Blarney vs BS? Irish Luck?

Happy

St.

Patrick's

Day!

Top of the morning to ya!

Oh, the sayings of the Irish....

"May the road rise and the wind be always at your back. May you be across Heaven's threshold before the old boy knows your dead. The best way to get rid of your enemies is God's way, by loving them. A nation's greatest enemy is the small minds of its small people. Better fifty enemies outside the house than one inside it. The lesson learned by a tragedy is a lesson never forgotten. Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. If wars were fought with words Ireland would be ruling the world. Keep in with the bad man for the good man won't harm you. 'Tis better to have fought and lost Than never to have fought at all. If you're the only one that knows you're afraid, you're brave. Fortune favors the brave."

The list could go on and on of Irish sayings and toasts. It like there's a saying for any occasion. I always find it interesting that we celebrate it more here in the US than they do in Ireland. I also find it interesting and funny that there always seem to be a surge in the Irish population on this day. Everyone is Irish on this day! It makes for some REAL interesting cultural combinations. But I guess everyone wants they bit o' Irish luck! Not that I can blame them. We could all use a little more luck. But I can't help but think that we are also claiming a great deal of good old Blarney in the process. Or should I say BS, hmmm?

What's the difference between Blarney and BS? I asked a friend and she gave me this answer--

" BS is when someone looks at me, a 40+ aged woman, and tells me that I don't look a day over 28. Blarney is when someone asks--what might your age be so that I know what age beauty begins at." Some may call blarney the "Gift of Gab". In the dictionary, blarney is defined as "...flattering or wheedling talk; cajolery. " Huh... it sounds pretty darn close to BS to me. But I might be off in my opinion. What do you think?

I'll take this all one step further with some questions: Are Irish really that lucky? Or could it be that they come off more lucky because of the blarney? And if the Irish are more lucky, and I'm only 1/4 Irish-- Does that mean I 75% SOL? Hmmmm... What's your opinion? Or do I dare ask?

Oh, and may a bit o'Irish luck be yours!