Irish people love adjectives. This may seem absurd at first, but I believe Irish people's love of descriptors runs far deeper than others' appreciation of these little words.
Over my twenty-something years in America I have come to realize I have an affinity for adjectives many Americans do not understand. My first inkling of this cultural difference came within a few months of my arrival in Elmira, New York in 1988.
Table of Contents
Describing A Good Meal
Two of my Irish-born friends and I met some co-workers at an Irish pub for dinner one evening.
I ordered a "County Cork", the biggest door-step Reuben sandwich I had ever laid eyes upon. In fact it was the first Reuben I had ever seen, the like of which has never been seen or served in County Cork.
I tucked into my "County Cork", like any good Cork woman might, and as I experienced the new taste explosions of mingling corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese and Thousand Island dressing, I had to pause to exclaim ...
"This sandwich is fabulous."
My Irish friend, who was tucking into another sandwich never-before-seen in its namesake county, also declared ....
"Mine is scrumptious."
A string of adjectives flowed from the pair of us between each mouth-watering bite. We described our delicious meals as delectable, fantastic, flavorful, luscious. We may have even gone so far as to call them heavenly and divine.
One of our American companions piped up and asked ...
"How many ways can you describe that sandwich? It's really just a sandwich."
And so I asked her what she would say when she is truly enjoying a meal, to which she replied ...
"I would just say it's 'good'."
And in that moment I realized that my flourishing descriptive words might not be needed on this side of the Atlantic.
A Lesson In Descriptive Writing
Now as you know, I love to write. At night I type, creating picture book manuscripts, blog posts, and a historical Irish novel.
To help improve my writing I joined a critique group. Each member e-mails a chapter or a picture book to the other members of the group to receive feedback for improvement.
I am deeply indebted to my fellow critique group members. Their input is invaluable.
However, there is one theme that runs through all of my writing, and it's this. I use too many adjectives for American editors' liking.
I string them together using assonance, alliteration and onomatopoeia. I describe charming, adorable picture book characters with adjectives, rather than letting their actions reveal how cute they truly are.
And as for villains, mine are despicable, vicious and vindictive. But my adjective use is way over-the-top for American readers, and slows down the pace of my writing.
I'm not being critical of my critics. I fully accept my adjective over-use must be curbed to move my stories along. However, upon discovering my adjective addiction I asked myself why do I love these words so much????
And here's the theory I came up with ...
The Geary Theory On The Irish Love Of Adjectives
First, let me explain the 'Geary Theory'. This is the name my other half applies to all unscientifically proven theories that flow from the depths of my thought processes (my last name is Geary and it conveniently rhymes with 'theory').
Unsubstantiated my little theories may be, but that's no reason not to share them. They're often great conversation starters, so here's my Geary theory on the Irish love of adjectives.
In the Irish language (Gaeilge or Gaelic) many adjectives end in -ach which is pronounced -ock, like in clock.
This little ending makes Irish adjectives very satisfying to utter.
Blastach (prounounced bloss-thock) = tasty
Salach (pronounced sol-ock) = dirty
Callánach (cal-awn-ock) = noisy
Cumhachtach (coo-ock-thock) = powerful
Amadach (ahm-ah-dhock) = foolish
I could add to this list for hours and hours, adding these gloriously expressive words we use to describe our nouns in Irish.
My theory is that when we Irish speakers transferred over to the English tongue we took with us a desire to express descriptions with the same guttural satisfaction we derived from our old Irish adjectives. That ending -ock sound brings us fulfillment.
When English adjectives fail to quench our desire for these strong descriptive sounds we just string more adjectives together in a hope to get our point across.
Intensifying Adjectives
Proof of this last little theory of mine may lie in our Irish affinity for adding intensifying adjectives to sentences.
We use words such as 'awful' and 'fierce' in a manner a natural speaker of the Queen's English would never even consider. In fact, to a non-Irish person the use of these words makes no sense at all.
When using 'fierce' as an intensifying adjective we might say something such as ...
"That bag there will hold a fierce heavy load."
'Heavy' alone is not adequate to satisfy our need for description. To solve this we add extra little words of emphasis.
