Mind Yourself
Take care; look after yourself. The standard Hiberno-English farewell, replacing goodbye in most spoken contexts. Built on the older sense of 'mind' as 'to attend to' - a meaning Hiberno-English kept while the wider language narrowed it.
Etymology
The verb 'mind' comes from Old English 'gemynd' (memory, mind). In Middle English it took on the broader sense of 'to attend to, to look after', and that sense remained productive in Hiberno-English long after standard English narrowed it. Reflexive constructions on the same root - 'mind the door', 'mind the wean' - are everywhere in Hiberno-English. The bare 'mind yourself' as a closing farewell is the most common of them, slotting in where another speaker would say 'goodbye' or 'take care'.
In a sentence
Safe home now - and mind yourself in this weather. - a parental farewell
Mind yourself on those steps, they're worn smooth. - a cautionary aside
Historical notes
The farewell carries weight beyond a simple goodbye. It is the standard sign-off at the end of a phone call between parents and adult children, between neighbours, and between long-acquainted shopkeepers and customers. The reflexive form does the work that 'safe travels' or 'take care' attempts in standard English but with less ceremony. The phrase is now firmly enough established in print and broadcast use to feature in mainstream dictionary coverage of recent Hiberno-English additions.
Sources
- Hickey, Raymond. Irish English: History and Present-Day Forms. Cambridge University Press, 2007. · academic
- Dolan, Terence Patrick. A Dictionary of Hiberno-English. Gill Books (entry: mind). · dictionary
- Carey, Stan. Sentence First (commentary on Hiberno-English semantic retentions). · other