Special Sub-Topic: High Till Speak Norn Iron Click Here To Play: High Till Speak Norn Iron

When I first arrived in Belfast, I met a number of new people, many of whom greeted me by asking me “How’s the craic?” (pronounced ‘crack’). I assumed they weren’t asking me about the quality of illegal drugs in America, but I had no idea what the word meant. I later learned that craic has a multitude of meanings. Which of the following is NOT one of the meanings of craic?

Cigarette. Craic can mean many things, depending upon its context and usage, but most commonly refers to good times or gossip. Some examples include: “She's great craic when she gets going!” “Did you not hear the craic? Siobhan is up the duff.” “That party was great craic!” “The craic's tremendous.”

After solving the “craic” mystery, I moved on to another inscrutable phrase. What does the phrase “bout ye” mean?

How are you?. Bout ye is an abbreviated form of the greeting “How's about ye”. If one is feeling particularly lazy, these two syllables can be reduced to a simple skyward nod. For those who insist on verbal communication, other common greetings in Northern Ireland include: “How’s you?” “How’s the form?” “Is that you?” (which can also mean "are you finished?")

I held a number of jobs while I lived in Belfast, including a stint as a preschool teacher (no one can teach you the finer points of a language like a three-year-old). One morning I happened to pass a classroom where a teacher was reading a story about something she pronounced “chim-blee”. What the heck is that?

Part of a building. Chimbley is a colloquialism for chimney. Apparently the term is actually quite common in parts of America.

One of my most embarrassing moments in Belfast happened when I made the mistake of asking a coworker for a ride (which, in Northern Ireland, essentially amounts to asking someone to sleep with you). What should I have asked for instead?

A lift. In addition to completely humiliating myself by accidentally making passes at my coworkers, I also made a fool of myself in front of a local pastor. While I was visiting his home one afternoon, he offered me something to eat. I refused by telling him I was full, only to find that in Northern Ireland, the term full means drunk.

“Your man” is one of the most commonly uttered phrases in all of Northern Ireland. During my first few weeks in the country, I spent a great deal of time smiling and nodding, so as not to appear stupid, whenever the enigmatic “your man” was mentioned. To whom does the phrase refer?

Any male. The first few times I heard people discussing “your man”, I wondered about this singular man that everyone seemed to know. I later realized my mistake, when I discovered that “your man” can be any male. “Your man ended up in hospital.” “Your man is mingin’!" “Your man is great craic.”

While I was enjoying dinner with friends, our host asked if anyone would care for a bap. I was not familiar with the term, and was wary (having previously dined on such local delicacies as black pudding). To my relief, what did my host serve to the group?

Dinner rolls. Although the word bap can refer to a dinner roll, it more commonly describes what Americans would call a hamburger bun or Kaiser roll. To make matters more confusing (for easily befuddled people like myself), the term bun refers to sweet baked goods like crumpets or hot cross buns.

Apparently I’m not the only person hurting British perceptions about Americans’ mental competence. While visiting a restaurant during our first week in the country my roommate ordered soda. What did she receive instead of a soft drink?

Bread. Soda bread gets its name from its preparation, in which baking soda is substituted for yeast. The soda farl (a flat piece of bread shaped roughly like a triangle) is an important part of an Ulster Fry, the emblematic dish of Northern Ireland.

In Northern Ireland, a common way to address a group is “yous”.

t. Having grown up in Georgia, I found the term reminiscent of the phrase y’all. According to some sources the word yous is derived from the Irish second person plural, sibh.

What derogatory term do people in Northern Ireland frequently use to describe a tawdry, vulgar, or uneducated girl?

Millie. The term millie came into use in Northern Ireland during the nineteenth century, when the word was used to describe the young, working class mill workers. The word is now a generic insult for any girl who is considered rude or tacky.

Some of my favorite aspects of slang in Northern Ireland were the many ways people found to describe something as great. Which of the following words would NOT typically be used as a synonym for good?

Peelers. Peelers is a slang term for police. The rest of the words are all essentially synonyms for good. I love Northern Ireland and its dialect (despite my seeming ineptitude when using it) and I hope you enjoyed my quiz!