Origin of the term "Gurrier"?

sagat2

Does anyone happen to know? Never heard it used by a non-Dub.

charlemont

My Mum used to always use that word to describe me, We grew up over 160Km from the Big Smoke itself. :pac:

The Scientician

I've heard it's related to "going on the gur" ie "going on the mitch/bounce" and to the Dublin baked delicacy known as gur cake.

mikemac

sagat2 wrote: »

Never heard it used by a non-Dub.

It happens, use it myself and over one hundred km away

It was never just a Dublin term

Paul Tergat

Ive been in Ireland 7 years and never heard of this word. Meaning please???

starviewadams

Gurrier: A ‘gurrier’ is an ill-mannered, loutish person; perhaps one who eats ‘gur-cake’ – scraps of fruit cake in hard pastry, favoured by poor children in Dublin.

pickarooney

Any relation to "guerrier" (Fr. warrior)?

dvpower

The Scientician wrote: »

I've heard it's related to "going on the gur" ie "going on the mitch/bounce" and to the Dublin baked delicacy known as gur cake.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gurrier&defid=79264

A ‘gurrier’ is an ill-mannered, loutish person; perhaps one who eats ‘gur-cake’ – scraps of fruit cake in hard pastry, favoured by poor children in Dublin.
Stay away from that gurrier!

chughes

Used to hear it all the time years ago but it seems to have fallen out of use. My favourite story of it's origin is that the word comes from French 'guerrier' which means warrior.

starviewadams

I still say it,much to the amusement of anyone within earshot!

ProudDUB

Use it all the time meself.

Sunnyisland

The guards who back then were always huge and from kerry or galway always called us little kids gurriers Don't know where it originated from.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

Gurrier is common.

Is 'bowsie' a dublin word?

_blank_

Ramona Beautiful Nitrogen wrote: »

Gurrier is common.

Is 'bowsie' a dublin word?

Yep, it's also a Dublin term, meaning roughly the same thing, but perhaps a Bowsie getting up to more malicious mischief though.

A gurrier would rob apples from an orchard in the hope of getting a chase, up to no good because they are bored and not really doing any harm really.

A bowsie would more of a bully type of yunfella, up to no good out of spite.

kynzvart

Ramona Beautiful Nitrogen wrote: »

Gurrier is common.

Is 'bowsie' a dublin word?

My Aunt always used the word bowsie, and she was Dublin through and through.My grandfather who would be well over 100 if he was alive used the word Gurrier quite a lot.

paddyandy

pickarooney wrote: »

Any relation to "guerrier" (Fr. warrior)?

has a french look to it like Goson as Garcon.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Its simple.

A 'gurrier' was a kid out on 'gur and up to no good.

A 'Bowsy was someone older, an adult, on the gargle and up to no good.

PseudoFamous

Tripp Prickly Twin wrote: »

Its simple.

A 'gurrier' was a kid out on 'gur and up to no good.

Starting making trouble in your neighbourhood?

BeerNut

The dictionary of Irish slang says it's from guerrier. I've heard that it was a derogatory term used for the veterans of the Napoleonic wars begging in the streets of Dublin and still wearing their uniforms.

admiralofthefleet

my nana also said 'cur' and 'corner boy'

charlemont

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

my nana also said 'cur' and 'corner boy'

Hussy or Hussie
Teddy Boys

Elmidena

I've never heard of "bowsie"....is the o pronounced like Bowser or Josie?

CyberJuice

Have also used the word gouger meself as well as gurrier


"Get up out of that you little gouger"

The Scientician

Sunshine! wrote: »

I've never heard of "bowsie"....is the o pronounced like Bowser or Josie?

Like Bowser. I know it mainly as a term for an alco. Mischief optional.

flas

grew up well well away from dublin and these two terms were used regularly, so dont know how much of just a dublin thing it is...

Elmidena

Haha phew, I thought nobody was going to understand what I was on about, yaaaaaay I have to give the Dubs credit for their strange words though, and the erm, colourful expressions such as "up your la-la" or "geebag". Give these people some gur-cake (my newly learned word of the day!)

chillywilly

Tripp Prickly Twin wrote: »

Its simple.

A 'gurrier' was a kid out on 'gur and up to no good.

A 'Bowsy was someone older, an adult, on the gargle and up to no good.

That doesn't really explain the origin though.

Degsy

Then of course there was a "head the ball","a blackguard",a "caffler",a "chissler" and a "spunker".

carolmon

Degsy wrote: »

Then of course there was a "head the ball","a blackguard",a "caffler",a "chissler" and a "spunker".

don't forget "get" or if you did something really bad you were called "a get's get"

god only knows what they mean...............

Degsy

carolmon wrote: »

don't forget "get" or if you did something really bad you were called "a get's get"

god only knows what they mean...............

