> I've just read Colm Toibin's The Blackwater lightship (set in contemporary Ireland) and the phrase "I'll clean his/her
clock" was used at least twice by the grandmother character. I can work out its meaning from its context, but can
anyone throw light on its derivation?

Paul, to be honest, I have never heard that phrase before in my life. Colm has certainly trawled the depths of archaic language there. I would guess that Colm's actual grandmother used that term and, at a guess, she would be about 100+ so this is definitely a term from the very early part of this century.

I know Colm (hey, I don't like to name drop but this IS a small island and we all bump into each other from time to time) so I can try to get an explanation off him when I can. In the meantime I will ask someone from the English department - possibly Brendan Kennealy, who's very helpful when it comes to things like this. I'll post what I have tomorrow.

Rubrick