Ma, mam, mum?

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and a new survey has revealed some hilariously perfect so-called Irish mammyisms that we all know and love.

The survey asked people what they call their mother, with 42 per cent calling her mam, 29 per cent calling her mum and 13 per cent calling her mom.

The other 16 per cent was made up of ma, mammy, mommy, mummy and mother.

When it came to remedies for upset tummies and general ailments, dry toast, sugary tea, flat lemonade and fresh air reigned supreme. Other Irish mammy remedies included a little lie down, Sudocrem, a hot water bottle, and chicken soup.

The survey also asked what Irish mammyism people were told in order to stop them from doing something they shouldn’t. Some of the classics included, 'don’t make that face, if the wind blows, you’ll be stuck like that', 'if you cross your eyes for too long they’ll stay that way', and 'if you eat your crusts, your hair will be curly'.

Last but not least, the survey asked what people’s mammy’s favourite sayings were. Some of the most popular were, 'if your friend put his hand in a fire, would you do it too?', 'were you born in a barn?', 'you’ll be better before you’re married', and of course, 'don’t tell your father!'

The survey was carried out by Aldi as part of its celebrations for Mother’s Day 2021. A donation in the region of €20,000 from sales of the store's Mother's Day cards will go to its charity partner Barnardos.