In article <41b0df2a.25320458@news>, micheil@shaw.ca says...
> On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 12:22:11 +0900, "John Yamamoto-Wilson"
> <johndeletethis@rarebooksinjapan.com> wrote:
> 
> >Michi something (my computer's configuration won't read the last part of the
> >name) wrote:
> >
> >> [MacHamish's] surname's Irish
> >
> >What an odd thing to say. MacHamish is about as Scottish as it gets (check
> >any information on the Gunn clan, e.g.,
> >http://www.yourscottishname.com/gunn_clan.htm, or
> >http://www.geocities.com/sconemac/septgunn.html). Have you never heard of
> >MacHamish Scotch whiskey (http://www.geocities.com/jordan_m30/malts.html)?
> >
> >From what I can gather, the name exists in Ireland mainly in the north.
> >Without (admittedly) knowing much about it, I'd assume it was brought there
> >by Scottish Protestants.
> >
> >--
> >John
> >http://rarebooksinjapan.com
> >
> 
> It is a common and perennial insult in Scotland to say that someone's
> name is Irish and that therefore they must be Irish; the Irish not
> having formerly been held in great esteem by Scots.
> 
Ay, laddie, the Scots always get their kilts caught in the crack when 
accused of being descendents of people whose eyes are not too close 
together.  The Scots are the descendents of shipwrecked Norwegians whose 
rare inferior sense of direction left them stranded away from home. ;-)

Verno