It's often been said (by me at least) that nothing livens up a party quite like an etymology anecdote. With that truism in mind allow me to relate a tale that unfolded once upon a time (actually about 8 years ago) in an empty office building in Old London town.
It is night. The building is empty. Well not quite…for in one corner of it lurk two individuals - security guards - locked in bored (but cordial) conversation. One is an unnamed South African (or possibly Zimbabwean) , the other is fellow blagadóir and long-time pal Copernicus (of Midnight Court fame). They speak of this and that, wiling away the hours till day comes and they are freed from their several tasks.
While reflecting on how he plans to spend the following day the South African mentions that he hopes to go to Camden (or somewhere) to buy himself a new pair of "tackies". On hearing this, Copernicus is seen to gulp repeatedly like a startled fish while his eyes leap excitedly from their parent sockets.
"Did you say 'tackies'?" he asks incredulously.
"Yeah" replies his colleague.
"And what did you mean by that?"
"Tackies…you know…running shoes"
Such was the story I heard retold a few days later and I must admit I did a fair bit of gulping and eye leaping myself. Why? Well…to the best of our knowledge before that point the term "tackies" was only used to describe sneakers/trainers /running shoes (call 'em what you like) in Limerick and its environs. In fact, so "Limerick" did we suppose the word to be that we’d readily have offered it as a pure, unadulterated example of Limerick slang.
Yet somehow this (apparently) most local of words had managed to establish itself in South Africa to such an extent that the various large dictionaries we consulted listed it as an exclusively South African term. Take Encarta for example:
noun South Africa
2. takk·ie (plural takk·ies) or tac·kie (plural tac·kies) sneaker: a sports shoe often worn with casual clothes.
That’s the tackie we know and…er…love. A sports shoe very widely worn in Limerick, usually accompanied by very casual clothing. In the 1980s (during a particularly fierce brand war) one’s status in secondary school could be entirely decided on the class of tackie one wore. Sporting a pair of Nikes ensured jealous approval. Strolling around in St. Bernard or Primark cheapies guaranteed only scorn or pity. To really turn heads, though, the ambitious young man knew that "boot tackies" were the only way to go.
Anyway, getting back to etymology, despite a relatively intensive search I haven't been able to find anyone able to explain the genesis and history of the word. Did it come from "tacky" (as in "vulgar"), or did it begin as a reference to the "tacky" (i.e "sticky") nature of rubber-soled shoes exposed to too hot a sun?
Did it travel from S. Afr to here (possibly brought back by a missionary or emigrant) or vice versa? Given the nature of the item in question I’d guess it originated in sunnier climes (tackies aren’t the greatest in the wet), but how did it come to pass that in all the world it has only found a home (as far as I know) in two such geographically distant places?
To the interested etymologist dictionary definitions all answer (very unsatisfactorily) "origin obscure/unkown". As for the publications on Hiberno-English in my library - Diarmaid O Muirithe's Words We Use, T. P. Dolan's Dictionary of Hiberno-English1, and Bernard Share's Slanguage - no reference appears.
The useful "Charlie’s Sneaker Page" acknowledges the joint usage but makes no mention (unsurprisingly) of the word's specificity within Ireland:
A term used in South Africa for either sneakers or tires (spelled "tyres" in South Africa). Therefore, your "tackies" can either be on your feet or on your Ford. Also used in Ireland for sneakers; they also call sneakers "runners" in Ireland.
It's answers on a postcard time people. What's the story? I feel there are the makings of a "charming" (Oirish) light comedy in all of this…
I’ve always held it that Terry Dolan just isn’t thorough enough. I wonder - and I will check this evening in work - whether he gets around to goodies, my personal favourite slang for trainers used, apparently, by old people in Belfast.
Anyway, have you consider the possibility of independent evolution (there’s a better term for it, which eludes me currently)? The example given is that of the Koala, which despite its evolving far away from humans, is lucky enough to have fingerprints remarkably similar to humans.
December 7th, 2006 at 9:18 amAren’t they also called “gutties” in Galway? I seem to have some memory of hearing that… Not much of a leap from “gutties” to “goodies” so a connection suggests itself.
I don’t think the independent evolution idea (natty as it is) applies in this case. My bet is still on a South African term exported (somehow) to Limerick. The most likely “carriers” are Catholic priests or sailors.
Hmmm…just realised how dodgy the previous sentence sounds…
December 7th, 2006 at 2:20 pmnot sure about “gutties”
In Mayo they’re sometimes called “gullies” although this doesn’t refer specifically to runners but to shoes in general.
