In the Citizen’s heated monologue, he uses historical figures and geography to build a case of “global robbery” against the British Empire. Here is the expansion on those specific references.
1. Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales)
The Citizen mentions Giraldus Cambrensis (c. 1146 – c. 1223) as a source to prove Ireland’s ancient wealth, which is highly ironic.
* Who he was: A Cambro-Norman archdeacon and chronicler who accompanied Prince John to Ireland in 1185.
* The Irony: Giraldus wrote Topographia Hibernica (Topography of Ireland). While he did praise the natural beauty and the “music” of the Irish, he also famously described the Irish people as “barbarous,” “filthy,” and “living like beasts.”
* The Citizen’s Angle: The Citizen ignores the insults and focuses only on the parts where Giraldus described Ireland as a land flowing with milk, honey, and wine. He uses a colonial critic’s own words to prove that the island was a paradise before the “Saxon robbers” ruined it.
2. Gibraltar: Symbol of Theft and Foe of Mankind
To the Citizen, Gibraltar is the ultimate proof of British “piracy.”
* The Strategic Theft: Britain captured Gibraltar from Spain in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. To an Irish nationalist, this was a parallel to Ireland: a smaller territory seized by a naval superpower to control the seas.
* The “Foe of Mankind”: This was a common Napoleonic-era epithet for Great Britain (l’ennemi du genre humain). Because the British Navy controlled “choke points” like Gibraltar, Malta, and the Suez Canal, they could “grab” the world’s trade. The Citizen views England not as a nation, but as a global parasite or pirate state.
* The Personal Connection: This is also a wink from Joyce to the reader. Leopold Bloom’s wife, Molly Bloom, was born and raised in Gibraltar. While the Citizen sees it as a barren rock of “theft,” for the Bloom family, it is a place of sensuality and memory.
3. Etymology of Gibraltar
The name is a linguistic monument to the Moorish conquest of Spain.
* Arabic Origin: It comes from Jabal Ṭāriq (جبل طارق).
* Meaning: “Mountain of Tariq.”
* The Figure: It was named after Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Umayyad commander who led the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD. When he landed, the rock was named in his honor.
[Image showing the Rock of Gibraltar with a diagram of its Arabic etymological roots]
4. The Irish Hobbies
The Citizen mentions “Irish hobbies” being prized by King Philip of Spain.
* Etymology: “Hobby” comes from the Middle English hobin, meaning a small, active horse.
* Context: These were a specific breed of small, fast, agile horses native to Ireland (ancestors of the Connemara pony). They were world-famous in the Middle Ages for their “ambling” gait, making them the favorite mounts for light cavalry across Europe. The Citizen is mourning the fact that Ireland once provided the finest “engines of war” to kings, but now only produces “minding stones” on Butt Bridge.

In this explosive monologue, the Citizen delivers a “litany of losses,” mourning a version of Ireland that was once a global industrial and cultural powerhouse. His rhetoric blends historical fact with nationalist mythology, creating a vision of a “stolen” paradise.
1. “Raimeis”
The Citizen begins with the word Raimeis (Irish: Ráiméis).
* Meaning: It translates to “rubbish,” “nonsense,” or “tall tales.”
* Context: He is dismissing Bloom’s moderate, logical arguments as empty talk, irony being that his own speech is a romanticized exaggeration of history.
2. The Missing Twenty Millions
The Citizen asks, “Where are our missing twenty millions… our lost tribes?”
* The Math: At the time of the Great Famine (1845), the population was over 8 million. By 1904, it had plummeted to roughly 4.4 million due to death and mass emigration.
* The Claim: Nationalists argued that without British interference, the island’s natural fertility and resources would have supported a population closer to 20 or 25 million. By calling them “lost tribes,” he reinforces the Irish-Israeli parallel prevalent in this episode.
3. The Industrial Litany
The Citizen lists Ireland’s famous exports, many of which were indeed decimated by 19th-century British trade laws that protected English manufacturers:
* Huguenot Poplin: A rich fabric (silk warp and wool weft). Huguenot refugees fleeing France brought these weaving techniques to Dublin in the late 17th century.
* White Flint Glass: Refers to the famous glassworks of Ballybough and Waterford.
* Tyrian Purple: An ancient, extremely expensive dye. The Citizen claims Greek merchants traded this in Wexford at the “Fair of Carmen,” suggesting Ireland was part of the sophisticated classical world while the English were still “savages.”
4. The “Pillars of Hercules” and “Yellowjohns”
* Pillars of Hercules: The ancient name for the Straits of Gibraltar. The Citizen is outraged that England now controls Gibraltar (the “foe of mankind”), seeing it as a symbol of global theft.
* Yellowjohns: A derogatory term for the English. It likely refers to “John Bull” (the personification of England) combined with “yellow,” implying cowardice or jaundiced sickness.
5. The Geography of Ruin (Barrow and Shannon)
He blames the British for failing to drain the bogs around the River Shannon and River Barrow.
* The Claim: He argues the stagnant water caused “consumption” (Tuberculosis). In reality, Dublin had the highest TB rate in Europe in 1904, largely due to the horrific conditions of the “two pair back” tenements mentioned earlier.

