What is a word you feel that too many people use?
I have covered this word before on my Wayneâs Word series but it is an ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE in Northern Ireland and one that is extremely overused. Have you heard people using this word?
Wayneâs Word – wee
Itâs a little nod to Wayneâs World, but instead of âparty time, excellentâ (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 wonât leave me alone.
If youâre joining in on todayâs word, feel free to use this tag to connect your post to the series: #WaynesWord
Todayâs word is WEE.
Now this is an absolute gem of a word and very much a staple of Northern Irish culture. You will be sure to hear it in every corner of Northern Ireland, from Belfast to Ballymena, the word wee is small in size but MASSIVE in usage. It might just be the most iconic Northern Irish word of them all.
At its core, wee means small or little but in Northern Irish language, it goes far beyond size, it is used to describe things affectionately, politely, or just habitually. You will hear wee being used all the time, in pretty much every sentence. I had actually forgotten how much we use the word when we hadnât been home for a couple of years.
I remember going into Primark (a famous Northern Ireland department store) and the cashier said to me when I was about to pay for my goods, âJust put your wee card into the wee card machineâ. Then she said âDo you want a wee bag for your wee purchases?â, I actually nearly choked with the amount of times wee was said.
I do use the word a lot, especially if Iâm offering you a wee cup of tea. Itâs not necessarily a small cup of tea, but rather itâs just being friendly. Other examples you might hear,
âTake a wee seatâ â sit down (any size will do).
âJust a wee secondâ â hold on, give me a moment.
âA wee message for youâ â might be important, might not be short.
Itâs an endearing word that definitely makes you feel at home when everyone is using it. The word adds warmth, friendliness, or politeness, even to something serious or inconvenient. It is often about tone more than literal meaning.
Itâs funny how people, especially in Australia are asking me why everything is described as wee. I have absolutely no idea, I think itâs just habit and something thatâs hard to break away from.
It can also be used in Ireland and Scotland but especially beloved in Northern Ireland. Have you ever heard this word being used in these contexts? I would be curious to hearâŚ
10 things I have learned/remembered since being home in Northern Ireland
1 – People in Northern Ireland are EXTREMELY friendly.
2 – The cost of EVERYTHING has increased drastically since I lived here five years ago, from food, to rent, to energy bills (this one is worldwide at the moment). Everything has increased, except for wages, shocking really.
3 – It is BALTIC here in the winter. I had forgotten how cold it can be here. It is minus five degrees this morning!
4 – The pubs and restaurants here are very cosy and quaint. I have missed this. Pints of Guinness by a warm fire.
5 – Everything is so festive here at Christmas. I know itâs what youâre used to but I have really missed the cold, dark evenings, the smell of warm spices, mulled wine, hearing Christmas songs etc etc. For me it was never the same wearing shorts and T-shirts.
6 – The importance of family.
7 – The quality of television shows is pretty high here and I love the Christmas shows/movies that are available in the lead up to Christmas.
8 – We walk a lot less here. I miss doing my 15,000 steps a day in Sydney. My step count has dropped significantly since being home and thatâs sad. I guess itâs the cold weather and lack of somewhere good to walk nearby.
9 – Itâs dark for most of the day. I love the dark evenings but I forgot how much daylight you miss. You travel to work in the dark and drive home from work in the dark. That can be hard and we have this for the next few months.
10 – People in Northern Ireland say âWeeâ ALL THE TIME! Everything can be described as âweeâ. A âweeâ cup of tea, put your âweeâ card in the âweeâ machine, would you like a âweeâ bag? I had totally forgotten how often we use that word and itâs not simply used for small items! Itâs actually insane how much we use that word but lovely at the same time. You instantly know youâre home when your hear âweeâ being used.
WrookieSchU 