curses as gaeilge

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only because i saw them and they tickled me also that you may come to realise that when i wish death upon you in an offhand way when we find ourselves in some small dispute on the internet i am merely carrying forward a proud linguistic tradition

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Droch áird chúgat lá gaoithe- That you may be badly positioned on a windy day 12
Go ndéana an diabhal dréimire do chnámh do dhroma- That the Devil will make a ladder out of your spine 9
Mallacht mo chait ort- My cat’s curse upon you 4
Imeacht gan teacht ort- That you may leave without returning 2
Go dtuitfeadh an tigh ort- That your house will fall upon you 2
Nár chuire Dia ar do leas thú- That God will never grant you peace 1
Go mbrise an diabhal do chnámha- That the Devil will break your bones 0
Droch chrích ort- Bad ending upon you 0
Mallacht na baintrí ort- A widow’s curse upon you 0
Mallacht Dé ort- God’s curse upon you 0
Go mbrise an diabhal do dhá chois- That the Devil may break your legs 0
Loscadh is dó ort- That you may be burned and scorched 0


spud called maris (darraghmac), Sunday, 21 May 2017 16:21 (six years ago) link

nb theres a few of ye where the death wish was genuine tbh

spud called maris (darraghmac), Sunday, 21 May 2017 16:22 (six years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncbEucjsNFU

AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 21 May 2017 16:23 (six years ago) link

Droch áird chúgat lá gaoithe ftw

Punnet of the Grapes (Tom D.), Sunday, 21 May 2017 16:49 (six years ago) link

Imeacht gan teacht ort- That you may leave without returning

the curse that offers a chance at a good ending

Karl Malone, Sunday, 21 May 2017 16:56 (six years ago) link

maybe you had a really bad experience at the post office, and the clerk tells you Imeacht gan teacht ort

so say we all

Karl Malone, Sunday, 21 May 2017 16:57 (six years ago) link

you could really bite out the hard endings, its a very dirty harryable phrase

spud called maris (darraghmac), Sunday, 21 May 2017 17:00 (six years ago) link

windy day, badly positioned

El Tomboto, Monday, 22 May 2017 04:48 (six years ago) link

For pure malice, Nár chuire Dia ar do leas thú- That God will never grant you peace.

A is for (Aimless), Monday, 22 May 2017 05:05 (six years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Friday, 26 May 2017 00:01 (six years ago) link

táim fierce fuckin psyched for this

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 00:05 (six years ago) link

some of these sound kind of cool. some sound painful and cool. god not giving me peace sounds good. restless godless man.

i voted devil making a ladder of your spine - sounds painful and eternal and also like there's some deeper meaning at work.

Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Friday, 26 May 2017 00:11 (six years ago) link

imo it's a veiled curse on yr DNA as commonly depicted nb not really

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 00:31 (six years ago) link

so wait, you're telling me this is a gaelic curse?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk5PWNcSweI

Cyborg Kickboxer (rushomancy), Friday, 26 May 2017 00:54 (six years ago) link

Bad cess upon you that was another one

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 01:22 (six years ago) link

Ladder out of spine

Sounds intense as the devil shld be

i n f i n i t y (∞), Friday, 26 May 2017 01:40 (six years ago) link

Droch áird chúgat lá gaoithe- That you may be badly positioned on a windy day

Went with this cos it's not only strange, crucially weather oriented, but it's also a lovely example of the terse efficiency of good irish. Poetry.

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 01:44 (six years ago) link

That's got a weird catch a wind and be stuck with an odd face/posture feel to it

i n f i n i t y (∞), Friday, 26 May 2017 02:07 (six years ago) link

"Droch áird chúgat lá gaoithe" is quite a funny and surreal insult. "Go ndéana an diabhal dréimire do chnámh do dhroma" is admirably badass though

Well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:16 (six years ago) link

Mallacht mo chait ort

ogmor, Friday, 26 May 2017 14:21 (six years ago) link

xp But it has-

firstly let me say the divil is dropped in everywhere and loses all effect so let me say that firstly

- but an gaoth now here's the thing a man will be out in an gaoth before too long of that you must be sure and whether he is in fact ina sheasamh in the truest form he ever took, will be not think at any stage on the curse laid on him and perhaps falter at the same thought? Is it not gan creideamh that upon an entirely ordinary misstep in a breeze he may recall to mind that a bad word was put on him by a man in the past?