This section is a masterclass in Joyce’s ability to weave together racial vitriol, high-stakes gambling, and biting irony. The “Cyclops” episode is reaching a boiling point here as the Citizen’s xenophobia meets the news of the Gold Cup horserace.
1. “Syphilisation” and “Cabinet d’aisance”
The Citizen is engaging in a brutal linguistic attack on England.
* Syphilisation: A pun on “Civilisation.” He is claiming that the only thing the British Empire spread to the world was disease (specifically syphilis).
* Cabinet d’aisance: This is French for a “water closet” or lavatory. The Citizen is claiming that the English language is so lowly that the only place you’ll find it in sophisticated Europe is on the wall of a toilet.
* Kevin Egan: A real-life Fenian exile Joyce met in Paris. His presence in the text lends an air of “revolutionary authenticity” to the Citizen’s travels.
2. The Gold Cup: Throwaway vs. Sceptre
The conversation shifts to the results of the Ascot Gold Cup (June 16, 1904). This isn’t just sports talk; it’s a major plot point.
* Throwaway: A real horse that won the Gold Cup at 20/1 odds.
* Sceptre: The favorite that lost. Lenehan mentions that Blazes Boylan (Bloom’s rival) lost “two quid” (£2) betting on Sceptre for himself and “a lady friend” (Molly Bloom).
* The Irony: Throughout the day, people mistakenly think Bloom gave a tip on Throwaway (the “throw it away” misunderstanding). This leads to the rumor that Bloom is secretly wealthy from a big win, while in reality, he didn’t bet at all.
3. “Conspuez les Anglais! Perfide Albion!”
Lenehan joins the nationalist fray with some “lingo” (slang):
* Conspuez les Anglais!: French for “Despise/Spit upon the English!”
* Perfide Albion: A common French trope (“Perfidious Albion”), used to describe Great Britain as treacherous and untrustworthy in international affairs.
4. “Lamh Dearg Abu” and the Medher
Joyce shifts back into “Epic Mode” to describe the Citizen drinking:
* Lamh Dearg Abu: (Irish: Lámh Dhearg Abú) means “The Red Hand Forever.” This was the war cry of the O’Neill clan and the kings of Ulster.
* Medher: (Irish: Meadar) A traditional wooden drinking vessel, often square-shaped at the top and round at the bottom, used in ancient Ireland.
5. “Mote vs. Beam”
Bloom finally snaps back at the Citizen’s hypocrisy using a biblical reference (Matthew 7:3):
* The Quote: “Why do you look at the speck [mote] of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank [beam] in your own eye?”
* The Context: Bloom is pointing out that the Citizen is condemning British “syphilisation” and violence while being a loudmouthed, aggressive bully himself.

