Learning the Lingo

Learning the Lingo

In Ireland, “grand” does not mean grand. When I right click the word, my Microsoft Word thesaurus gives me synonyms such as “outstanding,” “imposing”, “majestic”, and “splendid.” This is consistent with how I’ve interpreted the word throughout my speaking and reading years.

In Ireland, the word “grand” translates roughly into our word “okay.”

Hence, if you’re taken out for a very nice dinner by a good friend and you’ve thoroughly enjoyed your dish, you do not release a contented sigh, lean back in your seat and say, “That was grand, so.” You say, “That was excellent, thanks a million.” And you wouldn’t use the word to describe a thing.

Inappropriate: the dress was grand.

Appropriate: the party was grand (only if the party wasn’t very good).

And in Ireland, it’s quite common to add extra words to the ends of sentences. “So” seems to be a popular choice.

“It was grand, so,” would be a common way to describe a perfectly adequate (but by no means sensational) experience.

The word “underwear” is seldom used. Women wear knickers and men wear... I think men still get to wear boxers.  The word “panties” is only used to describe the bulky undergarments worn by grandmas.

Men do not wear knickers. Knickers are sexy undergarments for the ladies and if you ask a fellow whether or not he remembered to pack his knickers, you could receive a rather odd look.

In America, we generally regard suspenders as the old-fashioned straps that hold up your jeans, Little House on the Prairie style. In Ireland, suspenders are the straps that attach your nylons to your knickers. What we call suspenders, they call “braces.”

“I’m burstin’ to go to the loo!” is a popular way to excuse yourself to the bathroom.

Never wait for the green man to tell you to walk at a stoplight. You will receive the “stupid American” look (which I get every time I tell someone I used the word “volunteer” at immigration). Go as soon as no cars are coming, and if one does pop up around the corner (which is very likely), give the driver the “don’t you dare hit me,” look.

I have yet to master the look, so I just line up next to someone who appears to be proficient and walk when they walk. As I did in Morocco. I tried to cross the street by myself the other day and was nearly hit because I momentarily forgot that cars drive on the left side of the road here. Now I just wait for someone to shadow.

If someone doesn’t drink, he/she is called a “pioneer” or a “tea-totaller”.

The word “yoke” is equivalent to our word “thing.”

“Could you hand me the blue thing next to the cabinet?”

“Could ya pass me da blue yoke beside da press, now?”

I’m sure there will be much more to come... but that’s all I can think of for the moment.