We have even been known to use the word 'fierce' right beside the word 'good', which seems like a total contradiction to a non-Irish person.
"We had a fierce good night last night, awful craic altogether."
'Awful' in this instance actually carries a positive intensifying meaning for the word 'craic'.
I should be making seriously good sense to everyone by now.
Up in Donegal everything is 'class' or 'deadly' which, believe it or not, actually means excellent.
Other favorite intensifying adjectives are some beauties like 'mighty'.
"The craic was mighty the other night."
Or how about our Irish love of the word 'savage' or 'massive' meaning fantastic. 'Massive' is an intensifying adjective frequently used in Cork.
Many years ago a girl I knew worked in a department store in Cork. An American paraded out of the fitting room in a beautiful dress. When she asked my friend how the dress looked, the Cork girl replied ...
"It's massive on you."
The American customer totally misunderstood this Cork compliment, bolted back into the dressing room to change, and dashed away without purchasing her beautiful dress.
A true example of a linguistic culture clash.
The Irish Love Of Some Not So Acceptable Adjectives
And so onto my last theory of the night, and it concerns the Irish love of the not-so-nice F-bomb.
The prolific use of the F-word in Ireland, can really come as quite a surprise to the unsuspecting tourist. After living in America for many years my ears are in shock for a few weeks upon first returning to Ireland.
My family does not use the word, but it is used extensively throughout our little island, with no regard for how offensive others may find this word.
And here is my rational for excessive use of this curse word in Ireland.
The problem lies in the fact the objectionable word ends in Irish people's beloved hard -ck sound, that rings like descriptive music in our ears.
Unfortunately the utterance of the F-word satisfies our inherent, genetic desire to hear this guttural, harsh sound. It's simply a Celtic thing, and rather than searching for other satisfying English adjectives, some Irish people have unwittingly replaced all adjectives with this not-so-nice -ck word.
So when you hear this word flying from the lips of my countrymen, please forgive, for perhaps, they know not what they do.
Wrap Up
And so I hope you enjoyed my whimsical, amusing, and hopefully entertaining ramble about the Irish love of adjectives.
Do you think our Irish affinity for adjectives may have roots within our cultural psyche?
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Here are some more ramblings you might enjoy:
Symbols of Ireland
- Celtic Christening Gowns As Family Heirlooms
- What Is A Shillelagh?
- Aran Sweater Giveaway From Standún, Spiddal
- Painted Clans Giveaway For Father's Day
The Spud Saga
- What Is A Floury Potato?
- Potato And Leek Soup
- Potato Bread - Yeast Recipe
- Traditional Irish Potato Soup
jedi1111
The language difference reminds me of an Irish nurse my mom had up at Yale New Haven Hospital. She had been here for years, but she told us tales of when she had first arrived in the country and the cultural difference was still very apparent . She was telling us how she once told somebody she was knocked up by her neighbor. What she was trying to say was her neighbor knocked on her door, but in American speak she said her neighbor got her pregnant! Quite a difference in meaning!
Irish American Mom
Thanks so much for sharing this little story about the linguistic and cultural differences between Ireland and America - one or two little words can totally change the meaning of a sentence. When I first came to the US I worked in a hospital. There were many words I used that my patients did not understand. One day I was helping a patient wash her hands at the sink, so I asked if I should turn the 'tap' on. I was referring to the faucet, but my patient looked at me as if I was suddenly going to turn into Shirley Temple and start tap dancing.
Take care and thanks for checking out my ramblings,
Mairéad
Claire Fullerton
Love this well pondered blog post! But I have to say, I love adjectives in writing! There's nothing better in setting a scene and they lend mood and context in a wonderful way. I'll go as far as to say most of the Southern authors I love are adjective masters! It's the adverbs that get a writer in trouble; they tell the reader the writers take on what's happening in the story, which deprives the reader of arriving at their own conclusion. And as for your F-bomb comments, you are so right! In addition to this is the use of the term "F-bomb-all" to imply the word "nothing." That one took me round the bend the first time I heard it!
