Description
Hiberno-English is the common speech of Ireland at all social levels. Its continuing vigour and individuality is triumphantly illustrated in Bernard Share’s invaluable Dictionary of Irish slang and colloquial English in Ireland. With upwards of 500 new entries and an almost equal number of additions to existing headwords, this third edition of Slanguage offers a clear challenge to those who argue that there is little to distinguish Hiberno-English as an idiom in its own right.
Drawing on a rich heritage of Irish, English, Ulster Scots, Shelta, Hindustani, Swahili and many other linguistic resources, Hiberno-English has retained both its inventiveness and its vigour in a country which now plays host to some 167 languages, suggesting that Ireland will continue to make new words for old in the spirit of its own highly distinctive idiom.
From the reviews of previous editions
"This is worth its weight in gold-dust, for at last we have a proper, and often improper, dictionary of Irish slang." Hugh Leonard, Sunday Independent
"Joyce would have loved it."
John Boland, The Times (London)
"The book can take its place on the shelf beside the great Eric Partridge himself and there is no greater tribute."
Sean McMahon, Irish Independent
"Slanguage is an exceptionally well researched work of reference."
John Slevin, RTE Guide
"Much of the book is a joy to read."
Brian Griffin, International Journal of Lexicography
"This is quite simply an outstandingly brilliant piece of Sherlock-Holmesing, characterised by both authenticity and wit."
Aubrey Malone, Books Ireland
Author Biography
Bernard Share is a distinguished critic, writer and teacher. He is a former editor of Cara, the Aer Lingus in-flight magazine; the author of many books, including the bestselling The Emergency, a popular account of Irish life during World War II and the hilarious Inish, a novel originally published in 1966 and re-issued last year: Spike Milligan said on more than one occasion that it was the funniest book he had ever read. Bernard Share has been a lecturer in modern literature both in Ireland and Australia. The previous editions of Slanguage appeared to critical and commercial acclaim.
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