Bakker Bugle
in Dublin
Glossary
Glossary for Ireland
Herein, find words and phrases that visitors might find daunting. The Bakker Bugle cannot be responsible for injuries or any other harm you may experience when relying on this resource.
- anti-social behavior
- Apparently shared with the UK, this is a euphemism -- or technical term, depending on your point of view -- for petty crime.
- Bertie
- Bertie Ahern, the current Taoiseach of Ireland, equivalent to a Prime Minister. He's created a political dynasty of sorts, and hence is the subject of a great deal of political satire. The Bakker Bugle has no official editorial position concerning Bertie, and you'd be well to do the same.
- craic
- Fun; good times, especially in a social setting.
- This is a surprisingly common word, and often used as a near-synonym for the American word, "fun". It's roughly pronounced "crack" with slight regional variations. Crack cocaine is new but known around Ireland, and it's unclear whether these homonyms are causing confusion (whether disturbing or hilarious).
- Cromwell
- Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland in the 17th Century. He personally led the legal, military and extra-legal persecution of Irish Catholics that followed. Here's the interesting part: Cromwell is mentioned casually in conversation in Ireland. It's true -- twice now, Will's made a new acquaintance who mentioned Cromwell during their first conversation.
- jackeen / culchie
- Derogatory terms for Dublin city-dwellers and rural Irish folk, respectively.
- knacker
- A trashy person, or a person who engages in, or is pre-disposed to engage in, anti-social behavior.
Other Websites to Help with Irish Parlance
This part is particularly devoted to lists and articles that help you make sense of general categories of Irish usage.
- Dublin Neighborhoods from Wikipedia and County Dublin Towns
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- Irish news sources refer to Dublin neighborhoods without mentioning that they're in Dublin.
- Almost all Irish news sources are national in scope.
- Thus, one must know the names of Dublin neighborhoods to understand whether something happened in the city, or in the back of beyond.
- A Dictionary of Cork slang
- Cork is notorious among Dubliners for having its own slang and a distinctive accent.
- Rhyming Slang
- Cockney Rhyming Slang is better known in the US, but the Irish have their own version. The most familiar Irish rhyming slang consists of the widely promoted, bawdy names for Dublin's statues.