The mundanity of a small but entirely predictable malediction is where it's at imo

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:23 (six years ago) link

I assume badly positioned on a windy day is on account of all the wild places in Ireland where you really wouldn't wanna be exposed to the full force of the elements in midwinter

I like it best anyhoo

The Remoans of the May (Noodle Vague), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:25 (six years ago) link

The placename tonragee translates to "arse to the wind" and is a common enough one, "may the wind be always at your back" is obv one of our big benedictions, twas the squall fresh from Greenland sent my gamewinning effort wide of the post down by the shore at the sound at the culmination of division 2b in 95 the echoes of which yet ripple through the fabric of local culture so yeah look the wind is a thing, not that the divil isn't a powerful man but he doesn't be where we do be and the wind does be everywhere

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:30 (six years ago) link

The divil is everywhere (sorry I've been watching too much Twin Peaks). I've never been knocked on my arse by the wind in my life.

Well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:41 (six years ago) link

Well there it is folks, as neat a summary of the contrasts between achill and Limerick as you could wish

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:46 (six years ago) link

Is fearr liom "Dreméire", but it's a bit long for everyday use. Also this list misses out the classic we learned in the Gaeltacht: "go n-itheann an chat thú, is go n-itheann an diabhal an chat!" (That the cat eats you, and the devil eats the cat!)

trishyb, Friday, 26 May 2017 14:55 (six years ago) link

I just figured the wind is carrying the scent of the rendering plant and the paper factory and some farts and you have to stand in it all day

El Tomboto, Friday, 26 May 2017 14:59 (six years ago) link

The rendering plant is in ballyhaunis you fool

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 15:08 (six years ago) link

The placename tonragee translates to "arse to the wind" and is a common enough one

I am delighted by this and all the more so because Northern Taytos are produced in one Tandragee of the same etymology (I just checked on wikipedia)

I mean I know they are a heresy to you and all but

a passing spacecadet, Friday, 26 May 2017 15:39 (six years ago) link

I've never been knocked on my arse by the wind in my life

i have, on new oxford street right by centre point, where a strong bluster can be fiercely funnelled through the tunnel or arch the lower levels of that building make, that the buses drive under

mark s, Friday, 26 May 2017 15:50 (six years ago) link

It happens much the same way over here just with yknow mountains and valleys

xp I will take any opportunity to delight a spacecadet

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 15:57 (six years ago) link

xp But it has-

firstly let me say the divil is dropped in everywhere and loses all effect so let me say that firstly

- but an gaoth now here's the thing a man will be out in an gaoth before too long of that you must be sure and whether he is in fact ina sheasamh in the truest form he ever took, will be not think at any stage on the curse laid on him and perhaps falter at the same thought? Is it not gan creideamh that upon an entirely ordinary misstep in a breeze he may recall to mind that a bad word was put on him by a man in the past?

The mundanity of a small but entirely predictable malediction is where it's at imo

― spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, May 26, 2017 7:23 AM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

poetry

rly well said dmac

i was considering that one too bc it just spoke to me on a purely gut feeling but had to ruin it by overthinkin it as we are wont

i n f i n i t y (∞), Friday, 26 May 2017 17:55 (six years ago) link

What'd you go with so

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 18:04 (six years ago) link

ladder out of your spine, it's not even close

flappy bird, Friday, 26 May 2017 18:23 (six years ago) link

I have gone with "windy day" but "spine" was tempting. Might have gone for trishyb's "That the cat eats you, and the devil eats the cat" if it were listed.

I just figured the wind is carrying the scent of the rendering plant and the paper factory and some farts and you have to stand in it all day

There is often a v bad stink lingering around the area of Yorkgate station in Belfast which somebody told me was grain rotting outside a whiskey factory, so I was going to nominate this as an Irish bad smell, but a quick internet fact-check tells me it is actually the stink of an animal feed factory

may the cows eat you and the stench of mashing you into cow-feed turn the stomach of rail commuters each morning

a passing spacecadet, Friday, 26 May 2017 20:19 (six years ago) link

I've started to do irish on duolingo (I've long had an interest in the goidelic languages and would've chosen scottish gaelic if the option where available) so I'm looking forward to the day that i know how to pronounce all of these

-_- (jim in vancouver), Friday, 26 May 2017 20:21 (six years ago) link

Go dtuitfeadh an tigh ort

for me

-_- (jim in vancouver), Friday, 26 May 2017 20:21 (six years ago) link

The pronunciation you'd only need a primer on really because every parish has their own infections after that, even the curriculum has three types of Irish to the dismay of every student in the country

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 20:33 (six years ago) link

also inflections but let's be real here

spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 20:34 (six years ago) link

i'm assuming you're not a fan of the facts youtube channel?

