."
The word luck itself is Middle Dutch in origin. The word comes from ‘luc,’ a shortening of ‘gheluc,’ meaning “happiness,good fortune.”
The word was probably introduced into the English language in the 15th century as a gambling term.*
So now you know! I might not have good luck, but I do consider myself lucky for being involved in this project with all of you, so thank you. Have a great week!