I fully understand the prejudice against these sort of books—the title of this one is kind of embarrassing. But there is some genuinely interesting stuff inside. When you look at all the old American slang words listed as "origin unknown" in the great English dictionaries, then take into account the millions of Irish-speaking immigrants who poured into American, British and Australian ports in the 19th and 20th centuries, then look at the striking phonetic and semantic similarities of the slang words with common Gaelic words and phrases in use at the time, then research the first published use of the slang words in question—a case starts to be built up that isn't easily brushed aside. And in most of the examples given in the book, the case for the Gaelic origin is a lot stronger than the alternative.
One example: the phrase "mind your own bee's wax," which first became popular in American slang in the 1920s. No one knows where it came from, and many wacky theories have been proposed. Meanwhile béasmhaireacht (pron. beeswəract) = morality, manners, habits.
The book's worth picking up and flipping through if you see it in the bookstore, if for nothing else than to look up the supposed Gaelic origins of the word "gimmick."
sionnach: the Gaelic equivalents of the words you cited: bas (boss; best, very good), áilteoir scaoilte (a run amok clown; an unconstrained wild prankster; a loose-limbed trickster), teas (pron. j'ass; heat, passion, excitement), roiseadh mórtas (a blast of high spirits and exultation; a burst of boastfulness and bragging).
But you really gotta pick up the book for the full explanation.
According to legend, when Rhode Island founder Roger Williams landed on the shore of Providence in 1636, Narragansett Indians bade him a friendly "What cheer, netop?" ("how goes it, friend?")
Comments by flannagan
flannagan commented on the list slang-words-of-irish-origin-according-to-daniel-cassidy-author-of-how-the-irish-invented-slang
I fully understand the prejudice against these sort of books—the title of this one is kind of embarrassing. But there is some genuinely interesting stuff inside. When you look at all the old American slang words listed as "origin unknown" in the great English dictionaries, then take into account the millions of Irish-speaking immigrants who poured into American, British and Australian ports in the 19th and 20th centuries, then look at the striking phonetic and semantic similarities of the slang words with common Gaelic words and phrases in use at the time, then research the first published use of the slang words in question—a case starts to be built up that isn't easily brushed aside. And in most of the examples given in the book, the case for the Gaelic origin is a lot stronger than the alternative.
One example: the phrase "mind your own bee's wax," which first became popular in American slang in the 1920s. No one knows where it came from, and many wacky theories have been proposed. Meanwhile béasmhaireacht (pron. beeswəract) = morality, manners, habits.
The book's worth picking up and flipping through if you see it in the bookstore, if for nothing else than to look up the supposed Gaelic origins of the word "gimmick."
November 9, 2007
flannagan commented on the list slang-words-of-irish-origin-according-to-daniel-cassidy-author-of-how-the-irish-invented-slang
sionnach: the Gaelic equivalents of the words you cited: bas (boss; best, very good), áilteoir scaoilte (a run amok clown; an unconstrained wild prankster; a loose-limbed trickster), teas (pron. j'ass; heat, passion, excitement), roiseadh mórtas (a blast of high spirits and exultation; a burst of boastfulness and bragging).
But you really gotta pick up the book for the full explanation.
November 8, 2007
flannagan commented on the word mobby
An alcoholic drink made from sweet potatoes.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misoxeny
Hatred of strangers.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misotramontanism
A hatred of the unknown.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misosophy
Hatred of wisdom.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misoscopist
A hater of beauty.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misopolemiac
A war-hater.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misomania
Hatred of everything.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misodoctakleidist
One who hates to practice the piano.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misocanpnist
A hater of tobacco smoke.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misocainia
Hatred of anything new or strange.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word miserotia
Aversion to sex.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word misarchist
A person who hates authority.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word ateknia
Childlessness.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word brool
(A low roar; a deep murmur or humming.)
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word carrell
A small reading area in the stacks of a library.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word horaphthia
A neurotic preoccupation with one's youth.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word inby
Inwardly, within (Scottish).
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word kindergraph
A photograph of a child.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word lecheur
A devotee of oral intercourse; a licker.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word limberham
A supple-jointed person; figuratively: a fawning or servile person.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word lollybanger
Gingerbread with raisins.
July 31, 2007
flannagan commented on the word gair
Sharp, eager, greedy.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word varietist
1. an unorthodox person. 2. one who practices unorthodox sex.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word spintry
A male whore.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word slowcome
A lazy person.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word raun
Fish eggs; roe.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word preagonal
Just before death.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word calecannon
A stew made mostly from potatoes and greens (Irish).
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word crepehanger
A gloomy person; a pessimist.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word edea
The external genitals.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word droze
To melt irregularly and drip, as a candle.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word eoan
Pertaining to the dawn or the east.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word henism
The theory that existence is a single principle.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word hield
1. to incline, to be favorable. 2. to decline or droop. 3. to yield. 4. to turn away.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word hirr
To order a dog forward.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word lirp
To snap the fingers; a snap.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word logolept
A word maniac.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word meable
Capable of being easily penetrated.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word nestcock
A male homebody.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word fitz
A twelfth-century patronymic for royal bastards.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word esssse
Obsolete form of ashes
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word cosher
To live off someone; to have a friendly chat.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word clodpolish
Awkward (slang).
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word clamjamfry
The mob or rabble (Scottish).
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word catlap
A weak drink, fit only for cats to lap.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word ayne
Eldest.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word chirospasm
Writer's cramp.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word sirenic
Like a siren: fascinating and dangerous.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word sistle
To whistle with a hissing sound.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word skygodlin
Diagonally.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word slampamp
Medley, confusion.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word snash
Abuse, insolence.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word snarleyyow
Slang for dog.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word snoach
To speak through the nose.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word sneckdraw
A sly person.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word onolatry
Ass-worship.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the word omnilegent
Reading everything.
July 30, 2007
flannagan commented on the list crazy-like-me
I'm obsessed with this list!
February 20, 2007
flannagan commented on the word reichian
As in Wilhelm.
February 17, 2007
flannagan commented on the word euonym
Popularized by Rebecca Sealfon.
January 17, 2007
flannagan commented on the word netop
According to legend, when Rhode Island founder Roger Williams landed on the shore of Providence in 1636, Narragansett Indians bade him a friendly "What cheer, netop?" ("how goes it, friend?")
January 15, 2007