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Craic
Hiberno-English All-Ireland
Fun, entertainment, or lively conversation. The essence of a good time, encompassing both the event itself and the social atmosphere surrounding it.
EXAMPLE USAGE
"The craic was ninety last night at the pub - music, stories, the whole lot."
ETYMOLOGY
From Irish "crack," borrowed from English "crack" (in the sense of good conversation), then re-borrowed back into English with Irish spelling.
HISTORICAL NOTES
A fascinating example of linguistic ping-pong: an English word adopted into Irish, then returned to English with Irish orthography. First recorded in its Irish spelling in the 1970s.
ALTERNATE SPELLINGS
crack
RELATED WORDS
bantersessionslagging