h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In fact the correct term for yer average Anglo loving Dubliner is a "West Brit". This is on account of Ireland being to the West of Britain. An East Brit would be someone living in Norwich (or perhaps an term of abuse used by Scandinavians...)

You are of course correct - I had gotten a step ahead of myself as I refer to myself as an "East Brit" meaning actually English by all measures as opposed to a "West Brit" who is Irish in all but accent

So whats a scumbag knacker then?. I am actually curious.

The use of "Knackers" started off (I am unreliably informed) as a rude word for the local gypsies, as knackering horses was the kind of job that only they would do...it has now been corrupted to mean a generally base person of any kind; although 99% of the time only fellahs can be referred to as knackers.
I think the female equivalent might be "a wagon", but this needs verification

the female version of a knacker is ... well a knacker really! Wagon is more like .. cow I suppose. There were teachers in school we used to call right wagons, but they certainly weren't knackers.

is that clearer??

I'm not too sure if this is exclusively a Dublin word but we call knackers "Scobes" also.

So is anyone going to do a page on the "exciting" new language which has been created by the wonderful people south of the liffey who are desperately trying to distance themselves from the northern residents??

I believe a UCD professor has actually coined this new language as:

Dart speak, pronounced "dort" speak!!

Any takers??

Hmmm, tempting idea. My friends have always told me I'd be qualified - nearly Dublin 4 (south of the Liffey for those who don't know) accent, but country (Co. Wicklow) attitude. I'm certainly NOT your typical D4 girl anyway!

How D4 are you?
- Do you work for either Aer Lingus or RTE?
- Do you know more Jacintas than Marys?
- Ever drink at the "M1"?
..there's more to this than just saying "dort", you know

I am proud to say I have never set foot in the "M1", and to prove how far away I actually am from being a D4 girl, I even still call the place the Merrion Inn!

I'm from South Dublin and I just have a normal Dublin accent. Most people I know do. You'll find the people with dart accents are putting it on and are from the richer suburbs.

I think the "Dort speak" thing was just a short lived fad - just as the more recent fad of everyone going round pretending to be Austin Powers.

It would be a nice idea if it was just a short-lived fad but I don't think it is. Now that I'm back in college it's depressing to hear those rugger-bugger toffs asking for "Two points of hoino please bortender". The quiffs, the collars up, the deck shoes, the f*****g cars.... Aaaaaggghh!

Query:

I was over in Wexford earlier this year and our lovely landlady used the term "chainey" (please forgive spelling). Now, this is one I've not heard before - in spite of having parents from the west of Ireland (they're from Cork - I get to be from Sheffield. There's no justice). Any ideas what it might mean - or is it just a dialectic version of the Jewish "oi vay"?

She was saying "Janie" or "Janie May" which is a way of saying "Jaysus" but without taking the lord's name in vain. Probably the mildest expletive ever

Ahhhh, I see. Thank you...