Leprechauns

[devi]

Imagine this is a real poll:

- What are the characteristics of leprechauns?

- What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a leprechaun?

- Would you buy a used car from a leprechaun?

- Would you sleep with a leprechaun?

- Would you ever take a leprechaun seriously?

Your opinions are of the most crucial and pressing importance to me....

(edit, since lots of you have answered)

...because lots of people have suddenly started calling me one, and then wondered why I got touchy about it. Thank you all! That's why! Leprechauns are frivolous and devious and greedy and evil, are probably the least glamorous/aspirational of all the supernatural beings, and above all, THEY'RE ALL MEN!. What are they trying to tell me?

And why the sudden leprechaun-comparisons, after three years living in London without any? At first I was Paranoid Chicklit Girl and thought "oh god, I've got fat and leprechauns are chubby", but now I think it may be my lovely new jade-green corduroy jacket which I thought made me look so natty (in a hippy sort of way). Now it seems the thing makes me look like a foot-high middle-aged man. Bah.

On the other hand, bateleur's description of badgers reminds me of me a few years ago in my goth/nocturnal phase. I think I'll be a badger instead.

Comments

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

- A penchant for mischief; susceptibility to being deprived of their gold if trapped; pipe smoking.
- Ireland.
- Probably not.
- Probably not.
- Only with great caution.

[blergeatkitty.livejournal.com]

All I can think of is that old Wayne's World sketch where Wayne kept running around with a flashlight under his chin shrieking, "I'm the LEPRECHAUN!" It was a reference to a popular early 90s horror movie, I believe.

[nisaba.livejournal.com]

- Mischievious, but generally good-hearted
- Tiny, green clothes, green hat with buckle, strong Irish accent, pots of gold
- Only if he filled the boot with gold
- Sometimes, size does matter
- Only if he was carrying a machine gun

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I now think of Frau Farbissima's explanation to Patty O'Brian of why people always laugh when he says "They're always after my lucky charms".

[mooism.livejournal.com]

• Short, Irish, male, dress in green (this bit may be the media being unimaginative). Pranksters. Frivolous about everything except self-preservation, protection of their gold.
• Pots of gold at ends of rainbows, vanishing when you find them.
• No (even if I wanted a car).
• About as likely as me, Colin and Jo having a threesome.
• If they were seriously threatened by my enemy.

[kesstrel.livejournal.com]

About as likely as me, Colin and Jo having a threesome.

Now there is an image that will stay with me for far too long. I fear I may need counselling :P

1) tiny and wee, troublesome, green
2) Gold. Disappearing gold.
3) No. It would vanish faster than New Labour policies that people actually like leaving crud behind.
4) Well, although they say it's not the size, it's what you do with it, I'm pretty sure there's a limit even to that... so no.
5) Yup. In an alternative universe where I take New Labour, Tweenies and bananas seriously too.
:)

[dakeyras.livejournal.com]

- What are the characteristics of leprechauns?
Knee-high, live underground, appear on the surface through holes in trees, mischievous (either malevolently or benignly, depending on mood), difficult to catch, dress in various shades of green (shirt, waistcoat, breeches, shoes with buckles, hat with shamrock), smoke pipes, cheerful.

- What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a leprechaun?
The above description, together with having to give up all their gold if caught.

- Would you buy a used car from a leprechaun?
No.

- Would you sleep with a leprechaun?
Only if he promised still to love me in the morning.

- Would you ever take a leprechaun seriously?
No, hence also technically making the answer to the above also "No"!

[al-fruitbat.livejournal.com]

- small, in green, hatted.
- "You’ve done grand Ralph! Now you know what you must do - burn them! Burn them all! "
- Doubtful
- Do they have female leprechauns? If not, doubtful
- If he had a knife, yes.

[venta.livejournal.com]

- What are the characteristics of leprechauns?

Irish. Short and gnarly. Male. Potentially wicked and/or mischievous. Forced by tourist board to wear green. May have gold-related custodial duties near rainbows, I'm a bit unclear about that bit.

