Words English took from Irish and Scottish Gaelic
You're in a pub in Galway, and your friend says half the words you're using started out in Gaelic.
The phrase
Make mine a small whisky with no ice, please.10 words10 sentences
The ten words
- whisky/ˈwɪski/Also said ˈhwɪski.
noun
A strong drink made from grain.
- slogan/ˈsloʊɡən/
noun
A short, catchy phrase a group keeps repeating.
- galore/ɡəˈlɔːr/
adjective
In great supply.
- smithereens/ˌsmɪðərˈiːnz/
noun
Tiny broken pieces.
- leprechaun/ˈlepərkaʊn/
noun
A tricky little man from Irish stories.
- boycott/ˈbɔɪˌkɑːt/
verb
To refuse to do business with someone as a protest.
- spree/spriː/
noun
A short, wild burst of doing what you like.
- bog/bɑːɡ/Also said bɔːɡ.
verb
To slow something down until it gets stuck.
- gab/ɡæb/
verb
To chat a lot.
- crony/ˈkroʊni/
noun
A close friend you spend a lot of time with.
The sentences
Make mine a small whisky with no ice, please.
That sounds like a slogan from an old beer ad.
There are pubs galore on this street.
He dropped the glass and it smashed to smithereens.
The barman swears he saw a leprechaun last night.
We should boycott any bar that plays music this loud.
We went on a shopping spree before we came here.
Don't bog the story down with every detail.
You two could gab for hours in a place like this.
He's sitting over there with his old crony from school.
Pronunciation
smithereens/ˌsmɪðərˈiːnz/
The stress falls on the last part, "reens," not on "smith."
leprechaun/ˈlepərkaʊn/
The last part rhymes with "town," not with "con."
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