SteveShaw wrote:If you want pretentious, how about "seisiun" instead of session! That makes me laugh every time I see it.
You didn't happen to read this before you posted, did you, Les?
Steve
Alright! You've unearthed my hypocrisy. I can talk all "live and let live" when it comes to the word "craic" but I can't stand seeing the word "seisiun".
Then you should not, under any circumstances, click on this link.
Giles: "We few, we happy few."
Spike: "We band of buggered."
"Craic" is not overused until the day it ends up in every other band name, like in Ska or Klezmer music. E.g., "MephiSkapheles" and "The Klez Dispensers."
My buddy Ryan was in a group called "Smokin' Craic," tho. I guess you could have:
The Craic-eteers
Craic-relige
Craic Doctors -- Craic like a duck!
Craic MAN -- Wokka wokka wokka!
Craic-tose Intolerance -- Maybe a bit too cheesy
Craic in the Box -- An all-accordion band with big spherical heads?
Hairline Craic -- for aging musicians with pattern baldness.
Okay, I quit. And there was much rejoicing (yaaaay).
Caj wrote:"Craic" is not overused until the day it ends up in every other band name, like in Ska or Klezmer music. E.g., "MephiSkapheles" and "The Klez Dispensers."
My buddy Ryan was in a group called "Smokin' Craic," tho. I guess you could have:
The Craic-eteers
Craic-relige
Craic Doctors -- Craic like a duck!
Craic MAN -- Wokka wokka wokka!
Craic-tose Intolerance -- Maybe a bit too cheesy
Craic in the Box -- An all-accordion band with big spherical heads?
Hairline Craic -- for aging musicians with pattern baldness.
Okay, I quit. And there was much rejoicing (yaaaay).
djm wrote:I would guess that if this is a term used by the lower orders, then it may well have never been recorded early enough for anyone now to be certain of its origins. I have come across other Irish Gaelic expressions that passed in English, like "simply smashing" comes from "is maisin", i.e. is wonderful.
djm
Some other attested loanwords from the Irish:
Slogan > sluagh-ghairm (host-cry, as in army)
Galore >go leor (enough)
Slew >slua (crowd, throng, host)
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
Caj wrote:The Craic-eteers
Craic-relige
Craic Doctors -- Craic like a duck!
Craic MAN -- Wokka wokka wokka!
Craic-tose Intolerance -- Maybe a bit too cheesy
Craic in the Box -- An all-accordion band with big spherical heads?
Hairline Craic -- for aging musicians with pattern baldness.
Plumber's Craic -- they know how to work the pipes
Giles: "We few, we happy few."
Spike: "We band of buggered."
I've had my hand almost slapped a few times in sessions, pubs and the like for pronoucing Irish words in an English manner. An example being the word Feadog. First time I ever saw it (years back), I asked the man in the music shop if he'd ever heard or played a feadog whistle. He gave me a dirty look and said , rather arrogantly, "it's pronounced Fah-dohg." I basically apologized for being American (sarcstically of course) and walked away. Now why, in America, would I be expected to know the Gaelic pronunciation of a word I've never heard or seen before? I also got a talking to regarding an internet post by a gentleman who was offended by my spelling of "Session." I was rudely informed that the proper spelling for an "Irish" music session was "Seisun"... or whatever it is. Again, silly me, I should've known that right? Well, if I ever live in Ireland I'll make an effort to learn the way things are done there, but as long as I'm in America, I'll speak English, thank you very much
Not that I'm completely ignorant, and I am very interested in the culture but in my experience with Americans who insist on spelling and pronoucing the Irish terms "properly", those are the ones that are just too pleased with themselves (elitists) and trying way too hard. If an Irish native had been standing next to them, I have a feeling they'd be the ones being laughed at. I Especially get a kick out of the ones who try and slip the cliche Irish lingo and slang into their conversations: "So I had a run in with a lad at the pub the other day. Jaysus he was a real wanker so I just said 'Bollox to ye', told him 'feck off buy' and went back to me pint!" Haha.
Stray's story is just too weird...I always thought the spelling of "seisun" seemed pretentious and weird, now I am sure of it. As for crack, it just doesn't seem to suit the Irish to talk about being "in the groove" as an American might say about jazz or something, but it seems to be the same thing. I do hope to enjoy some FUN playing at the pub (or is it "feaughanean?"). Nyuk.
Caj wrote:"Craic" is not overused until the day it ends up in every other band name, like in Ska or Klezmer music. E.g., "MephiSkapheles" and "The Klez Dispensers."