they did a guide to just irish accents and it seemed pretty overwhelming

i n f i n i t y (∞), Friday, 26 May 2017 20:36 (six years ago) link

Going windy day

calstars, Friday, 26 May 2017 20:38 (six years ago) link

Going windy day

calstars, Friday, 26 May 2017 20:38 (six years ago) link

even the curriculum has three types of Irish to the dismay of every student in the country

oof, cruel and unusual

-_- (jim in vancouver), Friday, 26 May 2017 21:17 (six years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:01 (six years ago) link

Good turnout, good cursing

spud called maris (darraghmac), Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:04 (six years ago) link

I always remember an Irish cousin telling me how his mum pissed off an Irish gypsy matriarch once and she retorted "Arrgh! No wonder you are fat and have piebald skin!"

calzino, Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:08 (six years ago) link

Yes but not a curse as such now was it?

Maybe an insults as gaeilge thread is called for tho now that you say it

spud called maris (darraghmac), Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:12 (six years ago) link

sorry for deviation, it's just one of those memories that have stuck with me!

calzino, Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:18 (six years ago) link

It's not a bad one. Can u translate it tho?

I'd be googling piebald meself tbf

spud called maris (darraghmac), Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:21 (six years ago) link

I don't think it was a correct use of piebald, his mum had a large facial mole. But never mind.

calzino, Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:26 (six years ago) link

We were asking a lot for it to be both grammatically and medically correct in all fairness I feel as a gesture we should let it on the record

spud called maris (darraghmac), Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:31 (six years ago) link

fair dooze!

calzino, Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:34 (six years ago) link

I'll look up some insults. It's all buzzfeed white so far tho if I were to do it I'd like a weird list like above I think.

spud called maris (darraghmac), Saturday, 27 May 2017 00:35 (six years ago) link

six months pass...

Brave yerselves

remember the lmao (darraghmac), Saturday, 9 December 2017 00:49 (six years ago) link

Ex-garda jailed for drink-driving and telling gardaí he would put a cancer curse on them
The judge said he had never heard “such vile utterances out of anyone in custody”.
Thu 8:38 AM 54,463 41

A DISTRICT COURT judge has said prolonged vile and evil abuse hurled at gardaí by an arrested retired sergeant was the worst he had ever heard.

Joseph Kiely (63) of Old Golf Course Road, Tullycullion, Donegal Town claimed to have a cancer curse. He told three gardaí they would die of cancer within five years. The defendant also told a woman into whose car he crashed that cancer would visit her. Tragically, the woman has since died of cancer.

Yesterday’s sitting of Donegal District Court heard that Kiely was arrested for drink driving following a collision at Quay Street, Donegal Town on 11 October 2015.

Sergeant Oliver Devaney attended the scene along with Garda Sean Rogers.

They found a Ford Mondeo driven by Shirley Walsh of Ballintra in the main carriageway approaching Donegal Town. Kiely’s Nissan Almera was at a right angle to the Mondeo. Both cars were damaged. Kiely had been exiting a carpark when he collided with Walsh.

Sergeant Devaney said: “I spoke to him and asked him for his driving licence. He said ‘This is a set-up. It is orchestrated. She crashed into me.’”

Both drivers were then breathalysed. Walsh passed the roadside breath test, while Kiely failed.

Sergeant Devaney arrested the defendant.

“He said the to the lady in an aggressive tone ‘Cancer will visit you,’” said the sergeant.

Kiely was taken to Donegal Town Garda Station. During the obligatory 20-minute observation period which precedes a blood, breath or urine test, Kiely was highly abusive.

Sergeant Devaney said: “He told me ‘Cancer will visit you. I have the power of cancer over you. Your offspring will get cancer. You will all be dead within five years.’”

The comments were aimed at Garda Rogers, Garda Doherty who was also present, and Sergeant Devaney.

Garda Rogers then gave evidence.

“He said he had the tinker’s cancer curse that he got in a dark place in Connemara,” said the garda.

He said if I had offspring they would all die kicking and screaming of cancer. And he said I would die of cancer within three years.
Kiely signed all documents at the station with the words “cancer curse”.

When the test was carried out, Kiely showed a reading of 51mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

Changed

Counsel for the defence Sean McGee acting for solicitor Catherine Boner of JP Sweeney & Co asked Garda Rogers if he had ever worked with Kiely.

The garda replied that he worked under Kiely when on overtime shifts. He said as a sergeant, Kiely had been kind and intelligent. But something had changed in the intervening years.

In considering sentence, Judge Kilrane said: “I was in practice for 34 years as a solicitor and for almost 10 years I have been in my present position. I have never heard such vile utterances out of anyone in custody. Shocking, vile abuse and not a murmur of apology.