Irish American Mom
Hi Claire - Like you, I just can't help but love adjectives, and try as I might, I find it difficult to write without using them. I do however try to limit the number I choose, and think carefully before stringing adjectives together. I realize that if I completely omit my beloved adjectives, my writing will no longer reflect my voice as a writer, so I pick my descriptors carefully.
I laughed when you mentioned that ever-so-Irish term "F-bomb-all". Have you ever heard it enhanced with the intensifying adjective "sweet"? That little word combo is truly an Irish classic. The phrase makes no sense in English, but I'm convinced the origins of some of our strange Irish word choices can be found in the Irish language, and our transition from speaking Irish to English.
All the best, and thanks so much for adding to our discussions of all things Irish.
Mairéad
Cheryl Barker
Loved this post, Mairéad 🙂 As writers, we do indeed need to watch out for too many adjectives and adverbs, but darn it, sometimes they are needed 🙂 I like your fierce qualifiers, too 🙂 We can get by with more when speaking and writing for a more casual audience than editors, right? 🙂 On another note, I have to admit I've never heard of "tucking" into a sandwich. Another Irish expression?
Irish American Mom
Hi Cheryl - I agree with you about adjectives and adverbs - sometimes you just have to add them to a descriptive piece of writing. The use of adverbs here in America is one of my pet peeves - the -ly at the end gets eliminated very frequently. Sometimes I think spoken American English is evolving and transforming the adverb.
I used the phrase "tucking into" my sandwich without realizing it's a term not used here in America. In my childhood days when my mom would have dinner ready, we would say grace together, then she would advise us to "tuck in before it gets cold." I checked out the phrase on the internet and it means "to eat food with enthusiasm because you like it or because you are hungry", but it is informal British slang. I'm so glad you pointed out my usage of this term. It came to me automatically as I wrote this little piece.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Mairead Mulligan Doria
Hello, I love your blog and found it when i was suffering from homesickness( Dun-Laoghaire to NY in 1989) When i first came here i was put in the eight grade and asked my science teacher for a rubber (eraser) he started to reach into his pocket and then said what do you want ?The look on his face was priceless. Also my Da (R.I.P) used the f word constantly and when my sister in law asked him to mind his language around her babies he obliged by using feck instead. Slan
Irish American Mom
Hi Mairead - I'm so glad you found my blog. I hope that whenever you feel a little homesick and need a little Irish pick-me-up, you'll stop by this little corner of the world wide web.
Thanks for sharing your "eraser" story. I can just picture your teacher's look of astonishment upon hearing your request.
I love how your father (God rest his soul) transformed his favorite expressive word by substituting an -e, as so many Irish people do. I think the adoption of the word "feck" by the Irish is further proof of how we derive such satisfaction in uttering the -ck sound at the end of words.
Take care,
Mairéad
Patrick Lyons
The picture of the sandwich you call a "Reuben" is actually a "Rachel" which is made with coleslaw. A "Reuben" is made with sauerkraut.
Irish American Mom
Hi Patrick - I had no idea there was such a thing as a "Rachel" sandwich. Thanks so much for letting me know. As the saying goes "you learn something new every day" - my introduction to a "Rachel" is something new for me today. When I picked this sandwich photo I didn't look closely enough to notice the filling included coleslaw not sauerkraut, but I still would not have realized it is not technically a "Reuben".
All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
Jenifer Carroll
I love your blog! I am of Irish decent, but American for many generations. I never realized that so many of the things I say must come from my Irish heritage. I've always wondered why folks laugh when I say "what a lovely cup of coffee" and such, seems perfectly normal to me. Also, I have a question about the awful tradition of having corn beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. I love the corn beef and don't mind the cabbage, but together this seems almost a crime. I get told every blessed year that I must not be truly Irish. Is this true, or is it as I suspect that the two are not generally combined in the lovely Isle? I have a theory, Irish genetics are strong and long lasting and thank goodness for that!
Irish American Mom
Hi Jenifer - I'm thrilled to hear you enjoy my blog. It's lovely to know when readers appreciate my ramblings. "Lovely" is one of my favorite adjectives. I use it all day long. A cup of tea is lovely, a long walk is lovely, and really, life is lovely. It's just one of those words that trips off the tip of my tongue, and it's so nice to learn I'm not alone. It truly is an Irish thing. Rest assured your theory about Irish traits is accurate - they're strong and deep-rooted and get passed on for generations. Thanks for sharing your Irish American tale.