That line about the dog, Garryowen, is a perfect example of Joyce’s “wit in the weeds”—it reflects the tense, bitey atmosphere of the pub where everyone is looking for an excuse to snap at Bloom.
The “adulteress and her paramour” mentioned by the Citizen are Dervorgilla and Dermot MacMurrough.
To the Citizen (and the Irish nationalist version of history he subscribes to), this is the “Original Sin” of Ireland. Here is the breakdown:
1. The Historical Figures
* The Adulteress: Dervorgilla (Dearbhforgaill), the wife of Tiernan O’Rourke, the King of Breifne.
* The Paramour: Dermot MacMurrough (Diarmait Mac Murchada), the King of Leinster, who abducted Dervorgilla in 1152.
2. The “Saxon Robbers” (The Invasion)
The Citizen blames this domestic scandal for the entire 700-year British occupation:
* After the abduction, O’Rourke and his allies drove MacMurrough out of Ireland.
* In revenge, MacMurrough fled to England and asked King Henry II for help to regain his kingdom.
* Henry II gave MacMurrough permission to recruit Strongbow (Richard de Clare) and his Anglo-Norman knights.
* They arrived in 1169, marking the beginning of English/Norman involvement in Ireland.
3. “Decree Nisi”
J.J. O’Molloy, the lawyer, can’t help but interject with a legal joke.
* Definition: A decree nisi is a court order that states a marriage will be dissolved at a certain time unless a reason is shown why it shouldn’t be.
* The Wit: J.J. is mockingly applying modern divorce law to a 12th-century political catastrophe. It’s his way of “lawyering” the Citizen’s grand historical narrative.
4. The Subtext for Bloom
This mention is a “double-edged sword” for Leopold Bloom:
* The National Level: The Citizen uses it to blame a woman’s infidelity for the loss of Irish sovereignty.
* The Personal Level: Bloom is currently being “cuckolded” by Blazes Boylan and his wife, Molly. Every mention of adultery or “paramours” in the pub is a subtle, agonizing jab at Bloom’s personal life, which he tries to ignore by staring at “a spider’s web in the corner.”

In the previous response, the image focused on the interior of Barney Kiernan’s pub to capture the atmosphere of the “Cyclops” episode. However, the text places great emphasis on the movement between the street and the pub—specifically the sight of Denis Breen and his wife passing the door, and the mention of Summerhill and Moss Street.
Here is a historical view of a Dublin street from that era, reflecting the “two pair back” tenement environment and the rougher dockland areas like Moss Street that the narrator describes.

In the world of Ulysses, the shift from Summerhill to Moss Street isn’t just a change of address; it’s a descent through the social strata of Dublin, while the “bottlenosed fraternity” represents the city’s colorful underworld of drunks and con artists.
1. Summerhill vs. Moss Street
The narrator mocks the man (Signior Brini/Breen’s connection) for moving from one to the other.
* Summerhill: In 1904, Summerhill was already in decline but still retained some “shabby-genteel” dignity. It was a street of fine Georgian houses that were slowly being converted into tenements.
* Moss Street: Located near the south quays and the docks, Moss Street was significantly rougher and poorer. It was a place of warehouses, coal yards, and extreme poverty.
* The “Quay”: The text says he “has left the quay and gone to Moss street.” This implies he failed to make it in the commercial world of the docks and retreated into the cramped, cheaper side streets.
2. The “Bottlenosed Fraternity”
This is a vivid Dublin slang term for a specific group of people.
* Meaning: “Bottlenosed” refers to the physical appearance of a heavy, long-term drinker—specifically rhinophyma, a condition where the nose becomes red, bulbous, and prominent due to broken capillaries (often associated with alcoholism).
* The “Fraternity”: Joyce uses “fraternity” ironically to describe the brotherhood of tavern-haunters and street characters who survive on their wits, drinks, and petty scams.
3. James Wought alias Saphiro alias Spark and Spiro
This “bottlenosed” character is based on a real Dublin con man.
* The Alias: The use of multiple aliases (“Spark and Spiro”) suggests a classic “shell game” identity.
* The “Canada Swindle”: As we discussed, this was the “twenty bob” scam. Joyce includes this to show the desperation of the era—people were so eager to escape the poverty of places like Moss Street that they would give their last pound to a “bottlenosed” stranger for a fake ticket to the New World.
4. “Do you see any green in the white of my eye?”
This bears repeating in the context of the “fraternity.” The narrator is asserting his own “street-smart” status. To have “green” in your eye meant you were “green” (inexperienced/naive). By checking the “white” of his eye, he is claiming that he is a seasoned Dubliner who can spot a “bottlenosed” swindler from a mile away.

