Customer Reviews

Wicked Irish

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

While I wouldn't recommend you use many of these phrases, this is a terribly funny book. I picked it up after leafing through it at the store and finding phrases about sheep and inns and the hazards of driving in Ireland without insurance. Each little section starts out innocuously enough, then quickly degenerates into truly funny comments. If you like Monty Python or BlackAdder, this will really make you laugh. If you liked the Father Ted tv show, this little book will make you keel over giggling. Ah, go on, ya eejit, buy it already!

I thought that this book was really funny, with many 'useful' irish gaelic phrases. It is a great book because it comes with a phoenetic pronounciation of every phrase, which means you don't have to try and interpret every single word yourself. A very enjoyable read.

If you are considering getting this book as a fun way to add some vocabulary to your study of Irish, don't. It's very funny, but even with my very (!) limited knowledge of Irish I've found a mistake - so now of course I don't take anything it says at face value.

Specifically (leaving out the marks that are difficult to type), p. 59, Social Ireland, Kiss My Aphorism:
"May the road" = "Go n-eiri",
"rise to meet" = "an bothar",
"your face" = "i t'aghaidh"
Apparently they just cut apart the phrase, without regard for grammar.

Well worth the price as a general humor book. A nice thing to leave on the coffee table to amuse your friends. Just don't try to learn from it.

I have been teaching myself Gaelic for the past year or so but felt my instruction was lacking something; where was all the slang? How could I possibly make it in Ireland without knowing how to say that I've given up congealed blood for Lent, in Gaelic? What would I do if I was in a pub making eyes at a gentleman and couldn't tell him that I was spellbound by his deltoids, in Gaelic? How could I properly yell at a Dubliner without knowing to call him a Jackeen?

Wicked Irish is a pocket sized little book and its 64 pages are filled with some hilarious phrases. It gives you pick up lines, things to say at a wake, in church, on the golf course or in the pub. Mixed in with all the fun and frivolity is an equal amount of useful Gaelic sayings, if you're inclined to try it out on the locals. Each word is phonetically written out so if you are not familiar with the language you will have no problem pronouncing the words.

This book doesn't cost very much and the entertainment I have received from it was well worth the price and then some. One night after a few too many Guinness, my sister and had a grand time reading through it and shouting insults at each other and our husbands; laughing the entire time. If anything, this book is a great conversation starter. Enjoy!

This book isn't for the serious language student. Thankfully, I can't imagine ever using any of the phrases in it. Also, if you find ethnic stereotype humor distasteful, you might not enjoy this book. But, it has its entertaining moments.

This is the type of book you would read on the long flight to Ireland if you're leaving from the US. No real practical use but it will delight your friends in Ireland if you share some of the phrases. Reading this book is a good way to relax and just have fun. Don't expect anything more.

When you think you might want to learn a new language, first read How To Learn Any Language. You'll find a path to follow for learning languages. One tool is the phrasebook. This phrasebook, however, isn't really what you're looking for. It is funny, outrageous, and it has a pronunciation guide. There are a lot of golfing references (strange enough), and really interesting bits of background history of the country. I just can't imagine ever saying "That goes down like the nun's knickers!" in a pub, no matter how strong the whiskey.
It is funny to see it laid out in Irish's horrific grammar.

Get this book to lighten you up a bit as you slosh through Learning Irish (the best Irish course out there).

I bought this as a gift for my daughter and son-in-law several months after their first trip to Ireland. It brought back many memories for them and they wished they had read this before renting a car. They hope to make a return trip but said, "never again will we rent a car." So advice to any who may be contemplating a trip to Ireland....pay heed to what they have to say about renting a car. :)

This was a tiny little book. I ordered it for Christmas and was shocked when I got it. It's so small!!!! It's not just a short book but the book itself is also miniature. It reminded me of something that would come free with another purchase. I'm so mad that I actually paid for it!!! I also don't understand the reviews about it being so entertaining. Don't waste your money!!!!!!

a fun little book that adds to the Irish learners referances, just!
while it is appreciated that the angle was humour, so much more could have been included, and so much should have been left out- notably the obsession with tthe side of the road.

Many classic Irish phrases have barely been touched... maybe book 2 can rectify this.