Crack/Craic

Jonnybmac

Jonnybmac

Jonnybmac

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Joined
17 Dec 2009
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2,008
Just had a debate with a mate, and I often get stick for spelling it 'wrong' when I say good craic or bad craic, but thats how I've always said it and how I've always known to be the right way of saying it. I told them its an irish word and got told you can put an irish word in the middle of an english sentence. Who else spells it craic and who doesnt?
 
Anyone from ireland will say craic, everyone else will scratch head.

"What's the craic" being the typical opener when you see a friend.
 
From wiki:
Fintan Vallely suggests that use of craic in English is largely an exercise on the part of Irish-themed pubs to make money through the commercialisation of traditional Irish music.

So unless you are an Irish-themed pub, you are wrong
 
At first the craic form was uncommon outside of Irish, even in an Irish context. Barney Rush's 1960s song "The Crack Was Ninety in the Isle of Man" does not use the Irish-language spelling, neither is it used in Christy Moore's 1978 version.[14] However, The Dubliners' 2006 version adopts the Irish spelling.[15] Now, 'craic' is interpreted as a specifically and quintessentially Irish form of fun
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The spelling craic has attracted some criticism. English language specialist Diarmaid Ó Muirithe wrote in his Irish Times column "The Words We Use" that "the constant Gaelicisation of the good old English-Scottish dialect word crack as craic sets my teeth on edge."[17] In his Companion to Irish Traditional Music, Fintan Vallely suggests that use of craic in English is largely an exercise on the part of Irish-themed pubs to make money through the commercialisation of traditional Irish music
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so fine to use Craic if your Irish, if your English and you use Craic, you just come across like a tit.:D
 
-Exodus- said:
it's craic, it's an irish word and spelt that way because there is not K in the gaelic alphabet.
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Jonnybmac said:
But craic is pronounced as crack, hence why the english say crack because thats how it sounds to spell. Isnt the real roots craic?
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Nope. Real roots was English. The Irish stole it and spelt it Craic as there was no letter for K.

Like many other words over the centuries, 'crack' was borrowed into the Irish language with the Gaelicized spelling craic.[1] It was in use as early as the 1960s,[11] and was popularized in the catchphrase 'Beidh ceol, caint agus craic againn' ('We'll have music, chat and craic'), used by Seán Bán Breathnach for his Irish-language chatshow SBB ina Shuí, broadcast on RTÉ from 1976 to 1982.[1][12][13]
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Hell, the Irish didn't even steal it until the 1960's!

Therefore, based on original origins it is "Crack". Fine to use Craic if your Irish and that's it.

End of argument as there isn't one. ;)
 
Can't say I've ever written Craic or Crack, in that context I would use "a laugh" or another generic term.
 
Greebo said:
Nope. Real roots was English. The Irish stole it and spelt it Craic as there was no letter for K.



Hell, the Irish didn't even steal it until the 1960's!

Therefore, based on original origins it is "Crack". Fine to use Craic if your Irish and that's it.

End of argument as there isn't one. ;)
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Do you also advocate banning the use of the word anime? Should we tell the French to stop spelling it "tennis"?
 
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