Etymology Map
Back to all words

Craic

2 stages from Scots to English.

Today it means (Irish) fun, lively conversation and a good time

Where does the word "craic" come from? It comes from Scots crack, adopted directly into English (1970s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
crack
Scots · 1700s
"chat, gossip"
'chat, gossip', from the verb crack 'talk loudly'; Robert Burns's Epistle to J. Lapraik (1785) mentions gathering 'to ca' the crack'
2
Stage 2 of 2
craic
Irish · 1970s
"fun, good times"
Ulster and Irish English used 'crack' for fun and banter; the Gaelic spelling craic, a borrowing back from English, spread from the 1970s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Craic’s story begins in Scots: crack meant “chat, gossip.” 'chat, gossip', from the verb crack 'talk loudly'; Robert Burns's Epistle to J. Lapraik (1785) mentions gathering 'to ca' the crack'. It reached English by 1970s as craic. Ulster and Irish English used 'crack' for fun and banter; the Gaelic spelling craic, a borrowing back from English, spread from the 1970s. Today, craic means (Irish) fun, lively conversation and a good time.