It is rare that some phrase cannot be found in dictionaries; usually I am looking in the wrong place. In Ó Dónaill's dictionary "cor a thabhairt do dhuine" means "to give someone the slip" or "trip someone up", but some examples I have found seem to just mean "do something" with no further specificity.

** Ansan beidh Broderick agus Saunders anuas sa bhraiceal oraibh go léir, agus neart dóibh a rogha cor a thabhairt daoibh - then Broderick and Saunders would be down on you all like a ton of bricks, and able to do exactly what they wanted with you [from Mo Sgéal Féin].


** Cad é sin dómh-sa cad é an cor a thabharfaidh sé siúd dó féin! - what is it to me what he does with himself? [from Niamh].

Do people agree that the meaning is just "to do something to someone or yourself"? Am I looking in the wrong place in dictionaries?

I think in both cases it is the sense of "trip up" that is meant.

"Turn" a déarfainn - "cor" in the sense of a twist or turn of events - cor de na coir úd arb iomaí díobh sa saol, nó ríl a chuirfí ar dhuine a dhamhsa. They'd have you dancing to their tune then.

In the first example quoted by David, one is literally saying "they can give you any twist/turn they like" and as David guessed correctly this would mean that they can treat you any way they like. The second example, the same: he can go off and do what he likes with himself. It has nothing to do with tripping people up. The word "cor" is also used for one's situation/circumstances: Is ionann cor dúinn; we're in the same boat. Ó Dónaill and Dinneen have other examples.

I meant "trip up" in the metaphorical sense of doing something to you that you wouldn't like.

I was linking it back to the definitions David gave from Ó Dónaill.

(Message edited by aonghus on October 12, 2010)

I don't think so. In the first case it conflicts with the transaltion by Sheila O'Sullivan, and in both examples it conflicts with the context. See the final page of the PDF at http://www.corkirish.com/wordpress/niamh-in-modernised-spelling