In the gritty reality of 1904 Dublin, Corny Kelleher and the “breastplates” represent the physical machinery of the city—one handling the dead, the other guarding the living.
1. Corny Kelleher and the Secondhand Coffin
Corny Kelleher is a recurring character in Ulysses based on a real-life Dublin undertaker’s assistant named Walsh.
* The Character: Corny is an undertaker, but he also acts as a police informant (a “constabulary scout”). This makes him a suspicious, dual-natured figure.
* The Interaction: The narrator describes Corny “talking to [Breen] like a father, trying to sell him a secondhand coffin.” This is a dark joke. Breen is so mentally unwell and litigious that he’s practically “dead” to the world of the living, and Corny, ever the businessman, is ready to bury him—on a budget.
* The “Wall Eye”: Corny is described as having a “wall eye” (exotropia), where one eye wanders outward. In the superstitious world of the pub, this physical trait often signals a shifty or untrustworthy character.
2. The “Breastplates”
When the narrator describes a character as being “covered with all kinds of breastplates bidding defiance to the world,” he is using a metaphor that operates on two levels.
* Literal Level (The Military): This refers back to the Papal Zouaves and the military uniforms of the time. Elaborate metal breastplates (cuirasses) were still used in ceremonial military dress.
* Metaphorical Level (The Funeral Trade): In the context of Corny Kelleher, “breastplates” also refers to coffin plates. These were the metal decorative plates engraved with the deceased’s name and dates, bolted to the lid of the coffin.
* The Satire: Joyce is mocking the man’s pretension. He is “bidding defiance to the world” by wearing the symbols of death and a bankrupt family history as if they were armor. He is a “nobody” trying to look like a knight.
3. The “Two Pair Back”
The narrator sneers that the man lives in a “two pair back and passages, at seven shillings a week.”
* The Architecture: This describes a specific type of tenement living. “Two pair back” means a room on the second floor (two pairs of stairs up) at the back of the house.
* The Poverty: In 1904, seven shillings a week was a very low rent, indicating a cramped, impoverished existence. It contrasts sharply with the “Smashall Sweeney” moustaches and the “Papal Zouave” grandiosity.

Joyce’s choice of the word Iar and his list of twelve names isn’t random; it is a carefully constructed “Nationalist Myth” that blends Irish history, folklore, and the structure of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
1. Etymology of “Iar”
The word Iar is an Old Irish term that carries a double meaning, both of which fit the “Cyclops” theme perfectly.
* Geographic Meaning: In Old Irish, iar means “west” or “behind.” (In the ancient Irish orientation system, you faced East, so the West was behind you).
* Significance: It refers to Ireland as the westernmost edge of Europe. By calling the jury the “Tribes of Iar,” Joyce is literally calling them the “Tribes of the West.”
* The Pun: It also subtly echoes the word Eire (Ireland) and the suffix -iar often found in ethnic descriptors.
2. The Twelve Tribes of Iar
Joyce selects names that represent the various “layers” of Irish identity, from prehistoric myth to Christian sainthood.
| Name | Origin/Etymology | Significance in Irish Lore |
|—|—|—|
| Patrick | Latin (Patricius): “Noble” | The patron saint; represents Christian/Roman influence. |
| Hugh | Germanic/Gaelic (Aodh): “Fire” | Refers to the great O’Neill chieftains (Hugh O’Neill). |
| Owen | Welsh/Gaelic (Eoghan): “Born of the Yew” | A royal name associated with the kings of Ulster and Tyrone. |
| Conn | Gaelic (Conn): “Chief” or “Reason” | Refers to Conn of the Hundred Battles, a legendary High King. |
| Oscar | Gaelic (Os-car): “Deer-lover” | The son of Oisin and grandson of Finn MacCool; a fierce warrior. |
| Fergus | Gaelic (Fear-ghas): “Man-force/Vigor” | Refers to Fergus Mac Róich, the tragic hero of the Ulster Cycle. |
| Finn | Gaelic (Fionn): “Fair” or “White” | The leader of the Fianna (Fionn mac Cumhaill); the ultimate Irish hero. |
| Dermot | Gaelic (Diarmaid): “Without Envy” | The lover of Gráinne; a member of the Fianna known for his beauty. |
| Cormac | Gaelic (Corb-mac): “Son of the Charioteer” | Refers to Cormac mac Airt, the wisest of the High Kings. |
| Kevin | Gaelic (Caoimhín): “Gentle Birth” | St. Kevin of Glendalough; represents the monastic, ascetic tradition. |
| Caolte | Gaelic (Caoilte): “Slender” | The fastest member of the Fianna and their legendary storyteller. |
| Ossian | Gaelic (Oisín): “Little Deer” | The poet-warrior; son of Finn; synonymous with Irish romanticism. |
Why These Twelve?
By grouping these names together, Joyce is creating a “Synthetic History.” He mixes historical kings (Hugh, Owen), mythological warriors (Finn, Oscar, Fergus), and saints (Patrick, Kevin). It parodies the way Irish nationalists of his time tried to claim that all Irishmen—regardless of their actual ancestry—were direct descendants of a singular, heroic, “Gaelic” past.