As for the corned beef and cabbage - it really is an American tradition. In Ireland we eat bacon and cabbage, but our bacon is cured differently and is not easily available in the United States. When Irish immigrants came to America they adopted corned beef as a cheap alternative to Irish bacon. I hope this helps explain why you instinctively feel cabbage needs a different companion on your plate on St. Patrick's Day.
All the best and thanks for stopping by,
Mairéad
Amy Brennan
Really enjoyed this post. I've often remarked to friends how verbose my hubby is compared to me when describing things, or telling stories. I joke with him that his answers to "yes/no" questions often take several minutes. 🙂 Gotta love that man. The Irish are lyrical speakers and beautiful story tellers. Keep using your lovely, colorful adjectives, Mairéad...it's a gorgeous trait that sets you apart from American writers. As far as the bacon and cabbage goes, it's my favorite Irish meal. Thank goodness my brother is a butcher and taught us how to cure our own pork loins so we can have it whenever we like, here in the States. <3
Irish American Mom
Hi Amy - Sounds like your husband is a tried and true Irish man with a gift for the gab. We Irish just can't help ourselves, we love to talk and describe our world in lyrical sentences. Thanks for your words of encouragement about my writing.
You're so lucky to be able to cure your own bacon here in America - what a priceless skill. My granduncle would always chant "Yum, yum, pigs bum, cabbage and potatoes", whenever he joined us for a bacon and cabbage dinner. Oh happy memories! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Amy Brennan
Mairéad-
I'm more than happy to share our recipe for curing the bacon at home, if you're interested in trying it. It's really quite easy and cost effective. We always buy a nice, fat, whole pork loin, when they go on sale. (My hubby says it HAS to have a good layer of fat to make tasty bacon. hehehe) The ingredients can be adjusted for your taste and can be tinkered around with to your liking.
Ingredients:
-whole pork loin , 3-4 lb.
-brown sugar, 1 Cup
-Morton's Tender Quick Meat Cure, 1- 1.5 Cups
-water, about a Gallon or Gallon and a half
Boil the water in a big soup pot and add the brown sugar and Tender Quick, stir to dissolve and let cool completely. Cut the loin into 3 or 4 nice pieces (depending on how big you want your bacon to be.) Place the pieces in a plastic, covered container. (We use a 9.4 liter/40 cup Rubbermaid container, as it fits nicely in the fridge.) When the solution is cool, use a meat injector to inject some of the brine into the pork. (about 5-6 injections per piece) Place the meat in the plastic container and pour in the brine to cover the bacon. Leave the whole lot in the fridge for 4 days to cure. After 4 days, empty the brine and put your pieces of bacon into freezer bags, or wrap in butcher paper and freeze. That way you have bacon for dinner whenever you crave it. Just thaw and boil your bacon, cabbage and spuds as usual. 🙂 I hope you give it a try. Enjoy! 🙂
-Amy
Irish American Mom
Hi Amy - Thanks so much for sharing your family recipe. That is so generous. I know some people guard their secret recipes and don't like to share, but like you, I feel why not share and let everyone enjoy some really good food. I'll have to give curing bacon a try. Real bacon and cabbage for dinner - simply delicious. My mouth is watering already.
All the best, and thanks again.
Mairéad
Ray Brown
Mairéad,
I loved your statements about the Irish adjectives and don't let the American writing style get you down. After all, some of the best writers are from Ireland and "they can't all be wrong." You have, just to name a few, Samuel Beckett, Brendan Behan, James Joyce and Catherine Dunne and many more. It is true about America, I remember some of my English professors telling me in the university to just get to the point. It was terrible, being from an Irish family. I guess the best thing to do, is make a novel in the States, and "Do what the Romans do" here, and if you want to sell it in Ireland, just change it using adjectives. In any event, I love your writings and just do what comes natural to you, and be damned the professors of the English language over here. Ireland has great writers, better than 99.5% of the professors teaching courses on how to write. Like the song says, "Just do what you gotta do."
