vamysteryfan: (Default)
vamysteryfan ([personal profile] vamysteryfan) wrote2007-10-15 01:50 pm

How the Irish Invented Slang

A friend worked on the research for this book, but I had to pass the info along. My favorite is Daideo

WORDS WITH GAELIC ROOTS - Some American English
slang words with Mr Cassidy's version of their Irish root below:
* Buck: a strong and spirited young man
* boc: a wag, a playboy

* Caca: euphemism for excrement
* Cac/caca - excrement, filth, probably derived from the Latin caco

* Cantankerous: grumpy, awkward
* Ceanndanacht arsa - old obstinacy, aged wilfulness.

* Cold turkey: cut off an addiction abruptly
* Coilleoireach, coillteoireachta - cutting off, expurgation

* Daddy-o - affectionate term for trendy male
* Daideo - grandfather

* Freaky: strange or unsettling
* Fraochaidhe: fierce, fuerious, passionate

* Gee Whiz: exclamation
* Dia Uas: Great God!

* Geezer: fellow
* Gaomshar, gaosach: a wise person

* Hick: a rural person
* Aitheach: a peasant

* Racket: organised crime
* Ragaireachd: violence, extortion

* Razzmatazz: showing off, extravagance
* Roiseadh mortas: high spirits and exultation.

Citations, References, and Resources
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Linguistics/irish3.html
Census Information for
New Youk and California early 1900's. Remember in
1859 Philadelphia is the 4th largest city in the WORLD.