The term “sinhedrim” is a classic Joyce-ism—a purposeful misspelling or archaic variation of the word Sanhedrin. He uses it here to bridge the gap between Irish legend and Jewish history, a recurring theme throughout Ulysses.
The Root: Sanhedrin
The word is not originally Hebrew, but Greek.
* Greek Origin: It comes from the Greek word συνέδριον (synedrion).
   * syn- (σύν) meaning “together.”
   * hedra (ἕδρα) meaning “seat.”
* Literal Meaning: It translates literally to “a sitting together” or an “assembly/council.”
Historical Context
In Jewish history, the Sanhedrin was the supreme council and tribunal of the Jews during the post-exilic period, composed of 71 sages who met in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Why Joyce uses “Sinhedrim”
* Hebraic Flavor: By ending the word with -im (the Hebrew masculine plural ending, as in Cherubim or Seraphim), Joyce makes the Greek-derived word sound “more” Hebrew. This reflects the 19th-century tendency to exoticize biblical terms.
* The Irish-Jewish Parallel: In the “Cyclops” episode, Joyce frequently draws parallels between the Twelve Tribes of Israel and the “Twelve Tribes of Iar” (the Irish). By calling the Dublin jury a “sinhedrim,” he frames the Irish legal process as ancient, sacred, and perhaps equally prone to dogmatic judgment.
* Biblical Parody: It adds to the “Big Language” of the passage, making a dusty courtroom in Green Street sound like a monumental scene from the Old Testament.

In these passages, Joyce is meticulously blending the sacred and the profane. Here is the background on those specific court traditions and the temporal setting of the novel.
1. The Sixteenth Day: June 16, 1904
While the text uses the “oxeyed goddess” (Hera) and “daughter of the skies” (the moon) to frame the date, this is Joyce’s epic way of grounding the reader in Bloomsday.
* The Trinity Calculation: As noted, Trinity Sunday 1904 was May 29. The “third week after” brings us to the week of June 12–18.
* The Moon: Joyce checked the Whittaker’s Almanack for 1904 to ensure the moon was indeed in its first quarter on that Thursday. By framing the date this way, he elevates a random Thursday in Dublin to the level of a cosmic event in a Greek myth.
2. “Kissing the Book”
The phrase “true verdict give… and kiss the book” refers to the physical act of swearing an oath in a court of law.
* The Act: In 1904, a witness or juror would take the Bible (usually a small, black-bound volume) in their right hand, listen to the oath, and then physically kiss the cover or a page of the book to seal their vow before God.
* Social Context: This was a high-stakes moment in a trial. However, it was also a major public health concern. By the early 20th century, reformers were attacking “kissing the book” as a way to spread diseases like tuberculosis. The “Oaths Act of 1888” had already allowed people to “uplift the hand” (the Scottish fashion) instead, but the traditional “kiss” remained the standard cultural image of swearing-in.
3. The “Law of the Brehons”
By mentioning the Brehon Law in a modern courtroom, Joyce is performing a “mock-heroic” layering.
* History: The Brehons were the professional law-givers of ancient Ireland. Their laws were remarkably progressive, covering everything from social status to “damage by pets.”
* The Satire: Sir Frederick Falkiner was actually a judge of the British “Common Law” system. Calling it the “law of the brehons” is Joyce’s way of satirizing the Irish nationalist desire to see ancient Irish greatness in every modern, mundane institution.