If tackies be your thing then you might want to check this (fantastically titled)book out:
Where’d You Get Those?:
New York City’s Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987
by Bobbito Garcia
lotsa lovely photos
December 7th, 2006 at 3:36 pmBy the way, to the select few of you who might be interested (i.e. me), the phrase is Convergent Evolution although Independent Evolution will do nicely.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolution
December 7th, 2006 at 5:23 pmThe term is used in Limerick, South Africa and Ennis.
Very strange.
It’s like Pandy.
December 7th, 2006 at 10:22 pmAh…”Pandy”. Nothing like a nice plate of hot pandy on a cold winter’s night.
For those who don’t know what we’re talking about “pandy” is (in the words of the Hiberno-English Archive):
I always though it was a Limerickism too…but it seems to have a wider (though solely Irish) circulation.
December 7th, 2006 at 10:54 pmPandy is a word from my childhood and was communicated to my infant ear by way of County Kerry
December 8th, 2006 at 1:09 amnever heard of pandy.
December 8th, 2006 at 3:55 pmMy favourite dish name originates from Galway, specifically, Del Rio’s in Salthill - back in the day if you asked for a 50:50 your bravery would be rewarded with a carton of curry/coleslaw chips.
Del Rio’s is also home of the best opening line of a fist fight in the history of humanity: “are you lookin’ at my chips?!”
Fustar: here’s a good one for you. Around Derry, Buncrana and Letterkenny, they call it Poundies.
I’m not sure about this peaindi business. I think that might be a back-formation, like craic. I think you should look at the garrison connection. How would a cockney say Poundy?
December 9th, 2006 at 7:35 pmFoolhardy, you’re a genius - if you started that fight…
Which I suspect you did. Of course, that begs the question of who finished it.
i’d love to be off my tits enough to really, really need a 50:50.
December 10th, 2006 at 2:25 amcopernicus,
December 11th, 2006 at 10:18 amnope, it was my Ma. She won too. My Dad never stood a chance.
The word tackie has been in common use in South Africa forever. I was born there and we always called them tackies since 1950’s, which was before the running shoe and it was applied to tennis shoes, which were the only form of running shoe available. As you say, it evolved into another word for tyre. This could have been because Africans would often cut up old tyres to make sandals for themselves. The Irish version is a johnny-come-lately, which only began in the 70’s.
December 15th, 2006 at 3:22 pmp.s. it was probably me who brought the word over
December 15th, 2006 at 3:23 pmgroengoen,
Thanks for that. As I said above I had suspected that the word originated in South Africa and (somehow) made its way here. Still, I’m not sure if you’re right in suggesting that the Irish use of it only began in the 70s. I was born in the early/mid 70s and my parents had been using it before me. I think (must ask them) that they too probably used it to refer to tennis shoes or some other proto-sneaker before it took on the specific meaning it now has.
Not knowing how old you are it’s hard to decide whether or not you were the original importer (!) but unless you are (or were) resident in the Limerick area it doesn’t really explain the geographical specificity of the term’s usage here.
December 15th, 2006 at 6:48 pmIt existed here long before the 70s.
In fact, by the 70s it was beginning to lose currency a little bit.
December 16th, 2006 at 10:45 pmDo “young people” (teenagers and below) even use the term any more I wonder, Bock? Regardless, I think it’s fair to say its usage here is fairly well-established and certainly nothing novel. If anything it’s old hat now. I emailed Diarmaid O Muirithe to see if he felt like chipping in so perhaps we may yet have an answer.
December 16th, 2006 at 11:00 pmI’ll ask The Youth of Limerick and get back to you.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:36 amRight. I asked The Youth of Limerick, and it seems tackies are alive and well. Everybody uses the word.
Great news.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:41 amGood on you, Bock.
Nice to know I’ve got someone with access to the collective mind of “The Youth of Limerick”.
I may be calling on your services again.
December 18th, 2006 at 3:02 pmNot all good news fústar, I’m afraid.
It looks like dobbers are gone.
December 18th, 2006 at 7:46 pmAh I care not for “dobbers” Bock, as I was never a marbles man.
December 20th, 2006 at 2:28 pmBeing from Limerick and living in Cape Town, I’ve thought about this before. To be specific, Takkies is actually an Afrikaans term over here. It can be modern AirJordan sort of things or the old sand shoes, known as desert boots in Limerick. My bet this that the word arose here in South Africa and was carried back to Limerick by the British Army troops that were used in the Boer War.
Oh yeah, Shebeen is another good Irish word used everywhere in SA..
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 pmHi Ciaran,
Thanks for the inside info. I think you’re probably right regarding the direction in which the word originally travelled. The Boer War/Soldier theory is an interesting one - and probably the best explanation I’ve heard thus far.
Still, you’d wonder why it hasn’t spread further if that’s the case…
April 24th, 2008 at 1:11 am