“It is the worst I have ever come across.”

Under oath, Kiely claimed gardaí turned a blind eye to his being harassed. He told the court that he had submitted a 100-page file to Garda HQ on the matter of a campaign of intimidation.

He did not apologise for his comments.

remember the lmao (darraghmac), Saturday, 9 December 2017 00:52 (six years ago) link

Isn't that awful talk now altogether

remember the lmao (darraghmac), Saturday, 9 December 2017 00:52 (six years ago) link

Bluffer tho

U can't take a tinker's curse out of Connemara, certainly not as far as the foothills of the bluestacks. Firstly straight distance, secondly power drawn from the hills native to the curser, thirdly Connemara Irish and Donegal Irish differ significantly

remember the lmao (darraghmac), Saturday, 9 December 2017 00:55 (six years ago) link

but an gaoth now here's the thing a man will be out in an gaoth before too long of that you must be sure and whether he is in fact ina sheasamh in the truest form he ever took, will be not think at any stage on the curse laid on him and perhaps falter at the same thought? Is it not gan creideamh that upon an entirely ordinary misstep in a breeze he may recall to mind that a bad word was put on him by a man in the past?

The mundanity of a small but entirely predictable malediction is where it's at imo

― spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:23 (six months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

maith an fear

Choco Blavatsky (seandalai), Saturday, 9 December 2017 01:03 (six years ago) link

dying at "bad ending upon you", I'd be insulted only at the lack of effort

fuiud, mac (rip van wanko), Saturday, 9 December 2017 01:06 (six years ago) link

if you could let me know when cancer is visiting me only i need to make up the spare room

Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Saturday, 9 December 2017 01:09 (six years ago) link

I wouldn't let anything that came out of dark Connemara stay in my spare room tbh

remember the lmao (darraghmac), Saturday, 9 December 2017 08:50 (six years ago) link

one year passes...

was hmmin and hawin about a proverbs one but the main one that had recently inspired me, viz "what do you expect from a pig but a grunt" but this particular sentiment, which ive seen attributed as irish a lot of the time, cant be found under a translation anywhere

vexing

gabbnebulous (darraghmac), Thursday, 20 December 2018 08:49 (five years ago) link

two months pass...

if you enjoyed this thread (and musha why wouldnt you have indeed) or if you at all enjoy the patter, rhythms, additions, inflections or quirks of the natives of ayer-a as evidenced via their practice of the queen's, you might find this link as delightful as i have.

god bless now.

https://stancarey.wordpress.com/tag/hiberno-english/

god knows i want to fp (darraghmac), Sunday, 3 March 2019 00:41 (five years ago) link

Have to say this poll is making me reconsider my previous position that democracy is a fool's errand

Colonel Poo, Sunday, 3 March 2019 01:02 (five years ago) link

we got great weather for it thank god now

god knows i want to fp (darraghmac), Sunday, 3 March 2019 01:09 (five years ago) link

two months pass...

Don't have the energy to engage with Brits on the TL advocating sympathy for Theresa May, so in her honour, I will instead issue them with ancient Irish heraldic curses. "May your obituary be written with weasel's piss", "May you die with your legs up, screaming", etc.

— Séamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) May 24, 2019

daenerys baker (darraghmac), Friday, 24 May 2019 13:35 (four years ago) link

seven months pass...

U can't take a tinker's curse out of Connemara, certainly not as far as the foothills of the bluestacks. Firstly straight distance, secondly power drawn from the hills native to the curser, thirdly Connemara Irish and Donegal Irish differ significantly

― remember the lmao (darraghmac), Saturday, 9 December 2017 00:55 (two years ago) bookmarkflaglink

science itt

Banáná hÉireann (darraghmac), Monday, 30 December 2019 21:18 (four years ago) link

three weeks pass...

dying at "bad ending upon you", I'd be insulted only at the lack of effort

― fuiud, mac (rip van wanko), Saturday, 9 December 2017 01:06 (two years ago) bookmarkflaglink

would argue this is close second, id say that it doesnt translate literally ysee but most likely would come in a very recognisable form such as diaf, or locally "may you die roarin" or such

Banáná hÉireann (darraghmac), Monday, 20 January 2020 00:41 (four years ago) link

two months pass...

i wonder has there been a cursa cóivideachas added to the lexicon yet

ole uncle tiktok (darraghmac), Tuesday, 31 March 2020 00:57 (four years ago) link

eleven months pass...

