Finally found out what a caubeen was
Reading Patrick Taylor's recent book, An Irish Country Courtship, I finally found out what a caubeen was. The question arose quite a few years back when I heard it in the words of a folk song.
"Take off that hat, my darling Pat,
Put on your old caubeen," sings the wife to her husband,
"For tonight's our golden wedding
And I want them all to know
How we looked when we were wed
Forty years ago."
I asked many, including those of Irish background, but nobody knew.
And yes, I did try googling the word, but didn't find it because my attempt at spelling it was completely off the mark. I was looking for cobbeen.
Thanks, Patrick. Reading your book was a blast. Learned a lot more too, including the Irish origins of many of my Newfoundland mother's expressions, though she was not of Irish descent.
Now I want to know the writer of the song. Or is it a folk song? Couldn't find out -- even in the Mudcat Cafe.