Irish American Mom
Hi Ray - Thanks for your encouraging words. When I edit my writing I try to be true to my voice, whenever I make changes, so sometimes I cut a few adjectives, but other times I just go with them. If I like them they stay put on my manuscript's page. It's good to hear that you too tended towards the more verbose with your writing. The American writing style demands succinct, action-intense passages, but I'm learning to adapt without completely changing my work.
All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
Kathryn Guare
Oh, you’ve hit on one of my very favorite topics – the utterly charming Irish way with words. Along with the intensifying adjectives, I love the emphatic reinforcements sometimes added to the end of a phrase, like “so it is” (e.g., “It’s a gorgeous day, so it is”), and the unique use of the word “after” when speaking in the past tense (“I’m after dropping my pen” instead of “I dropped my pen”). I don’t think that kind of phrasing exists anywhere else and seems like it must have come from the process of translating Irish into English. There is a book called “The Spinning Heart” by a brilliant author named Donal Ryan that is written using the Irish-English vernacular and I’ve read it three times just for the pleasure of the lyrical flow of the language. And don’t even get me started on the slang!
Irish American Mom
Hi Kathryn - I have read Donal Ryan's book "The Thing About December". It is an amazing read. The dialogue and main character's thoughts are poignant and sad. It's a wonderful book that really touched me. "The Spinning Heart" is next on my reading list.
I really like the examples of Irish expressions or linguistics you gave. The structure of our sentences is so different to that of English speakers from other parts of the world. I think I may have many more blog posts to write on this topic.
Take care and thanks for joining our discussion on Irish expressions and use of language.
Mairéad
Kathryn Guare
That's great - unlike me, you're reading them in the right order. I think he wrote "The Thing About December" first but it was published second. I did spend some time during "The Spinning Heart" wondering who the heck "the Cunliffe boy" was!
T
Mairead, I've often gifted former students and family members with Strunk and White's "Elements of Style." I'm pleased to share with you this quote from that classic writers' reference book, (a more succinct "American" version of Fowler's "Modern English Usage"): "Write with nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place. This is not to disparage adjectives or adverbs; they are indispensable parts of speech....In general, however, it is nouns and verbs that give to good writing its toughness and color." S & T further states: 'Avoid the use of qualifiers: "rather, very, little and pretty--these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words." I'm just as guilty as the next blogger in this arena...can't seem to stop using the word "just." The whole point of this discussion for writers is not to encumber the reader with the unnecessary weight of words: it's the words one leaves out that makes the writing "tough and colorful."
And by the way , IAM, isn't it "an" historical novel you're writing? Sorry, Mairead; you started the conversation. TMJ
Irish American Mom
Hi TMJ - Thank you for this perfect excerpt from an American writing bible. It succinctly explains the need for tight, effective word choice when writing, but when you're Irish it's ever so hard to stick to those style rules. I laughed when you picked up on whether it should be "an historical" or "a historical" novel. When I first typed the phrase I put down "an", but then I changed back to "a". In Ireland we would use "a" historical novel, since we pronounce "h's" with a very distinct "huh" sound. There's no silent 'h' for an Irish person speaking English. So to be correct, since I wrote this blog post in America, I technically should have used "an".
Thanks for all your wonderful input.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
T.M.Johnson
Ahh, Mairead, thanks for being such a good sport. Re: "a/an" history/historical. If such were the test of the Irish in America, many more Irish would be added to the U.S. Census. Whenever I write, I hear the echo of Richard Hughes who said of his splendid spare novel (241 pp), "There [Capodistria] for a whole winter I wrestled with the first chapter. This may seem slow going; but I had decided my book was to be a short one and it is always what a writer leaves out of his book which takes the time, not what he puts in." I hear the echo but find it difficult to heed its advice.
On a lighter note, IAM: adverbs. Great fun with adverbs of manner, the "ly" adverbs. Perhaps you've heard of "Tom Swifities," a type of wordplay where an adverb of manner puns on the context of the preceding sentence. Examples: "Let me show you my photos of the pyramids," Tom said cryptically. And "I'm a member of the James' gang," the outlaw said frankly. "Perhaps they'll ask me to entertain the troops again this year, "said Bob hopefully. "That little girl ripped my Valentine," Tom said halfheartedly. "Throw me one high and inside and see what happens," said Babe ruthlessly. And on and on and on....TMJ
Irish American Mom
Love the adverb game. Never played that one before. Wish I could think of a good line to add on and on and on. "Said Babe ruthlessly" is brilliant....
