What's the craic and other anglicisms :D

[Aemma]

What's the craic with 'what's the craic?' What's it mean and when should one use it and in what company? :)

I thought a post on English colloquialisms might be fun, if our English friends might like to share with us their meaning and what social situation they would be best suited for. :)

Cheers!...Aemma

[Treffie]

Well Aemma, the term `craic` is an Irish Gaelic word meaning fun/enjoyment. It has been been brought into the English language.

[Aemma]

Well Aemma, the term `craic` is an Irish Gaelic word meaning fun/enjoyment. It has been been brought into the English language.


Ah ok, thanks Tref. Apologies to my Irish Gaelic friends. Hmm I think I'll mov this thread elsewhere and give it a diffrent title.

But in the meantime, what does it mean? And how is it used?? :)

Cheers Treffie!...Aemma :)

[Treffie]

I've known people to ask `Where's the craic?` meaning where's the party etc? I suppose you could use it in many ways as long as it's used to refer to fun, joviality and silliness. Isn't Wat's wife, Ceallach Irish? Perhaps she could provide a more accurate description?

[Beorn]

Well Aemma, the term `craic` is an Irish Gaelic word meaning fun/enjoyment. It has been been brought into the English language.

'Craic', or 'Crack' as it should be, is not actually Irish, but firmly of the English language.
In Irish, 'craic' actually means 'arsehole'.

The Irish borrowed the term from the Northern English/Scots and Gaelicised it creating the term we now all know.


“ The constant Gaelicisation of the good old English-Scottish dialect word crack as craic sets my teeth on edge. It seems, indeed, that many people think the word is an Irish one; hence we find advertisements proclaiming "music, songs, dancing and craic". The implication is that craic = boozing and high jinks, great fun as it used to be [...] ”
—Diarmaid Ó Muirithe




I prefer spelling it the Irish way. Old habits die hard. :D

[Treffie]

Wow Wat! I never knew that!

Sorry Aemma, my sources were incorrect! :D :mad:

[Gooding]

Interesting..I thought the word craic meant "chat", as in, "come in for a bit of craic".Therefore I thought "cracker" originally meant a Scot who liked a bit of conversation.You learn something new every day!:D:thumb001:

[Osweo]

In Irish, 'craic' actually means 'arsehole'.
I don't think so. :confused:

The Irish borrowed the term from the Northern English/Scots and Gaelicised it creating the term we now all know.
Aye, that's right. It's from the same semantic nest as 'he cracks me up', etc.

See this educational video for an example of its usage in the Middlesbrough dialect (the Irish learnt much of their first English from Cromwellian soldiery recruited from County Durham and thereabouts, apparently);
...
DAMN, it's been taken down for copyright violation!!!!!!! :mad:

Have another from the same people then:
mKccHfvK0UA
(If you don't like people using very naughty words, don't watch it!)
Heh, they even say 'fillum' for 'film' like the Irish do:
zBIBuuzGP00:p

[Beorn]

I don't think so. :confused:

I will admit that I can be corrected by someone of a more healthy knowledge of Irish Gaelic, but I thought 'Craic' meant what I have already mentioned (or there abouts, at least), whilst 'Creac' means 'herd'.

[Skandi]

I don't know where it came from or anything like that but the term I know is "What's the crack?" and means what is going on here?/What's happening?