The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #56077 Message #874755
Posted By: McGrath of Harlow
25-Jan-03 - 02:02 PM
Thread Name: Pedantic Crack
Subject: RE: Pedantic Crack
I've always assumed that it's an Engish word that's been taken into the Irish environment, probably an English speaking Irish environment, and developed a significantly different meaning, and then given an Irish spelling reflecting that changed meaning. (I suspect that using the word "crack" meaning joke or sharp saying and suchlike goes back quite a long way in English.)
There seems no harm in people retaining that Irish spelling as it comes back into England with that changed meaning. Perhaps it marginally reduces the likelihood of confusion about recreational drugs other than Guinness and the like.