Poluphlois Boyo

Deputy Dr. Thomas F. O'Higgins, the doughty man, rose in the Dail Eireann last week to complain that Prime Minister Eamon de Valera had called the Opposition "cubs."

O'Higgins: "The Taoiseach [leader, i.e., De Valera] said, 'I always enjoy the violence and the bellowing of the cubs on the opposite benches.' "

De Valera: "I did not use that word."

O'Higgins: "It is in the official report."

De Valera:"...! deny absolutely that I used the word. ... I used a couple of words from Homer which mean 'the resounding sea. . . .' "

O'Higgins: ". . . the official record is there. . . ."

The Speaker: "... I did not hear that word. I did hear the Greek phrase. If the Taoiseach says he is not correctly reported, I will accept his word for it."

Next day the Government organ, The Irish Press, learnedly explained: "The Greek words used by Mr. de Valera were poluphloisboio thalasses. They mean 'of the loud, resounding sea,' and are from Homer's Iliad, Book One, line 34."

At week's end reporters were still wondering how poluphloisboio thalasses could possibly have sounded like "cubs."

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