Back in Dublin now after 5 weeks in 5 different U.S. states. The Irish summer weather, slushy and cold when I left, is now bright and crisp; perfect for an afternoon watching the swans in leafy St. Stephen’s Green, or an evening stroll down Grafton Street. I’d do both of those things if I could […]
Ireland
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Dear Ireland,
I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked – I’m coming back soon, I promise – but as I was sitting down to lunch at Dallas BBQ on 8th Street, I inhaled a steamy whiff of my chicken vegetable soup and was suddenly reminded that there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for […]
Your Hiberno-English Word For the Day
Today’s secret word is eejit. Its meaning will be pretty self-evident to any English speaker, but let’s see how it works. American-English: Rush Limbaugh is a big, fat, idiot. Hiberno-English: God, Jedward are a pair of awful eejits, aren’t they? Eejit: a word to be uttered with equal measures of passion and disgust. Just look […]
Your Hiberno-English Word of the Day
Today’s secret word is ridebag. American-English: Dang, the new guy in Accounting is a total hottie. Hiberno-English: Jaysus, the new guy in Accounting is a complete ridebag, isn’t he? Ridebag. I’m dying. I’m dying! Leave it to the Irish to blend wit and lust. Note: I’ve yet to hear this word used in actual dialogue, […]
Blueberries
My landlords have recently put a patio set out in the back, where the laundry machines are, and this is awesome. There are two chairs, a small glass table, a small potted section of palm tree, and a bucket filled with sand to serve as an ash tray. I don’t smoke, but I do sit, […]
Your Hiberno-English Word of the Day
Today’s secret word is gorgeous. Let’s see how it works. American-English: That sweater you got from KMart is pretty cute. Hiberno-English: That jumper you’re after buying from Dunnes is just gorgeous! Got it? Cute/pleasing = gorgeous. That goes for budget clothes, people, objects, and behavior. I can be gorgeous if I feel like it, just […]
To the Man With the Tweed Hat Who Sat Next to Me on the 128 Bus…
… and eyed me for a good five minutes before asking me, “And where are you from yourself?” and then, “New York? So you’re American. You know, we get a lot of foreigners in Ireland these days. They’re on the social welfare and they’re doing odd jobs and they don’t speak English. Immigrants, you know […]
Life is Easy in the Green
One term paper down; one more to go. Getting to that M.Phil inch by inch, even if it kills me to sit still and concentrate during this glorious Irish spring. Case in point: the other day, I went to to school to pretend to get some work done, but was too distracted to accomplish much […]
It’s a Jungle Out There
This is what I see as I leave the house in the morning: A veritable jungle at my doorstep. The spring rains have encouraged the greenery to grow lusher and lusher, until I’m obliged to hack my way through the brush every time I want to leave the house. Well done, Mother Nature – ’tis […]
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Potato Famine? My Arse.
So it’s El Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo for you, that is; they don’t do Cinco de Mayo here in Ireland. But that’s okay; I don’t need no estinking margaritas or nachos or mariachis because I have POTATOES. Read ’em and weep, putos.