On the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

, ''longtail'' is a

euphemism A euphemism ( ) is when an expression that could offend or imply something unpleasant is replaced with one that is agreeable or inoffensive. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the u ...

used to denote a

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...

, as a relatively modern superstition has arisen that it is considered bad luck to mention this word. The origins of this

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...

date to sea-

taboo A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

s, where certain words and practices were not mentioned aboard ship, for fear of attracting bad luck (or bad weather).Eyers, Jonathan (2011). ''Don't Shoot the Albatross!: Nautical Myths and Superstitions''. A&C Black, London, UK. . The

Manx Gaelic Manx ( or , or ), also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language, Gaelic language of the insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family. Manx is the heritage language of the Manx ...

author Edward Faragher (also known by his Manx nickname 'Ned Beg Hom Ruy') recorded in his work 'Skeealyn 'sy Ghailck' that during his time working on fishing boats in the 19th century "It was forbidden to name a hare on board, or a rabbit, or a rat or a cat. The hare was 'the big-eared fellow', and the rabbit ‘pomet’, and the rat ‘sacote’, and the cat ‘scratcher'". In the modern superstition, the taboo only applies to the rat, and the term 'sacote' is no longer used. Although this particular sea-taboo was one amongst many and was not held to apply on land, it has become a popular modern belief that the word is somehow unlucky and the taboo has been adopted by some as a typical Manx practice, despite the fact that the old Manx had no qualms in using the word, or its Manx equivalent, "roddan". In modern times, many non-local and unsuperstitious people will refrain from using the word "rat" where its acceptability is in doubt. Local socially acceptable alternatives for the superstitious also include ''joey'', ''ringie'', ''queerfella'', ''iron fella'' and . Recently, young people have also begun saying ''r-a-t'', owing to the influence of English immigrants. Similar taboos can be found as far north as

Shetland Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...

. Other sea taboos included pigs,

cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

s, and knives. There is a comparable and apparently also relatively modern taboo against uttering the word 'rabbit' on the

Isle of Portland The Isle of Portland is a tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. The southern tip, Portland Bill, lies south of the resort of Weymouth, Dorset, Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A barrier ...

References

{{Reflist Culture of the Isle of Man Euphemisms Rats