They usually mean you were up to some sort of "andramartins" of course.

kabakuyu

An old Aunt of mine in Dublin was very fond of the word "guttersnipe"

Degsy

kabakuyu wrote: »

An old Aunt of mine in Dublin was very fond of the word "guttersnipe"

No doubt a bit of a "quare one";)

BeerNut

Degsy wrote: »

"a blackguard"

The lowly member of the household staff responsible for minding the pots and pans when the family moved residences, I think.

carolmon wrote: »

don't forget "get" or if you did something really bad you were called "a get's get"

god only knows what they mean

Get is a variant of git and is the Anglo-Saxon for "bastard", or offspring generally. It's related to the verb "beget".

sagat2

Cheers for all the replies folks.

The Scientician

My friend teaches English to foreigners in Dublin. He regularly gets asked questions like "Teacher, what does 'Ask me bollox' mean?"

chughes

The Scientician wrote: »

My friend teaches English to foreigners in Dublin. He regularly gets asked questions like "Teacher, what does 'Ask me bollox' mean?"

Your friend should answer them by asking them if they know the 5 Lamps.

The Scientician

Degsy wrote: »

Then of course there was a "head the ball","a blackguard",a "caffler",a "chissler" and a "spunker".

I've heard "blaguard" but never "blackguard".

BeerNut

The Scientician wrote: »

I've heard "blaguard" but never "blackguard".

They're pronounced the same. "Blaguard", "blaggard" etc is "Blackguard" written phonetically.

Esel

Armed robbers are sometimes referred to as blaggers.....

BeerNut

Esel wrote: »

Armed robbers are sometimes referred to as blaggers.....

Different origin. From the French verb "blague", meaning to joke or tell tall tales > to gain something by deceit > to rob.

Degsy

I remember whilst hunting Gicknas to be ever watchfull for the Gotchie.

Surveyor11

We've got "gowlers" in Waterford, not disimmilar sounding. The word with out the "-er" means something far more offensive! But, I can remember people either being called a "gowler" (i.e. a messer) or saying "I'm only gowling with you" i.e. "I'm only messin' with ya!"

Degsy

Surveyor11 wrote: »

We've got "gowlers" in Waterford, not disimmilar sounding. The word with out the "-er" means something far more offensive! But, I can remember people either being called a "gowler" (i.e. a messer) or saying "I'm only gowling with you" i.e. "I'm only messin' with ya!"

Here we call them "Bowelers"..although they may also have unpleasant "growlers"...you might also be told to "ask me gowl" on occasion.

Raytown Rocks

We used to have "grushee's" or a " grushee" (singular).

This was when money was thrown to the local kids outside the church on a wedding day. Normally by the best man/grooms man.

Usually led to bedlam from said kids I may add.

Ya dont see it happen very often any more.. H&S I presume.

Degsy

chef wrote: »

We used to have "grushee's" or a " grushee" (singular).

This was when money was thrown to the local kids outside the church on a wedding day. Normally by the best man/grooms man.

Usually led to bedlam from said kids I may add.

Ya dont see it happen very often any more.. H&S I presume.

They would often end in a "Milly-Up",unfortunatley.

Raytown Rocks

Degsy wrote: »

They would often end in a "Milly-Up",unfortunatley.

Haha Indeed they would, blood and snot and tears. Not to mention kids climbing over parked cars etc......no wonder they stopped them.

Degsy

chef wrote: »

Haha Indeed they would, blood and snot and tears. Not to mention kids climbing over parked cars etc......no wonder they stopped them.

It was okay as long as somebody was "keeping sketch".

Esel

Esel wrote: »

Armed robbers are sometimes referred to as blaggers.....

BeerNut wrote: »

Different origin. From the French verb "blague", meaning to joke or tell tall tales > to gain something by deceit > to rob.

A bit of a stretch there, if you will pardon the pun. Blaggers in the sense that I gave the term are far from conmen, and closer to blackguards.

I have, however, blagged my way through a few meetings in my time....

Owen McGinty

pickarooney wrote: »

Any relation to "guerrier" (Fr. warrior)?

The word “gurrier” is a misspelling of a word used in the West of Ireland, “gorier” for a hatching hen. The Irish word for “hatch”, as used in reference to hatching birds, is “gor”. The translation of, “the hen is hatching” is “tá and cears ar gor”. The word is pronounced, “gorrier”, with the“o” sounding as the “o” in the irish word, gorm (blue) or poll (hole). In view of its derivation, this might be a more appropriate spelling. The “u” spelling is the result of the Dublinworking class, known as the “Dub” accent which has a tendency to pronounce the“o” as a “u” sound, for example, world is pronounced wurld, working ispronounced wurking, etc.

A rapid “Dub” accentinterruption for an explanation would often consist of, whah, whah whah, whah’sthah, whah’s thah, and would sound like the bock, bock sound of a hatching hen.