IAM
Penny Wolf
I want to really feel what I read or hear. How else can a person transfer their experience to another without
digging deep for expression?
You made me happily remember a coworker and I having a great time with the F-Bomb.
We said "fornication under the crowned king" for a day or too instead of the bomb. You
can imagine the looks we received and it sometimes made a maddening situation
a little bit light hearted. It was a blast!
Penny Wolf
"for a day or TWO" 🙂
Irish American Mom
Hi Penny - I love your strategy for some vibrant expression to alleviate stressful situations. What an ingenious plan, and a good way to have some fun at work.
All the best,
Mairéad
brian@irelandfavorites
Glory be to God it's a beautiful day, as are the beautiful luscious words penned above, as for the feckin words, We were privy to some lovely nuns dancing in a small pub who when finished with their exhilarated dance exclaimed what a Feckin good craic was had, so the meaning is in the delivery and the heart I'm sure.
Cheers,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Hi Brian - If only you had captured those prancing sisters on camera you'd have a viral video on your hands. High stepping nuns enjoying the feckin' craic - only in Ireland. 🙂
All the best,
Mairéad
Shannon
I've been teased for how I love to use descriptive words. I wonder if it is in the genes or just all the Irish authors I've absorbed over the many years. My favorite is 'lovely'. I married into a big Mexican-American Catholic family and noticed it is a normal part of their culture as well. Meal times with all of us can be loads of fun!
Irish American Mom
Hi Shannon - 'Lovely' and 'grand' are my two favorites. I don't know how often I say "that'll be grand" every day. Glad to hear you enjoy reading Irish authors. I love many Irish books, but recently many of my favorite Irish writers seem to have passed, like Maeve Binchy, Frank McCourt, Nuala O'Faolain, to name but a few. I miss anticipating their new books.
I have heard there are many similarities between Mexican and Irish customs, and it's nice to learn from someone who can truly compare that this may actually be the case.
Thanks so much for joining our 'lovely, little' discussion on the Irish love of descriptors.
All the best,
Mairéad
Phoebe Cristina
Lately discovered your blog Mairéad and am enjoying it very much. I was prompted to put in my "two cents" as they say here in the US...(maybe it should be My 2p? Haha). Anyway, as a Derry expat married to a man from Mexico, I've also noticed similarities between our cultures. We live in a predominately Mexican-American neighbourhood in a large US city and one thing that struck me straightaway was the custom of painting murals on walls and buildings. Derry and other cities in NI are replete with murals, as are many neighrbourhoods in Mexico City I saw when we travelled there. But I've not seen this anywhere else over here.
Speaking of Irish authors you mentioned some of my favourites too, and I also love the novels by Marian Keyes and Melissa Foster. I hadn't got round to Donal Ryan yet but plan to check out his books as well.
Someone brought up the use of the word "after" in Irish speech and I have to say, I have honestly never heard anyone IRL say they were "after" doing something. IMHO this is an example of "stage Irish" usage, heard mostly in Hollywood movies. And nearly always used incorrectly and all. Like someone saying "I'm after going to the store" when they are actually on their way TO the store at the time! You can't be AFTER doing something until you've done it already! But I guess that's some Americans idea of Irish speech...not all thank goodness.
Irish American Mom
Hi Phoebe - Your "two pence" is much appreciated. It's lovely to learn that you too observe similarities between the Irish and Mexican cultures. I have not seen many murals in America, but have seen many in Derry. My husband is from Letterkenny and has relatives in Derry, so we have been there quite a bit. I haven't read any books by Melissa Foster, so thanks for the recommendation.
