Tag: colloquialisms

Wayne’s Word – Shrapnel

It’s a little nod to Wayne’s World, but instead of ‘party time, excellent’ (if you are aware of the cult nineties classic) I will be diving into one WORD each day. It could be something I learned, something bizarre that happened, a favourite word that I have rediscovered or just a thought that won’t leave me alone.

If you’re joining in on today’s word, feel free to use this tag to connect your post to the series: #WaynesWord

Today’s word is SHRAPNEL.

Shrapnel usually makes you think of metal fragments from explosions or war, but in Northern Ireland it has a much more harmless meaning, it can mean “loose change” or money in the form of coins. If someone says, “Have you any shrapnel for the parking meter?” they’re not being dramatic, they’re just looking for a few coins that you may have in your pocket.

It’s one of those everyday words that slips into your vocabulary without you even noticing, until you stop and realise how strange it must sound to anyone else. I often forget these little Northern Irish expressions exist but then out of nowhere one pops out in conversation and surprises me. Have you ever heard of shrapnel meaning loose change or coins?

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Wayne’s Word – Clampit

It’s a little nod to Wayne’s World, but instead of ‘party time, excellent’ (if you are aware of the cult nineties classic) I will be diving into one WORD each day. It could be something I learned, something bizarre that happened, a favourite word that I have rediscovered or just a thought that won’t leave me alone.

If you’re joining in on today’s word, feel free to use this tag to connect your post to the series: #WaynesWord

Today’s word is CLAMPIT.

Clampit is a classic bit of Northern Irish colloquialism for someone who is a little daft, a bit scatterbrained, or prone to harmless mistakes. It’s the sort of word you would use when someone forgets their keys, tells a silly story, or just does something slightly goofy, it’s more of an affectionate eye-roll than an insult. In Northern Ireland, calling someone a clampit is a way of laughing with them at their daftness, rather than at them – an example could be “Ah, sure, he’s a right clampit!”

Have you ever heard of this word or can you think of someone you know who could be a clampit at times?

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Wayne’s Word – Daft

Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.

It’s a little nod to Wayne’s World, but instead of ‘party time, excellent’ (if you are aware of the cult nineties classic) I will be diving into one WORD each day. It could be something I learned, something bizarre that happened, a favourite word that I have rediscovered or just a thought that won’t leave me alone.

If you’re joining in on today’s word, feel free to use this tag to connect your post to the series: #WaynesWord

Today’s word is DAFT.

Daft is a word we use a lot back home in Northern Ireland, it’s not cruel or cutting, it’s just a gentle way of saying that something is a bit silly.

I had one of those moments on my very first day working as a care assistant in an aged care home.

I turned up proudly dressed in a shirt and tie, thinking I looked very professional. What I hadn’t quite realised was that this job involved washing residents, helping with personal care, and getting properly stuck in.

I must have looked daft, I certainly felt that way!

Nevertheless, there was no time to overthink it. Off came the tie, my sleeves rolled up, and I got on with the job at hand, and thankfully I loved it. That was the beginning of my nursing journey.

Looking back, it still makes me smile. A daft start maybe but not a bad one. Feeling daft from time to time doesn’t define you. It just means you’re learning, adapting, and willing to get stuck in, and more often than not, those daft moments end up being the ones that teach us the most.

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Wayne’s Word – quare

It’s a little nod to Wayne’s World, but instead of ‘party time, excellent’ (if you are aware of the cult nineties classic) I will be diving into one WORD each day. It could be something I learned, something bizarre that happened, a favourite word that I have rediscovered or just a thought that won’t leave me alone.

If you’re joining in on today’s word, feel free to use this tag to connect your post to the series: #WaynesWord

Today’s word is QUARE.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of chatting with someone from Northern Ireland, chances are you’ve heard the word “quare” pop up in conversation. But what exactly does it mean?

Definition:

Quare is an all-purpose adjective in Northern Irish everyday language. It originates from a local pronunciation of “queer,” but it doesn’t carry the modern connotations of gender or sexuality. Instead, it simply means:

Very remarkable, unusual, excellent or just a general emphasis on something.

It’s a flexible word – quare handy, you could say.

Examples you could hear in Northern Ireland:

“He’s a quare lad, so he is.” – means that he’s a really good guy.

“That was a quare feed!” – means that was a big or delicious meal.

“It’s quare warm today.” – means it’s very warm today.

“She’s a quare one.” – means she’s a character / unique / odd in a good way.

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