Your man, your woman

In Dublin (maybe all of Ireland, I don't know), people make reference to "your man" or "your woman." The first time I heard it, I was quite confused because it was a friend complaining about a friend of hers. She was talking about "your man" and what a worthless boyfriend he was. Now, my boyfriend is wonderful. He is not worthless at all. After a couple times using the term, I realized that she was talking about her friend's boyfriend, not mine. So, not "my" man, "your man."

Since I first noticed someone using it, I have heard others as well and its actually a pretty common phrase. It a way to refer back to someone who has already been mentioned, an alternative to "he" or "she." However, it isn't quite that simple. It usually is said in a derogatory way. So, if you are complaining about someone, they are "your man." If they are good, they don't seem to be "your man" as often but may be. I still haven't gotten all the nuances down for its usage.

The second key thing about using the phrase is pronunciation. Even if I get the context right, people look at me confused when I use this phrase. It is because I am saying "your woman" instead of "yer woman." The accent is on the second noun (e.g. man or woman) and not on "your" and notice the pronunciation of "your." It is said as "yer."

So, after a year, I am still learning the nuances of the Dublin accent. I wonder when I will be after getting it down.