Master Insults In Irish. A Chunúis!
Caithríona - Mise, a Bheartla? Mise ag tóraíocht béadáin! Thug sé a dheargéitheach. Cré na Cille p. 231
Caithríona - Me, Beartla? Me, trying to get gossip! He told a blatant lie.
Considered one of the masterworks of modern Irish literature,Cré na Cille contains a wealth of ‘insulting’ words that spice up the speech of the characters in the book . In particular, the main character, Caithríona, is very adept at ‘sceanach cainte’ (cutting, slashing talk). Most of the ‘insulting’ language below is taken from the pages of Cré na Cille by Máirtín Ó Cadhain. The book is described as a novel but really it's a play and I only began to appreciate how great this work was when I got it in the audio book format. The actors breathe life into the printed word and capture the wit and rhythmic flow of the Irish language.
Caithríona - Is beag is ionann thú agus an cunús sin Tom Rua... Cré p.220
Caithríona - At least you're not like that waster Tom Rua...
Béadáin a dhéanamh ar dhuine, cast aspersions on s.o., slander, gossip
Lucht spíde, detractors, slanderers
ag caitheamh spíde orainn, casting aspersions on us
An bacach! Lame begger!
An bodairlín bíogach! The measly little lout
A bhromairín! You little windbag!
A bhrogúis! You surly git!
An bualsach! Slut, scumbag
bualtaigh, smear with dung
Crap leat go deo! Get lost!
An cocaire! Cheeky person, upstart (jm)
Conablach, m., carcass, remains, hulk
Claimhín, dirty, mangy pest
A chunúis! You waster, slovenly git
Draoibeog, slut
Eallach, cow
Gáifeacht chainte, exaggerated, ostentatious talk
Gaige na maige, swaggering fop,dandy
Cock-of-the-walk
A ghraibairín, little scrounger
I once heard an Irish woman claim that the Irish language didn’t have a word that corresponded to the German word ‘Schadenfreud’ (i.e joy at the misfortune of others) and implying that because the word did not exist in Irish that Irish people did not indulge in these sort of unsavoury pleasures. Well, the Irish might not have a word like ‘Schadenfreud’ but they have a phrase … ‘Ag gáire faoi ionard a gcomharsan, laughing at their neighbours misfortune’.
Nóirín Sheáinín - Na lig ort go gcloiseann tú an So and So ar chor ar bith…
Caithríona - So and So! So and So! Nóirín Sheáinín ag tabhairt So and So orm!
Nóirín Sheáinín - Pretend you don't hear the So and So at all...
Caithríona - So and So! So and So! Nóirín Sheáinín calling me a So and So.
The three ‘F’s : fuath, fearg agus fala; hate, anger, and spite
Falchaí, adj. begrudging, mean, paltry
Leathbhrín, half-wit
An laisceach bhradach! The thieving scold, shrew! Bid Shorcha Cré p.163
A mhagarlach! Big bollocks! Big scrotum!
Magarlán, m., old ‘bags’, dolt
An meirdreach, the prostitute
A phleoitín! You little idiot!
An priocsmut,m., nosey-parker
Ruibhseach, sharp tongued, abusive woman Ruibh, venom, sting
Ráitseach f, wanton woman
Rálach, f., loose woman, harlot
Rampaire, m., sportive person, playboy
Raibiléir, rip, hussy, harlot
Radaire, m., flirt, reveller
Caithríona - Ó, nach beag de mheas a bhí aige ( Lord Cockton) ar a mhótar ag cur raicleacha( her sister, Neil) mar sin isteach ann!...
Caithríona - Oh, what little respect he had for his motor car to allow a vixen like her get into it!...
Sceanach cainte, cutting, slashing talk
Scramairí, scrounger
Steallaire, sprouter, tattler, a squirt
Strapairlín bradach! Thieving hussy.
An scólachán breallach! Thin, worn out person, warped, useless blunderer!
An scólachán gránna, the ugly waster
Caithríona - Ní phósfainn thú, a scólacháin ghránna*, dá dtagadh caileannógach orm d'uireasa fir,' a deirim féin. Cré p.35
Caithríona - I'm telling you, I wouldn't marry you, you ugly waster, even if I were to break out in a green scum for the want of a man.
* Brian Mór
An sprochaillín uaibhreachan, snotty old bags (loose flesh,wattle of cock)
An smutachán, sulky, pug-nosed person
An struipléidín, brazen hussy léideanach, daring, venturesome
An sotaire bradach, the thieving upstart,
An struipear, flighty girl, loose woman, fast one struip, strip, hurry, fast
Tá struip siúil faoi, he is travelling fast
Thóinín ghortach, Cré p. 300 barren, poor, mean little arse
Thóinín charrach, Cré p. 267, scabby, mangy little arse
Thóinín chlamach, mangy, spotty little arse
Caithríona - Ag scilligeadh bréag ata tú, a thóinín charrach! Cré p. 267
Caithríona - Spouting lies you are, you mean little arse!
And, of course, all of these utterances are just ‘treillis breillis’ (nonsensical talk). But some expressions are useful to know even if you ( good soul that you are) never intend to resort to ‘Gáirmhagadh’, (derision, mockery) , ‘sceanach cainte’ (cutting, slashing talk) or 'ag caitheamh spíde' in your dealings with native Irish speakers! Bain sult as! Have fun!
