Crack (craic)
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CraicNow crack is often interpreted as a specifically and quintessentially Irish form of fun. The adoption of the Gaelic spelling craic has reinforced the sense that this is an independent word (homophone) rather than an extension of the original meanings (polysemy). Like many English words over the centuries, crack was borrowed into the Irish language with a Gaelicized spelling (craic). This was popularized in the catchphrase Beidh ceol, caint agus craic againn ("We'll have music, chat and crack") used by Seán Bán Breathnach for his Irish-language chatshow, SBB ina Shuí, broadcast by RTÉ from 1976-83. It was also used on Irish-language hand-lettered signs displayed outside many pubs, and subsequently the Irish spelling was reborrowed for English-language signs and publications. Until the late 1980s this spelling was unknown in English: Barney Rush's 1960s song "The Crack was Ninety in the Isle of Man" doesn't use the Irish language spelling.
UsageExamples of use would be a reply to the question, "How was your evening?" such as "Aye, it was good crack," which means "I had a good time". A person who is "good crack" is fun to be with. Crack is, by default, positive: "good crack", "great crack", "the crack was ninety" or "the crack was mighty". However, "bad crack" is also used occasionally. In Irish, "Bhí craic againn" is "We had a good time"; "Bhí an-chraic againn" is "We had a great time".The "news" sense of crack is used in the singular in Hiberno-English, although originally Scots used the plural:
References
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