This is one of the most famous “interpolations” in the Cyclops episode. Joyce shifts the style from the gritty, cynical slang of the narrator to a pseudo-archaic, legal-epic parody. He is mocking the self-importance of the British legal system in Ireland by describing a mundane court proceeding as if it were a holy, mythological event.
1. The Calendar of the “Oxeyed Goddess”
Joyce begins by dating the scene using high-flown, Homeric language.
* Oxeyed Goddess: A translation of the Homeric epithet boopis, usually applied to Hera.
* The Date: He is describing June 16, 1904 (Bloomsday). The “Feast of the Holy and Undivided Trinity” (Trinity Sunday) fell on May 29 in 1904, making June 16 the “third week after.”
* Virgin Moon: On June 16, 1904, the moon was indeed in its first quarter, showing Joyce’s obsession with astronomical accuracy.
2. The High Sinhedrim of the Twelve Tribes of Iar
Joyce transforms a standard Dublin jury of twelve men into a mythical council.
* Iar: An ancient Irish word for “West.” The “Tribes of Iar” are the people of the West (Ireland).
* The Names: He lists legendary Irish figures (Finn, Ossian, Oscar, Caolte) alongside saints (Patrick, Kevin) to make the jury seem like a gathering of ancient kings rather than ordinary citizens.
* The “Sanhedrin”: By calling them a “sinhedrim,” he links the Irish legal assembly to the ancient Jewish judicial council, continuing the parallel between the Irish and Jewish diasporas.
3. Law of the Brehons vs. Green Street
The text mentions Sir Frederick (the Recorder) administering the “law of the brehons” at Green Street.
* Brehon Law: This was the indigenous legal system of Ireland that predated the Anglo-Norman invasion. By 1904, it was long dead, replaced by British Common Law. Joyce is being ironic—Sir Frederick is a British judge, but Joyce frames him as an ancient Irish lawgiver.
* Green Street: This was the location of the Green Street Courthouse in Dublin, where many famous political trials (including those of the Fenians) took place.
4. Legal Archaicisms
Joyce uses “Old English” and legal jargon to give the passage a “donjon keep” feel:
* Ne bail ne mainprise: An old legal phrase meaning the prisoner was denied any form of release. “Mainprise” is an obsolete term for a type of bail where friends of the prisoner (mainpernors) took responsibility for his appearance in court.
* Rood: An archaic word for the Crucifix or the Cross.
* Sleuthhounds of Justice: A melodramatic term for the police (the “G men” or detectives).

The world of 1904 Dublin, as depicted in Ulysses, is thick with specific local geography and a currency system that feels like a foreign language to modern readers. Here is the breakdown of the twenty bob and the significance of Butt Bridge.
1. The “Twenty Bob” Currency
When the narrator mentions a “passage to Canada for twenty bob,” he is referring to the old British LSD system (£sd: librae, solidi, denarii), which was the currency in Ireland until decimalization in 1971.
* The Breakdown:
   * 1 Pound (£1) = 20 Shillings.
   * 1 Shilling (1s) = 12 Pence (12d).
   * 1 Pound = 240 Pence.
* “Bob”: This was the common slang for a shilling. Therefore, “twenty bob” was exactly one pound.
* The “Six and Eightpence” Joke: As mentioned earlier, J.J.’s legal fee of 6s 8d was exactly one-third of a pound.
2. Butt Bridge and Gumley
The mention of “poor little Gumley that’s minding stones… near Butt bridge” is a direct nod to the social hierarchy of the city.
* The Bridge: Butt Bridge (named after Isaac Butt, the Home Rule leader) spans the River Liffey. In 1904, it was a pivotal spot near the Custom House and the docks.
* “Minding Stones”: This was a menial, “make-work” job often given to the destitute or elderly by the Dublin Corporation. Gumley’s job was literally to watch over piles of paving stones overnight to ensure they weren’t stolen or moved.
* The Irony: Reuben J. Dodd, the moneylender, is portrayed as so ruthless that he is willing to sue a man as impoverished as Gumley—someone who earns a pittance guarding rocks on a bridge—over a small debt.
3. The “Green in the White of My Eye”
The narrator asks, “Do you see any green in the white of my eye?”
* Meaning: This is a classic Dublin idiom for “Do I look like a fool to you?” or “Do I look gullible?”
* Context: He is mocking the people who actually fell for the “Canada Swindle.” To him, the idea of getting to America or Canada for just one pound was an obvious “barney” (a humbug or a fight/trick).

