Gaeilge swear words.
A like to "Bloddy Hell"
Or God!
"Shit"
"Damn"
"Bugger off"
I know too many British ones, would like to know some very Irish originals.

The problem for swear words in Irish, is that the language was nearly killed off, and then was revived by the kind of people who wouldn't like anyone to think that they knew (much less used) such words.
Most people learn their Irish in school, and not out in the 'normal' world.

Result:
We'd know the equivalent of 'Oh Dear' or 'Bother'.
"Dia linn" - O God (God be with us)
"T'anam an Diabhal" - Soul to the Devil


However, knowledge of F-type-words is confined for the most part to small Irish-speaking areas.


In connection with the above, a notable event took place at a GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) match a few years ago.
Some jokers in the crowd unfurled a banner which read: "Scaoil amach an phobalín" (I think that's the spelling of the last word *LOL*.
This caused much scratching of heads. "Free out the .... what?"

It turned out that it meant "Show us your little bush" (if ya know wad I mean).
Fire and brimstone rained down. Fulminations issues from committee rooms and pulpits. Dear oh dearie me. There WAS a fuss.


There's your answer Calypso.
There ARE words. There IS a Santa.
They are all hard to get hold of.

The simple answer to the original question is:No, there isn't an equivalent to F**k off, since that is a relatively modern 'invention.' Most Irish curses are just curses. 'May your cattle get the pox', 'May your soul rest with the Devil.' That sorta thing. Fairly harmless stuff, don't ya know.

*thinks someone put a curse on her cattle* ...

now Aussie cussing *grin* ....... nahh

*tells the hamster..."No, there is no Irish curse that says 'May your hamster get the pox' "...then covers his eyes so he doesn't see the little bush business...*

Hmmm....Aussie cussing...."Great wallowing wallabys"...or "A thousand blemishes on your budgies"....or the ever popular, "May you get fleas on your dingo"

Now, Acc, how is the shrubbery these days?....

Enlighten me. I'm all ears or fingers.
And I didn't say F'Off I said bugger. Which we're back to that other langauge. Merde!
Shrubberies? Isn't that Monty Python?

Well, Calypsopoet, I have only heard tell of the Aussie cussing .. I, naturally, am too sweet to ACTUALLY know any *sweetest smile*, but Rogue seems to be doing a great job!! I wonder who he has been talking to ........

Ah, Mistress Lacie.....it came to me in a dream, as these things often do, especially after a piece of bad pizza...however, after consulting many recently stolen ancient historical documents...ahhh....many of which are, of course ....hmmm.....shall we say....undated....do credit Cromwell with coining the phrase "Bugger your budgie". It fell into disuse after several decades when the Brits, the slow, dim-witted people we all know and love, found out, after years of research, that budgies are totally impractical for any form of buggery at all...The Irish already knew Cromwell was a bit...ahhh...balmy, as Saint Patrick had already lured all the budgies out of Ireland with a monumental trail of birdseed, the remains of which are now for sale, on the archeological shelves of pet shops around the world... and the secret of budgie buggery, well, it went with Cromwell to his grave, leaving the Brits with yet another great cultural mystery.

*after picking herself up off the floor from laughing soooooooooooo Merrily* ... ahh Rogue, we have a budgie in our family room, who churps away happily with no one trying any buggery on him *L* for the very reason you state. Usless they are, accept to churp happily.

In our Australian language, the words "bugger" and "buggery" have evolved into almost words of enderment!! *L* It would not be uncommon for me to call one of my sons, or brothers "a little bugger" .. meaning they have been sweetly naughty, or downright baaaaaaaaad *L* Strange, but true .. *best Derek Nimo voice*

I do agree, though, with the concept that many of the 'dear Brit's' sayings layed dormat for decades ..... until the Aussies and the Irish found a damn good use for them *smile*

For instance "Hello Queen", in the land of our forefathers usually means, "Hello Lady of the species" .... but WE know different *L* ... there are many, many others, BUT I must admit with pride, I have many good friends who are "fromUK" (prounounced as all one word) whom I love dearly, and will, therefore consult on the validity of my insults, before I post. They are the BEST UKer knockers *L*

I don't believe in *the sins of the fathers* .. so I will continue to hold the heritage of the POMS I know here with humour and great mirth.

post script: .. it is also quite normal for me to call my sisters, or girlfriends, in humour a *bitch faced mongrel dog* ...... and they would laugh.

worlds apart, aren't we?? ... when i first saw this line of convo, I wondered were it would lead, but, I guess, for me, it has shown me the difference between *online chat* and face to face. I WOULD NEVER type *bitch face mongel dog* to someone ROTFLMAO ... yet I am sure I called typan that just yesterday, cause she did something nice and unexpected *smile*.... i would also call her that if she did something baaaaaaaad *L* ... language .. WHO can work it out??? *LMAO*

*orders a pizza, delivered, for Rogue*

Do y'all know each other.
Now, I enjoy the conversation. but I am serious about my quest. Give me something useful.
Gaelic!
Are budgies snakes or birds?
I am going to start a new quest.