I have heard the phrasing "I'm after doing this and that" in Ireland, especially in Cork, but I've definitely never heard it in Donegal. When I first met my husband and visited Donegal, I found it difficult to understand what everyone was saying. Between "wanes" for children, and "yes" for hello, and "aye" for yes, I felt as if I needed a tourist phrase book when I visited. However, my "Donegalese" has improved quite a bit over the past twenty-two years so I have no trouble understanding our relatives these days.
I couldn't agree more with you about "stage Irish" dialogue. We can spot it so easily, and can always tell a fake Irish accent within a few words in a film. I find it difficult to read a book where a non-Irish writer tries to paraphrase Irish speech in their characters' dialogue. It's very difficult for a non-Irish person to get it right.
Thanks so much for stopping by and joining our little discussion.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Maureen N.
Mairead, I was astonished to hear the "F" word used so glibly and often in Dublin, last time I was there. I was sorry to hear the extent of it, and thought, what have we become? It saddened me, and I thought of the reactions of my sheltered American friends upon hearing it in my beloved country. Surely, hopefully, but probably not, it will lessen in usage as the younger generation matures. I would hate to see it infiltrate into the American dialect. The British seem to have a better grip--a better public reserve on that matter. Of course, they have their own choice words in certain places but generally not quite as bad at the moment. Television does not help either. I am thinking of that toilet paper lady wanting people to go commando!!!!). Of course, it all depends on where you go, I'm sure. I believe it may have started off by people thinking it was smart or fashionable to drop that bomb, but I would not want my children to start using that language at all.
I also worked in a hospital here, (Social Worker), and my friends adopted the word "Grand" as an answer to "How are you?" I did not know that they were making fun of me!! Lovely, isn't it?
We have such a colorful language and the translation 'does be after getting us mixed up sometimes!'
Aren't we great altogether?
Laughing,
Maureen
Irish American Mom
Hi Maureen - The extensive use of the "F" word in Ireland shocks me over and over again. After living in America for many years where the word is seldom used, it seems to assault my ears in Ireland. I never remember it being used so prolifically when I was growing up. My children are warned to never use it. I hope they will always heed my warnings.
When I worked in a hospital in Dallas my co-workers also started using the word "grand" to mimic my extensive use of the word. It's too funny to hear that your friends also adopted that glorious word we love to use.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bernadette
Hi Maureen. I have to agree with you, I don't know why so many Irish people use the f word so much. In my family it's never used, I think it's just what you grow up with I suppose. It's a shame really because in general the Irish have such a beautiful lyrical use of language and have no need to resort to swearing for emphasis or expression. Here in the uk it's very popular to employ Irish accents in customer services and call centres because people respond to the accent well, it's very beguiling and almost musical at times.
Irish American Mom
Hi Bernadette - It's lovely to hear that the Irish accent is so much appreciated all over the world. Irish people truly have a musical way of speaking and people for some counties, like Cork, nearly sing as they are talking.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Bernadette
my personal favourite is the Mayo accent, its so soft and musical, I could listen to it for hours.
Irish American Mom
The Mayo accent is soft and musical alright. I fell for the lilting tones of a Donegal man myself.
Thanks so much for checking out this post.
Take care,
Mairéad
Phoebe Cristina
Hi Mairéad -- The Donegal dialect is quite similar to Derry as they are so close to each other. I also have the habit of saying "wains" to mean children, and other phrases that confound my American neighbours. I know some of our expressions are different to those in other parts of Ireland as well. I read a couple of books by non-Irish authors writing about the Irish as they see us, and one author in particular I find extremely insulting is Gerald Hansen. He sets his novels in Derry--claims to have lived there for a time--but the way he paints the city and especially its people is disgusting. Not even during the darkest days of the Troubles did I ever know anyone to be so hateful and foulmouthed as his characters. Quite the opposite in fact; neighbours went out of the way to help others through it. He should write about things like when all the women in our street ( my mam incuded) were out banging their bin lids to warn of the RUC or the British soldiers coming in to commit atrocities against innocent families, and how we protected one another. Okay, that's my rant for the day! So off that subject.
I do tend to be a bit outspoken in "educating" people here as to what the Irish are really like, but I try to be polite about it.
It's nice to find people from home to chat with if only in cyberspace. I get homesick as I haven't much contact with anyone over here. So Slan and have a blessed day.