The “Cyclops” episode continues its chaotic blend of high-brow legal theory and low-brow pub mockery. Joyce is leaning heavily into the “gigantism” of the scene—inflating every small Dublin detail into a monumental (and often hilarious) drama.
1. “Weeping Cross”
The narrator mentions Breen will “come home by weeping cross.”
* Meaning: To “return by the weeping cross” is an old English and Irish idiom meaning to experience bitter regret or to fail miserably after a boastful start.
* Context: It implies Breen’s expensive £10,000 lawsuit will end in his humiliation and financial ruin.
2. “Oxter”
The narrator describes Breen passing the door with books under his oxter.
* Etymology: From the Old English ōhsta and Middle English ocstere.
* Meaning: It is the Scots and Irish word for the armpit. In this context, Breen is clutching his legal books (likely searching for laws to support his case) tightly under his arm.
3. “Six and Eightpence”
J.J. O’Molloy gives a legal opinion on the case of Sadgrove v. Hole, and the narrator thinks, “Six and eightpence, please.”
* Context: 6s 8d (six shillings and eight pence) was the standard statutory fee for a brief professional consultation with a solicitor in 1904. The narrator is mocking J.J. for acting like he’s on the clock even while drinking a pint.
* The Case: Sadgrove v. Hole (1901) was a real English legal case which established that sending a defamatory statement on a postcard (where postmen and others can read it) constitutes “publication” in a libel sense.
4. The “Canada Swindle” and the “Badhachs”
Joe asks about a fraud case involving a man named “James Wought.”
* The Scam: Wought promised cheap passage to Canada for “twenty bob” (£1), then vanished with the money.
* Badhachs: The narrator says he swindled “skivvies and badhachs.” Badhach (from the Irish bodach) means a churl, a rustic, or a “clownish” fellow from the country (in this case, County Meath).
* The Witness: The “ancient Hebrew Zaretsky” refers to an actual Dubliner of the era; Joyce often integrated real members of the Dublin Jewish community into the background of the novel to contrast with the antisemitism of the pub crawlers.
5. Sir Frederick (The Recorder)
The men discuss Sir Frederick Falkiner, the Recorder of Dublin (a senior judge).
* Character: He was famous for his extreme sentimentality. As the men mockingly demonstrate, if a debtor showed up in court with a “tale of woe” about a sick wife or ten kids, Sir Frederick would often weep on the bench and dismiss the case, much to the frustration of creditors like Reuben J. Dodd (a well-known Dublin moneylender).

Two of the most colorful terms in that passage—Smashall Sweeney and the garnishee order—perfectly illustrate the mix of pop-culture parody and legal dread that defines the world of Ulysses.
1. Smashall Sweeney
This is a classic “Joycean” play on words, blending a real historical figure with a fictional caricature.
* The Reference: It refers to Marshall MacMahon, a French general and President of the French Republic (1873–1879) who was of Irish descent.
* The Joke: Joyce Hibernicizes “Marshal” into “Smashall” (implying a violent, brawling nature) and “MacMahon” into the common Irish surname “Sweeney.”
* The Visual: The “Smashall Sweeney’s moustaches” described in the text refer to the enormous, waxed imperial moustaches popular among 19th-century military men. The narrator is mocking the character for looking like a high-ranking general when he’s actually a “nobody.”
2. Garnishee Order
While “Smashall” is a joke, a “garnishee order” was a very real and terrifying legal reality for the Dublin middle class.
* Definition: A legal procedure where a creditor (someone you owe money to) gets a court order to collect that debt directly from a third party—usually your employer (from your wages) or your bank.
* Etymology: From the Old French garnir (“to warn” or “to provide”). In law, the “garnishee” is the person warned not to pay the money to the debtor, but to the court/creditor instead.
* The Context: The narrator is mocking the man for “hobnobbing with flash toffs” (pretending to be rich) while his actual income is being seized by the courts to pay off his mounting debts.