Budgies are birds...=)

Bonjour,
The world has expanded.
Let's keep the good things alive.
People if you are interested go to the next
topic

Are BUDGIES SNAKES????
Just goes to show not everyone in the world knows everything else in the world!!!
I'm rather enjoying all this comparative linguistics. Since the only language we ALL have in common appears to be English, I can't see the point in never referring to it at all.
While English has been the dominant language in many, many colonisations of many, many countries, to the detriment of the languages spoken there, don't forget English has itself picked up quite a few words from other languages. Only Irish example I can immediately recall is galore - appears to come from go leor, enough. Does anyone know of any others?
It's important to remember, too, that languages are ever-growing and changing things. There are more languages in danger of extinction than there are animals. Languages die out every year, and not always for sinister reasons (eg genocide). In the Middle East and Asia it's quite normal for people to speak three or four languages - family dialect (eg home village), another one for school and business, perhaps another for religious purposes, and so forth. But with the way the world changes, people increasingly have to move to new places for work etc, where their native tongue is useless, so they stop using it. Maybe they use it to the kids, who end up knowing a little, but who stop using it when they marry. And before you know it, all gone.

Re Irish nearly dying out - I know it wasn't taught in schools for a long time, I know that a couple of hundred years ago it was actually illegal to speak it (but practically impossible to enforce, since it was also illegal to educate Irish people), but I also know that in the West, if nowhere else, there were still people who spoke only Irish early in this century.

WHat happened between then and now? There are certain parallels with the NZ indigenous language, Maori. One of the reasons it nearly died out was because teachers actually punished children for using it at school during the '20s -'50s. So when those kids grew up they made a point of not teaching their own kids Maori. What resulted was an entire generation with no knowledge of their own language, who often didn't even realise their parents were fluent speakers. My cousin's husband is such a person - his kids speak more Maori than he does (in fact I speak more Maori than he does - and I can't say anything except hello, goodbye etc!!)
Did something similar happen in Ireland? My granny was a fluent speaker but my father insists point blank he knows no Irish whatsoever (I've tried secretive testing and this appears to be true). Yet his younger siblings all know a tiny bit.
I'd really like to know the ins and outs of the Gaelic resurgence.

PS - speaking of Bugger - this has now become "word du jour" in the New Zealand advertising world after an enormously popular ad for Toyota featured its use extensively. Very popular ad in Australia too I believe.
In NZ the use of apparently abusive terms as endearments is also very very common.

Hi,
I am just writing in relation to the person who is writing a novel and was looking for swear words. It is actually really hard to find curses "as Gailge" but if you are writing your novel in English then there actually is a difference between the curses that we would use and the ones the British might use even though they may all fall under the title of English curses. For example it is rare enough that we would say bugger, we much prefer the word Feck. We are also known to use the word (Hope no-one is offended ) bollix. Gobshite and indeed shite itself is very much Irish termonology as opposed to British.
I hope this is helpful in some way.

cool just what i'm after

Hey Calypsopoet

Check these out.

Go dtachta an diabhal thú! (May the devil choke you)

Focáil leat! (F**k off)

Téigh trasna ort féin! (Go across yourself, i.e., go f**k yourself)

Damnú ort! (Damnation on you)

Loscadh is dó ort! (Scorching and burning on you)

Múchadh is bá ort! (Smothering and drowning on you)

Marbhfháisc ort! (A shroud on you)

'scuse my french

Swearing in foreign languages...something you don't generally learn in school, isn't it? :) I remember looking through the linguistics shelves of one particular bookstore in Spokane, WA, several years ago and coming across a book entitled "Merda!" which taught those interested how to curse in Italian--or more appropriately, to know when someone is calling you a nasty name in Italian, or propositioning you rather blatantly in Italian.
I studied Russian for two years at the University of Mississippi--wish I'd had the opportunity to study Gaelic; only place you can really do that here in the USA is Harvard, which actually offers a degree in Celtic languages. Yes, for the price of a Ferrari, you too can learn to speak Irish, Scots-Gaelic and Welsh! :)
And I don't remember much of the Russian I studied, either... Ya govoryu po-Russky, ya slushyu po-Russky, ya znayu po-Russky... Do svidanya, na zdoroviye, Kiev bolshoi gorod vUkrainya. :)

Have a look at An tInneal Mallachtaí
(The Curse Engine)

http://hermes.lincolnu.edu/~focal/scripts/mallacht.htm

Not traditional curses, but educational :)

There is a sailboat abreast of me that spouts a teak name board with a carved ~~~~CEILIDH~~~~
I thought it Celtic. Can anyone explain the meaning to the word so I can inform the new boat owner of the ships Name ~~~~CEILIDH~~~~
I ALSO have a new Email address at calypsopoets@hotmail.com

what's the gaelic for penis, testicles, sperm and vagina?

Yeah..like they're ALWAYS popping up in MY conversations with Irish people......*LLL*

obviously

How does one say 'hiding behind guest label' in Gaelic?? *S* and I mean *S* as I meant *L* as in *LLL*.

One of my favorite curses (of a sort) is:

Go n-ithe an cat thú, is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat

basically "May the cat eat you, and the devil eat the cat".