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4play See other 4play Articles Title: Why I Never Liked School, Office Cubicles or Suburbs Crack (craic) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Several senses of the word crack are largely restricted to Irish English, Scottish English, or Northern English: gossip or news fun, enjoyment, or mischief; often in the context of drinking or music. In Ireland the spelling craic has become frequent for these senses. A related sense found more widely is "joke", as in "crack a joke" or "wisecrack". Craic The "news" sense originated in Scots and came to Ireland through the Ulster Scots language, where the "fun" sense developed. Now crack it is interpreted as a specifically and quintessentially Irish form of fun. The adoption of the Gaelic spelling craic has reinforced the sense that this is an independent word (homophone) rather than a separate sense of the original word (polysemy). Like many English words over the centuries, crack was borrowed into the Irish language with a Gaelicized spelling (craic). This was popularized in the catchphrase Beidh ceol, caint agus craic againn ("We'll have music, chat and crack") used by Seán Bán Breathnach for his Irish-language chatshow, SBB ina Shuí, broadcast by RTÉ from 1976-83. It was also used on Irish-language hand-lettered signs displayed outside many pubs, and subsequently the Irish spelling was reborrowed for English-language signs and publications. Until the late 1980s this spelling was unknown in English: Barney Rush's 1960s song "The Crack was Ninety in the Isle of Man" uses the older spelling. It was great craic. What's the craic? How's the craic? Sure, it's good craic! She's great craic when she gets going. He's great craic when he has a few pints on him. The craic was mighty. Usage Examples of use would be a reply to the question, "How was your evening?" such as "Aye, it was good crack," which means "I had a good time". A person who is "good crack" is fun to be with. Crack is, by default, positive: "good crack", "great crack", "the crack was ninety" or "the crack was mighty". However, "bad crack" is also used occasionally. In Irish, "Bhí craic againn" is "We had a good time"; "Bhí an-chraic againn" is "We had a great time". The "news" sense of crack is used in the singular in Hiberno-English, although originally Scots used the plural: Scots: Gie's your cracks. Whit's aw the news in the toun? Hiberno-English: "What's the crack?" "Nothing much." Irish: "Cad é an craic leat?" ["What's new with you?"]
Poster Comment: I blame everything on my Scots/Irish ancestry.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 1.
#1. To: YertleTurtle (#0)
Cad é an craic leat? ;)
#2. To: Zipporah (#1)
Bhí an-chraic againn! All are welcome! Pray tell, what is your ancestry?
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