More searchable if id used cursaí ffs

Marry and Neghim (darraghmac), Sunday, 21 March 2021 00:50 (three years ago) link

May your half-remembered thread titles be impossible to search.

trishyb, Sunday, 21 March 2021 10:00 (three years ago) link

😤

Marry and Neghim (darraghmac), Sunday, 21 March 2021 10:21 (three years ago) link

cursaí reatha

Bignefs Proportionable (seandalai), Sunday, 21 March 2021 17:57 (three years ago) link

not curses but I like the feeling on these


Uaigneas an chladaigh: The sense of loneliness on the shore, a haunting presence of people who lived and died long ago.
Ceist an taibhse: A trick question to ask Otherwordly beings encountered at sea or remote areas on land.

Bignefs Proportionable (seandalai), Sunday, 21 March 2021 23:59 (three years ago) link

Where are you getting these, is it related to that same good article that prompted this revive i wonder

Marry and Neghim (darraghmac), Monday, 22 March 2021 01:10 (three years ago) link

The very one!

Marry and Neghim (darraghmac), Monday, 22 March 2021 01:20 (three years ago) link

two years pass...

linked to other bump i stand by all this too

firstly let me say the divil is dropped in everywhere and loses all effect so let me say that firstly

- but an gaoth now here's the thing a man will be out in an gaoth before too long of that you must be sure and whether he is in fact ina sheasamh in the truest form he ever took, will be not think at any stage on the curse laid on him and perhaps falter at the same thought? Is it not gan creideamh that upon an entirely ordinary misstep in a breeze he may recall to mind that a bad word was put on him by a man in the past?

The mundanity of a small but entirely predictable malediction is where it's at imo

― spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:23 (six years ago) bookmarkflaglink

I assume badly positioned on a windy day is on account of all the wild places in Ireland where you really wouldn't wanna be exposed to the full force of the elements in midwinter

I like it best anyhoo

― The Remoans of the May (Noodle Vague), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:25 (six years ago) bookmarkflaglink

The placename tonragee translates to "arse to the wind" and is a common enough one, "may the wind be always at your back" is obv one of our big benedictions, twas the squall fresh from Greenland sent my gamewinning effort wide of the post down by the shore at the sound at the culmination of division 2b in 95 the echoes of which yet ripple through the fabric of local culture so yeah look the wind is a thing, not that the divil isn't a powerful man but he doesn't be where we do be and the wind does be everywhere

― spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 26 May 2017 14:30 (six years ago) bookmarkflaglink

close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Thursday, 23 November 2023 09:06 (four months ago) link

i've come round to "never grant you peace" tho, i like the biblical mark of Cain aspect of it

Tyler Perry's Cystitis (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 23 November 2023 11:11 (four months ago) link

can't ignore that it's a direct reversal of the plea made of the lamb of god in the catholic rite neither

close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Thursday, 23 November 2023 11:38 (four months ago) link

celtic tiger revision of romeo and juliet actually amends the famous line to "a plague on each of your properties, whether principal private or additional interest for investment or rental"

close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Thursday, 23 November 2023 11:39 (four months ago) link

Not your best work mardheamac

mojo dojo casas house (gyac), Thursday, 23 November 2023 11:45 (four months ago) link

No previous contribution from me, terrible. Devil’s ladder my fave tbh. My nana would have known some of these, not that she’d have used them.

mojo dojo casas house (gyac), Thursday, 23 November 2023 11:49 (four months ago) link

not that she would ofc

close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Thursday, 23 November 2023 12:48 (four months ago) link

This thread reminds me of my sweet friend Leon from
Sligo who would say “fuck” and “c_” around his mother regularly with no repercussions, but when he was mad red in the face at her he might whisper “bollocks” and I have never seen a wrath as Biblical as in the subsequence

meaner stinks meat bake it cone (flamboyant goon tie included), Thursday, 23 November 2023 12:50 (four months ago) link

That would be vmnic for my mother, she could not abide me saying cunt from my faint memory of the occasion when this happened

Ps it’s “bollix”

mojo dojo casas house (gyac), Thursday, 23 November 2023 13:17 (four months ago) link

I love “bollix” as a swear because it’s natural to grin at the end of the word

meaner stinks meat bake it cone (flamboyant goon tie included), Thursday, 23 November 2023 13:21 (four months ago) link

a swear word has to be biteable to have any effect ofc

bollix is about as hard a swear word as feck or arse

close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Thursday, 23 November 2023 16:12 (four months ago) link

It's basically punctuation in England.

you gotta roll with the pączki to get to what's real (snoball), Thursday, 23 November 2023 20:03 (four months ago) link


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