In this passage from Ulysses, Joyce uses a rich blend of Dublin slang, legal history, and colonial military terms. Here is the breakdown of the etymologies you requested:
1. Zouave
While it sounds like “suave,” the origin is actually North African.
* Etymology: Derived from the French Zouave, which comes from the Arabic Zwāwa. This was the name of a tribe of Berbers in Algeria (the Gaouaoua) who provided mercenary soldiers to the French army in the 1830s.
* Context: The “Papal Zouaves” mentioned in the text were an international volunteer force (many of them Irish) formed to defend the Papal States. They were famous for their exotic, Middle Eastern-style uniforms: short open jackets, baggy trousers (tambaouas), and fezzes.
2. Pewopener
This is a compound word rather than an ancient etymological root, but its social meaning in 1904 Dublin is specific.
* Etymology: A combination of the Middle English pewe (an enclosed seat in church) and the Old English openian.
* Context: A “pew-opener” was a low-level church official or attendant who showed people to their seats. In the text, the narrator is mocking the character’s pretension—her husband’s cousin wasn’t a cardinal or a saint; he just held a menial job at the Vatican.
3. Pishogue
This word brings in the Gaelic influence of the “Cyclops” episode.
* Etymology: From the Irish piseog (pronounced pish-ogue), meaning “witchcraft,” “superstition,” or a “spell.”
* Context: When the Citizen calls someone a pishogue, he is using it as a derogatory term for someone who is strange, effeminate, or “under a spell”—essentially calling the man a “freak” or a “changeling.” It reinforces the Citizen’s aggressive, exclusionary “hyper-masculine” Irish identity.
4. Stubbs’s
This refers to a specific historical publication rather than a linguistic root.
* Etymology: Named after the founder of Stubbs’ Gazette, a commercial trade journal established in the 19th century.
* Context: Stubbs’ Gazette was a “black list” of people who had failed to pay their debts, had court judgments against them, or were facing bankruptcy. To have your “name in Stubbs’s” was a public social disgrace—it meant you were financially ruined and couldn’t be trusted with credit.
5. Swank
This word’s origin is somewhat debated, but it is deeply rooted in Germanic languages.
* Etymology: Likely from the Middle High German swanken (“to swing” or “to sway”), suggesting a person walking with a boastful, swinging gait. It is related to the Old English swancur (supple/graceful).
* Context: By the late 19th century, it became slang for “ostentatious display” or “pretentious behavior.” Joyce uses it here to describe the “swank glass” (monocle) of the “toffs,” highlighting the gap between their fancy appearance and their actual poverty.

This passage is a quintessential slice of the “Cyclops” episode from James Joyce’s Ulysses. It perfectly captures the atmosphere of Barney Kiernan’s pub: a mix of biting Dublin gossip, legal jargon, and the aggressive nationalism of “The Citizen.”
Here is a breakdown of the key dynamics at play in this scene:
The “U. p: up” Scandal
The conversation revolves around Denis Breen, a local eccentric who received a mocking postcard with only “U. p: up” written on it.
* The Legal Angle: J.J. O’Molloy (a lawyer) discusses whether the postcard constitutes libel. He points out that even if Breen is “balmy” (mentally unstable), the truth isn’t necessarily a defense against a libel charge in court.
* The Joke: Alf Bergan and the others find Breen’s outrage hilarious, especially his attempt to sue for £10,000.
Bloom’s Empathy vs. The Pub’s Cynicism
Leopold Bloom tries to inject a note of human decency into the conversation by mentioning Breen’s wife, Mrs. Josie Breen.
* Bloom’s Stance: He views the situation as “cruel” for the wife who has to manage her mentally ill husband.
* The Backlash: The Citizen immediately shuts down Bloom’s empathy with a xenophobic and misogynistic slur, calling Breen a “half and half”—essentially questioning his masculinity and Irishness.
Style and Satire
The narrator (the “I” in the passage) provides the gritty, cynical “street” perspective. He mocks the Breens’ social climbing:
* The “Eyetallyano”: He mocks Josie’s pride in her husband’s family connection to a “pewopener to the pope” and a cousin who was a Papal Zouave (an Irish volunteer for the Papacy).
* The Reality: The narrator cuts through the “swank” by pointing out they actually lived in a cheap flat (“two pair back”) for seven shillings a week.

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