WeeFalorieMan wrote:
Saoirse wrote:
Or spending money or smoking cigarettes! (Caitheann daoine airgead agus caitheann siad tabac!)
Aaaah!!!

And if you smoke cigarettes, while wearing your new clothes bought with money while driving your new car......

Bríd Mhór wrote:
When I was young and when anybody got anything new - new shoes, new dress, etc - that was always said. May you [out] live it, and wear it [out].
I suppose it could be used for a new car just as well today.
That sure makes sense when you're talking about clothes because it matches the direct translation that
An Lon Dubh gave us:
Go mairir agus go gcaithir é – "may you live and [may you] wear it". Also, that saying was used in the story when they were talking specifically about clothes.
The
new car example that you mentioned might also work because, besides meaning "I wear", the word
caithim can also mean "I use" – I dunno. Well, one thing's for sure – that saying can definitely be used whenever someone is wearing new clothes.

Caitheamh - I think it has more than one meaning. Yes it means to "wear" clothes, but it also means to "wear out". "Tá do chuid éadaí caite" - "Your clothes are worn" (used - shabby - threadbare etc.).
MY interpretation of the idiom is that you're wishing the person to outlive the use of object, and to see it worn [out].