Comments on: A face like a fur hatchet and alike. English in Norn Iron

By: Wilson

Wilson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:08:12 +0000

I love the phrase ‘would you look at the bacon and cabbage head on him’ meaning a man/farmer with a ruddy face.

By: Of drugs, scowls and books « Second Hand Shopper

Of drugs, scowls and books « Second Hand Shopper — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:21:26 +0000

[...] you are… ladies I mean – you’re all lovely!) have managed to provide posts about Irish English, Scottish English and South African English – I know some of my talented readers can pull an [...]

By: Emma Alvarez Gibson

Emma Alvarez Gibson — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:17:50 +0000

What a marvelous find! As someone fascinated by language as well as having picked up a few words of Irish (Gaelige) here and there, I’m so excited to have found this site. Really looking forward to settling in for some good reading.

Side note: I’ve always found it interesting that Gaelige sentence structure is so similar to that of Spanish–e.g., “There is anger on me.” In Spanish it often translates to “I got an anger” or “The anger came upon me.” Much more satisfying, I think.

By: Pageturners

Pageturners — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:56:00 +0000

Interesting; “How’s she cutting” in the south is correctly answered by “She’s trimming well”, and is taken as a nautical greeting.

Obair is a verb, and also a noun.

By: Roisin

Roisin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:56:33 +0000

Hi Maria,

‘Obair’ is the verb ‘To work’, you’re right! And they are very good examples of proverbs, which in Irish are called seanfhocail, which literally means ‘old words’, another turn of phrase I like a lot!

By: Maria C. Costa

Maria C. Costa — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:11:51 +0000

Dear Roisin,

Thank you for your interesting article accompanied with the detailed vocabulary choice. I think I’ll be visiting the Blog more often for I’ve been learning a lot from you all. Moreover, I’ve already recommended it to other colleagues (EFL teachers of English).
In 2000 I organised a study trip to Ireland (The State), and was delighted with the way locals speak their Irish-English. I remember when we were around Dan Laoghaire (… wrong spelling?) and we pronounced it so differently! I am not sure about the way it sounds…
(Dan Lieri?…)
I would appreciate very much your help on these Celtic proverbs: “As an obair a thagann an fhoghlaim.” (Learning comes through work); ” Mollan an obair an fear.”(The work praises the man). As we can see, the word “obair” appears in both proverbs. Does that mean work?
Best wishes.

By: Patrick Chambers

Patrick Chambers — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:44:41 +0000

Hi Roisin, just to confirm the comment from Stan that “Culchie” originates with the Mayo town of Kiltimagh. I heard this and no other explanation of the word during my years living in Dublin between ’80 and ’87. Great article by the way and well worth the read. Another British one for an ugly face is to “have a face like a bulldog licking piss off nettles” (which personally I adore).

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Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:20:41 +0000

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By: Sinead

Sinead — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:20:40 +0000

Yes, really love the “how’s she cuttin’?” too. And completely overuse it when back in Ireland on holidays… What about the old classic: “how’s the craic?” London friends used to think it was an obscenity while it’s only a bit of innocent Irish fun. But I think these days it’s gone global (?). Although…time to admit ignorance. In between sentences I checked it up in Wikipedia and it actually seems the Irish language ‘borrowed’ it from Scots/Northern English dialects somewhere in the 50s/60s and then the English ‘borrowed’ it back again with the Irish spelling. Gas craic altogether! And where on earth does that ‘gas’ bit come from?

By: Roisin

Roisin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:20:55 +0000

Oh, Maria, I love the phrase ‘how’s she cuttin’?’ and I haven’t heard it for ages, it’s a really rural one! And Sinead, giving out is a great expression too. It must come from the Irish and I think it is very expressive. Something that gives my English friends and my English boyfriend great amusement is when I start sentences with the word ‘sure’ like “Would you like to go to the pub tonight?” “Sure why not, that’d be great”