The crack with ‘craic’ – An Irishman’s Diary about the nation’s favourite word

The crack with ‘craic’ – An Irishman’s Diary about the nation’s favourite word: "I used to lament the Gaelicisation of that fine old Anglo-Scottish word “crack”. Seeing it spelt as “craic” would set my teeth on edge, as it did the teeth of this paper’s late, great lexicographer Diarmaid Ó Muirithe. But, well, it must be the mellowing of age, or something. In any case, I find myself growing increasingly tolerant on the matter.
There’s no denying that, even if the word led a worthwhile existence during its many years in Britain, it has found this island a vastly more congenial place to live. The “craic” regularly reaches 90 in Ireland, as we know. Whereas the all-time high in England and Scotland is about 65, and mid-50s is closer to the weekday average.
So central is the phenomenon to Irish life that it’s only a matter of time before some defence barrister gets a client off by persuading a jury that the alleged crime was perpetrated “for the craic”. After that, it’ll be a small step to inserting a protective clause in the Constitution guaranteeing each citizen’s right to “have the craic”, alongside other fundamentals such as life and liberty."



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