My semester with Champlain Abroad Dublin is rapidly coming to an end. It has gone by way too fast and I’ve had such a fantastic experience. I have learned so much and being in Ireland has allowed me to see amazing things, both on the island and in the whole of Europe. I’ve been so lucky.

One thing I’m also very happy about is a set of souvenirs that I’ve picked along the way during my time here. Even better, these things aren’t something to try to fit into my already-full suitcase! Over the course of my semester abroad, there are a few select Irish words and phrases that my friends and I will definitely be adding to our vocabulary.

Feck

I’ve got so much fecking work to do for finals.

This one is really interesting. It bears a similar usage to a similarly spelled curse word, yet does not share the strong negative connotation. In fact, it’s a fairly neutral/mild word. One professor even told me it’s the kind of word his sister uses in front of her young children.

Having a socially appropriate way to add emphasis to a word or sentence, in the way people often do with feck’s counterpart, is not only fascinating, it’s also fairly handy. Maybe not for everyday use, but feck will definitely be kept in my repertoire of Irish words to use in the future. Continue reading →