Le meas, Phoebe
Irish American Mom
Hi Phoebe - Thanks for sharing your stories of growing up in Derry. I think it's difficult for non-Irish people to fully comprehend what people experienced in years gone by. I grew up in Dublin, and know I do not understand what life was like for people in the North during the troubles.
I like how you say you try to "educate" people about what the Irish are really like. Sometimes it's hard to explain a difficult question about our history succinctly, politely, and in a way that others will understand.
I'm so glad you found my website - it's a nice way to link with others who feel connected to Ireland and want to learn more about our culture and heritage. Over my twenty something years in America, I often felt homesick. Sometimes a feeling of homesickness would strike when I least expected it. I remember seeing an image of a green Irish post box on a Baby Einstein DVD when my kids were very young. I felt homesick all day long. I think home sickness could be a good topic for a blog post.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bernadette
Hi,Phoebe. I was interested to see your post about the word wains used as a word for children. I'm in Scotland (born here of Irish parents) and we use that word very commonly to mean children, however we spell it weans. I have a feeling it's probably a Scottish dialect word which found its way to Northern Ireland with Scottish settlers. My dad was from Donegal and he never heard the word before he came to live here.
Irish people have a very lyrical, expressive way of telling you about something. They can make a wonderful story out of nothing! I understand all their unusual expressions and adjectives and it makes stories and chat even better. As a child visiting Donegal to see family, I have lovely memories of storytellers and fiddlers calling at the farmhouse and telling wonderful stories and legends and playing music for us. In return they got their supper and a tot of whiskey, which was funny as my family were all pioneers!
Irish American Mom
Hi Bernadette - What a lovely memory of Donegal storytellers and fiddlers visiting your family's home when you were young. I think many Irish people who were pioneers kept a bottle of whiskey in the cupboard for the sole purpose of treating guests. I always remember my parents would have a bottle of Paddy whiskey to share when visitors arrived, although neither of them were whiskey drinkers.
My husband's family, who are from Donegal, always used the word wane, to describe young children. There are strong ties to Scotland in his family, (his mother was a Campbell) so whether the term originated in Scotland or Donegal, who knows??? I think it may be expression used in the northern parts of county Donegal.
All the best,
Mairéad
Phoebe Cristina
I was just re-reading through my posts here and realised I gave you a wrong name when we were comparing authors--I mentioned Melissa Foster, who I have read but she is not an Irish writer as it turns out; I was actually thinking of Melissa Hill, who is from Dublin. Just misremembered the names.
Irish American Mom
Thanks Phoebe - I'll have to check out both authors. My 'to read' list keeps getting longer and longer. I need a 36-hour day.
All the best,
Mairéad
Phoebe Cristina
I know just what you mean. My Kindle is really full, and I subscribe to a site called Book Bub which sends me deals on e-books every day; there are always free ones and the rest are very reasonable. I've found some really good authors that way; once in a while some books by our favourite Irish and English authors turn up there as well.
marg
Dear IAM,
Thanks for your workable waffle on your adjectives!
(My husband was born in Belfast in 1926 but was taken to England at one year of age.)
When the need arises I say "Ach that lemon is viciously sour!"
Cheers
from
Aus!
Irish American Mom
Hi Marg - Thanks so much for stopping by. Glad to hear both you and your husband embrace the expressiveness of well chosen adjectives.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Brittany G
This article truly made me laugh! I have begun a study of varying cultural linguistic practices for a fictional story I am writing. One of my main characters has an Irish background so this "fierce" little piece of insight will definitely prove helpful to this American writer! Thank you so much!
Irish American Mom
Hi Brittany - I'm so glad you found this article helpful. Wishing you every success with your writing, and thanks for checking out my rambling, long-winded and even 'fierce' justification for the Irish love of adjectives.
Happy writing!
Mairéad
Merryellen Towey Schulz
Interesting! You provided some answers to quesitons that have crossed my mind. I think I inherited from my Irish father
the propesity for using a lot of adjectives when writing or talking.
Irish American Mom
Hi Merryellen - Good to hear you too enjoy using lots of adjectives. It definitely is an Irish thing.
All the best,
Mairéad