By this we mean the people, and not the language – as honestly Irish-English can be as difficult to comprehend as Gaeilge if you’re not down with the lingo.
Wherever you go in Ireland you’re sure to encounter a vernacular just as unique as the people who utter it, and these strange phrases and words are very much a part of our charm when we travel abroad.
Almost as amusing as the words themselves are the meanings behind them, when you realise the humble beginnings of the cracker patter that dominates Ireland. So have a read through and see how many of them you’ve already heard, it might surprise you to learn where they came from!
If you’re looking to blend with the locals on your next trip over, then be sure to sign up for our Irish Turn of Phrase subscription box, it’ll have you fluent in the craic in no time. Which brings us to…
Craic
Most of you have probably heard this one by now, but perhaps not all of us fully appreciate just how versatile a word it is.
If someone enquire “What’s the craic?”, the state of your welfare (or indeed gossip) has been requested. “Good craic” means a good time, or fun person, while ‘minus craic’ is used to denote quite the opposite…
The phrase actually comes from the Middle-English ‘crak’ – literally meaning loud conversation and was colloquially used to mean chat or news. However, when it journeyed over to the Emerald Isle it received the Irish treatment – becoming more difficult to spell, and (let’s face it) much more fun!
Hooliganism