My buddy Ryan was in a group called "Smokin' Craic," tho. I guess you could have:
The Craic-eteers
Craic-relige
Craic Doctors -- Craic like a duck!
Craic MAN -- Wokka wokka wokka!
Craic-tose Intolerance -- Maybe a bit too cheesy
Craic in the Box -- An all-accordion band with big spherical heads?
Hairline Craic -- for aging musicians with pattern baldness.
Okay, I quit. And there was much rejoicing (yaaaay).
Caj
The Craics of Doome (ITM/Metal fusion, of course)
The Craic Addicts (Not original)
The Weekenders wrote:Stray's story is just too weird...I always thought the spelling of "seisun" seemed pretentious and weird, now I am sure of it. As for crack, it just doesn't seem to suit the Irish to talk about being "in the groove" as an American might say about jazz or something, but it seems to be the same thing. I do hope to enjoy some FUN playing at the pub (or is it "feaughanean?"). Nyuk.
That's not to say you can't be goofy and just have fun with your friends, etc. There is a fine line though between having fun or being silly and someone who does these things and takes himself seriously. Not to mention, there are some words that are critical to know. For example: if you say "Bodhran" exactly how it's spelled.... you can pretty much expect to get laughed at. You don't, however need to look up the gaelic words for guitar or tin whistle and use those in place of the names you've always known it by. I also think it is a good thing to know the Gaelic spelling and pronunciation of certain words, even if for no reason other than it is just fascinating. Gaelic is a beautiful language. What crosses the line is the ones who will correct others in an arrogant manner or hold themselves in high regard because they think knowing a few words makes them more "legit" or "authentic" than another. That's when you need to chill out and just try enjoying life for a change
I think in our area (Baltimore-Washington), I find the word "Crack" (or Craic) is used to describe those pecular sessions where music flows and connects us to a place where we would pretend to be. Where the music's intermissions are filled laughter about the days pretensions. Where ego has taken a holiday elsewhere. Such a use seams apt no matter the origin of the word.
If I where to find myself distracted by the word's inept usage, I wonder if I might do better fill the moment with laughter at myself judging its usage and pretend harder to be in the place where craic is made.
As for the speed of the music, should it not vary with the things it reflects? A march may bring to mind the pallbearer's steps to the grave, the bride's processon to the alter, good mates' hiking down to the pub, or a corporal's mad charge into battle. The music of all these things remembered is reflected in fiddlers bower, bodhrans beat, dancers feet.
However, I sometimes wonder during some sessions, at the frantic pace of set after set after set; perhaps, it reflects the obsessive pace of the day that each of us is trying to escape ... unsuccessfully. The courtesy of a slower pace to include a newcomer may serve to draw him into the session; but, it also helps the rest break the session away from frantic pacing that provoked breakneck speeds.
What drew me and my friends to IT was not it instruments, it pace, its structure, but its simplicity and its sharing of those things within that are so common to the human condition and so hard to put into word. Its tradition was to express in tune and song the conditions of mankind and to share those among folks. Pub, porch, parlor or kitchen, it was the sharing of those sittings and settings that in turn is the heart of the tradition. Simple melodies, simple instruments, simple sharing across the vastness of the human condition.
So for me, I should worry less about the use of the word Craic and more about making more of it. Worry less about speed and more about leaving the life in the fast lane at the pub door. This is how I'll enjoy my music and hope that you ...
The word crack gets used from time to time by the players of our sessions, usually in the form of "that was a real crack session" or "man, he was a crack player!." I've never heard anyone say (in person) "that session had good crack" though. Crack = craic? And does it matter as long as we all know what we mean?
By the way, an earlier post in this thread hit a pet peeve of mine, but one not musically-related: when someone from a Northern state visits us in the South, and tries to adopt our accent and idioms, you don't sound Southern, you just sound like someone from the North trying their hand at mimicry. There are many different Southern accents, two in Arkansas alone, and you aren't going to pick them up overnight. If you want to talk like we talk, plan to move down here and stay several years.
Les, how much old-stuff have you heard? I've got some old scratchy stuff of the great Piper Patsy Touhey playing some great tunes solo (this stuff's likely 50 years old at least, taken from old 78's - Thanks Kevin Reitman!). They're played at a speed that would make any modern 'speed demon' blush. Doesn't sound relaxed at all, just balls-out playing.
I hear you in regards to the beauty that many tunes can have when people stop to take breath, but 'slow' doesn't equal 'traditional', nor is the 'need for speed' a modern phenomenon.
Perhaps you should change your website to "Official Túlly Whistles".