Why can't I find my grandfather's Irish curse "May ye fall down stairs and break ev'ry bone in your body, especially your neck!" on any of the websites listing Irish curses?

Perhaps he invented it. The Irish are known for their colorful use of language.

If you want it to become part of the vernacular, use it a lot. It might catch on.

I thought maybe so but I also had my doubts because I heard other people use it during my childhood.

Friends of, or friends of friends of your grandfather’s, or simply people he had cursed earlier who liked the sound of it?

Pay it forward.

You should email it to the writer or add it to the comments of the sites you found with Irish curses. Leave a little bit of your grandfather’s spirit on the interwebs for all to enjoy and be cursed by.

@athenasgriffin: Because I read too fast, I thought you suggested that he ”..leave a little bit of your grandfather’s spit…on the curse.” That is a happy idea, however, and honors @anastist’s silver-tongued grandpa.

You most likely need to translate this into Gaelic, then search the Net. I’ve heard similar curses and superstitions, but not with this exact wording.

^^^. Ooh, that’s a wonderful idea.

“Go mbeadh cosa gloine fút agus go mbrise an ghloine” Irish Gaelic, meaning “May you have glass legs and may the glass break”

“Tuiteam gun èirigh ort.” (“May you fall without rising.”)

^Both of these were found on Urban Dictionary. I think it’s out there @anartist. You just need the Gaelic to help you find it.

I love these.

Me too @gailcalled. I think we should all have a little Gaelic to spit out when someone offends us ;)

Looking at the combo of letters, I would imagine that there is plenty of spitting and throat-clearing…mbeach, mbrise, ghloine, èirigh.

I am going now to listen to spoken Gaelic…so much more interesting than doing the chores of daily life, don’t you think? (I bet that there’s a Gaelic version of that, also. If not, then there should be.)