Dublinese by Bernard Share
The English say that Dubliners speak the best English in the world. Filmmaker Jim Sheridan insists they don't, but that they do speak the most entertaining English. Whether it's naming a piece of public sculpture (The Spike in the Dyke, the Floozie in the Jacuzzi) or commenting on the hardness of life (living on the skin of a rasher), it must be noted that Dubliner's have a flair for waxing lyrical. So, in order to fully appreciate them, it is necessary to learn their language. Through centuries of settlement, conquest and change, the everyday language of Dublin has acquired its own accent, vocabulary and idiom. This study explores Dublinese highlighting the vowel play (kyar for car, muriels for murals), rhyming slang (Wolfe Tone for phone), turns of phrase ('I'll put manners on him!') and all manner of verbal expressions that make up this language. This guided tour refers to historical sources and everyday usage commenting on subjects as varied as colloquial place names ('The Morgue' - The Templeogue Inn), transport (Dart, Doort or Daart?), animals (the dead zoo - the Natural History Museum) and day-to-day living. Literary figures like Joyce, Sheridan, Swift and Roddy Doyle lend their verbal dexterity to the dialogue, as well as Joe and Josephine Soap and their co-citizens. All have enriched the idiom of a city which, to coin a blasphemy, is in essence, the word-made flesh. Know What I Mean? includes chapters on: an introduction to Dublinese; everyday usage on the streets; playing with words; effing and blinding and contemporary culture; industry, commerce and a few scoops; and, characters from stage and the street and changes due to Dublin's multi-culturalism.
Bernard Share is a well-established author. A graduate of Trinity College he has taught English literature, worked in publicity and advertising, and edited Books Ireland and CARA, the Aer Lingus inflight magazine. His published books include Slanguage (2nd ed., Dublin 2003), a dictionary of slang and colloquial English in Ireland.
SKU | GOR001514863 |
ISBN 13 | 9781905172078 |
ISBN 10 | 1905172079 |
Title | Dublinese |
Author | Bernard Share |
Condition | very good |
Binding type | Paperback |
Publisher | Gill |
Year published | 2006-08-01 |
Number of pages | 120 |
Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
Note | This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us |