- What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a leprechaun?

Small, Irish and probably grinning.

- Would you buy a used car from a leprechaun?

Of course not. I'd be too tall for any car that had belonged to a leprechaun, and its exhaust would probably fall off come morning.

- Would you sleep with a leprechaun?

Nope. I wouldn't even be comfortable sleeping near one.

- Would you ever take a leprechaun seriously?

Very much so. I wouldn't dare not. Dire things might befall me.

[elethe.livejournal.com]

They like Green, they are Irish. They can be any height but are usually very small.

They are obsessed with gold, mischievous and probably not to be trusted.

Don't buy anything from them, certainly don't sleep with them.

You should take them seriously - they are obviously quite evil a lot of the time.

They are related to the Cornish Pyskies only bigger and more hairy. They are all male. They may be related to the Green Man, tree sprites (who may be the female equivalent) and are cousins to the taller, thinner, prettier (even nastier) elves.

They would probably smash you in the gob if you called them fairies.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Now, there's the thing, I'd love to be a pyskie...

[elethe.livejournal.com]

I think I spelled it wrong though - they appear to be called piskies (http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/folklore/piskies.html).

I think I got confused by pixylatedpixy's username . So many ys.

[elethe.livejournal.com]

You don't want to be a pisky - they are all old and gnarly.

[kyte.livejournal.com]

What are the characteristics of leprechauns?

Short, Irish, chirpy and annoying. So not *quite* like a Devi...

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a leprechaun?

Red Brownie badges.

Would you buy a used car from a leprechaun?

No way! It'd disappear or something.

Would you sleep with a leprechaun?

I don't think so, but they're probably utterly charming...

Would you ever take a leprechaun seriously?

I don't *think* so, but see above.

Is that enough English prejudice yet? ;-)

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

What are the characteristics of leprechauns?

Short, quadrupedal, nocturnal, black and white fur, reclusive, fierce if cornered.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a leprechaun?

Mushroom, mushroom, snaaake, it's a snaaake !

Would you buy a used car from a leprechaun?

No, but only 'cos it wouldn't be selling one.

Would you sleep with a leprechaun?

My sister used to, but it was a soft toy one. Not really my style.

Would you ever take a leprechaun seriously?

Yes, if it had a gun.

---

...or possibly it's badgers I'm thinking of ?

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

I'd much rather be a badger than a leprechaun!

[ravenblack.livejournal.com]

- green bowler hats
- green bowler hats
- only if it was cheaper than I could resell it, since I don't drive
- conceivably, if I was single and it was attractive and personable and liked me that way and so forth. And by conceivably I mean "the event is conceivable" rather than anything to do with conception. In that respect it mustn't be conceivable.
- if it was being serious. And took off its green bowler hat.

[ravenblack.livejournal.com]

They're not always male. There's a quite pretty leprechaun lass in the Disney movie "Luck of the Irish". And she can even be human-sized with the help of a magic coin or something.

[venta.livejournal.com]

lovely new jade-green corduroy jacket

If it's the one you had on briefly at the wedding on Sunday, it is natty and did not appear to induce shrinking, aging or spontaneous gender reassignment :)

[kyte.livejournal.com]

If it's any help, the first characteristics I think of involve being small and Irish and chirpy, which are you to a T :-)

(and if they don't understand why you get touchy, it almost certainly isn't meant as anything insulting :-))

[kesstrel.livejournal.com]

Oh now if YOU are a leprochaun that changes my opinion of them (and therefore my answers) mightily...

1) Cute, pixieish, intelligent, Irish women
2) Books, writing, beautiful calligraphy and magic
3) Yes, because it would take me to beautiful places
4) Absolutely. Except for their lovely other half who would kill me! :-P ;-)
5) Yes :-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_corpse_/]

What are the characteristics of leprechauns?

They're fond of their breakfast cereals.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a leprechaun?

Don't try and take its breakfast cereal away!

Would you sleep with a leprechaun?

Only if it's a saucy one like yourself.