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High Till Speak Norn Iron

Crafted by Trivia Architect alice_cullen7

Fun Trivia : Quizzes : Varieties of English : High Till Speak Norn Iron

Introduction:
"I spent a few years living in Northern Ireland (or Norn Iron as Belfast natives would pronounce it). This quiz takes a look at some of the interesting slang that I encountered and the blunders I made trying to grasp the local dialect."


1. 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
    A fun event or person
    Music
    Gossip


2. After solving the ?craic? mystery, I moved on to another inscrutable phrase. What does the phrase ?bout ye? mean?
    Behave yourself!
    Can I borrow that?
    Goodbye
    How are you?


3. 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?
    An animal
    An article of clothing
    A car
    Part of a building


4. 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 cart
    A slide
    A strap
    A lift


5. ?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?
    Your father
    Any male
    Your husband/boyfriend
    Your boss


6. 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?
    Fried potatoes
    Beer
    Dinner rolls
    Chocolate


7. 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
    Ice cream
    Beer
    Baking soda


8. In Northern Ireland, a common way to address a group is ?yous?.
    True
    False


9. What derogatory term do people in Northern Ireland frequently use to describe a tawdry, vulgar, or uneducated girl?
    Millie
    Gertie
    Susie
    Ginnie


10. 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?
    Dead on
    Class
    Peelers
    Grand


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