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Me gaff

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  • 22-04-2013 9:45am
    #1
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭


    where did the word 'gaf' (house) come from?

    is it irish for something?

    :confused:


«1

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    #2
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    I always thought it was spelt "Gaff."


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    #3
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    I always thought it was spelt "Gaff."

    could be, I've never actually seen it written down somewhere tbh


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    #4
    anncoates
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,925 ✭✭✭✭anncoates


    It has its etymological basis in the fact that so many Irish people made a terrible gaff(e) buying houses in the last 10 years.


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    #5
    King George VI
    Registered Users Posts: 4,346 ✭✭✭King George VI


    Gaff is a horrible word. Just say house for ****s sake.


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    #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 50,630 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    St. Jimmy wrote: »
    Gaff is a horrible word. Just say house for ****s sake.

    Uses swear words to give out about a word being horrible.

    Hmmmm........


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    #7
    Ihatecuddles-old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,785 ✭✭✭Ihatecuddles-old


    gaff - slang for house or place. e.g. "I'll meet you round my gaff in 10 minutes" and "He was all over the gaff" (all over the place). Originates from the 19th century when a 'gaff' was a slang term for a fairground or place of cheap entertainment.

    I've always said gaf, I'm classy like that.


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    #8
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    Ihatecuddles wrote: »
    gaff - slang for house or place. e.g. "I'll meet you round my gaff in 10 minutes" and "He was all over the gaff" (all over the place). Originates from the 19th century when a 'gaff' was a slang term for a fairground or place of cheap entertainment.

    I've always said gaf, I'm classy like that.

    its been knocking around for a fair bit of time then

    thanks for the info :)


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    #9
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Ihatecuddles wrote: »
    gaff - slang for house or place. e.g. "I'll meet you round my gaff in 10 minutes" and "He was all over the gaff" (all over the place). Originates from the 19th century when a 'gaff' was a slang term for a fairground or place of cheap entertainment.

    I've always said gaf, I'm classy like that.

    That's all I took from the above post :cool:


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    #10
    Jhcx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,776 ✭✭✭Jhcx


    Next ye'll be saying pad and crib. I'll stick to the house or apartment terminology


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    #11
    IceFjoem
    Registered Users Posts: 399 ✭✭IceFjoem


    It comes from the French, gaffe, an embarrassing error. Rousseau first coined the phrase "gaffes sans réserve" (errors without reservation, or 'free errors') in 1752 as an ideal, a 'do what you want' way of living for which he was revered.


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    #12
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    IceFjoem wrote: »
    It comes from the French, gaffe, an embarrassing error. Rousseau first coined the phrase "gaffes sans réserve" (errors without reservation, or 'free errors') in 1752 as an ideal, a 'do what you want' way of living for which he was revered.

    I think Ihatecuddles explanation to its origins sounds more likely


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    #13
    IceFjoem
    Registered Users Posts: 399 ✭✭IceFjoem


    davet82 wrote: »
    I think Ihatecuddles explanation to its origins sounds more likely

    Please, Rousseau is well known to be France's wildest philosopher.


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    #14
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,373 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    davet82 wrote: »
    its been knocking around for a fair bit of time then

    thanks for the info :)
    I remember it all the time in school ~20 years ago. Usually said as "free gaff", meaning the parents were away, "free house" was also used
    Jhcx wrote: »
    Next ye'll be saying pad and crib. I'll stick to the house or apartment terminology

    "free apartment" sounds crap ;), and I think pad & crib are both american slang and gaff would have been used by many to specifically avoid using american slang. So I can't see it "being next"


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    #15
    suicide_circus
    Registered Users Posts: 19,802 ✭✭✭✭suicide_circus


    Gaff is Ffag spelt backwards


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    #16
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    IceFjoem wrote: »
    Please, Rousseau is well known to be France's wildest philosopher.

    Not around inner city Dublin he isn't :P


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    #17
    BraziliaNZ
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,671 ✭✭✭BraziliaNZ


    They say it in London too so I'd imagine it originated here


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    #18
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    BraziliaNZ wrote: »
    They say it in London too so I'd imagine it originated here

    really? I've never heard it used in an English accent. could have been imported by irish no?


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    #19
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,929 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    I like this sort of thing...

    my favourite is "kip" as in "your gaff is a kip" or "i'm going to bed to get some kip"

    "the prostitutes of Monto used to sleep in kip houses after work"


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    #20
    Duckworth_Luas
    Registered Users Posts: 5,733 ✭✭✭Duckworth_Luas


    davet82 wrote: »
    really? I've never heard it used in an English accent. could have been imported by irish no?
    Sound like something Sir Terry Venebles would say on Match of the Day, "The defender, see here, roigh, was all over the gaff, innit!"


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    #21
    Ruu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,622 ✭✭✭Ruu


    I prefer 'pad' myself. :p


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    #22
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    Ruubot2 wrote: »
    I prefer 'pad' myself. :p

    'my pad' - don't like it , always makes me think of tampax :o


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    #23
    BrianJD
    Registered Users Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭BrianJD


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    I always thought it was spelt "Gaff."

    I always thought is was spelt "spelled"


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    #24
    Duckworth_Luas
    Registered Users Posts: 5,733 ✭✭✭Duckworth_Luas


    BrianJD wrote: »
    I always thought is was spelt "spelled"
    No "is" is spelled is!


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    #25
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,409 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    Gaff is English in origin me thinks.


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    #26
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,409 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    Duckworth_Luas wrote: »
    No "is" is spelled is!

    Is it?


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    #27
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    Duckworth_Luas wrote: »
    No "is" is spelled is!

    this is getting ridiculous :pac:


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    #28
    Duckworth_Luas
    Registered Users Posts: 5,733 ✭✭✭Duckworth_Luas


    kneemos wrote: »
    Is it?
    No "it" is spelled it!


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    #29
    Busted Flat.
    Registered Users Posts: 4,003 ✭✭✭Busted Flat.


    http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=gaff&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CEIQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbandictionary.com%2Fdefine.php%3Fterm%3Dgaff&ei=dh11UdyYNOve7Abh74DgCw&usg=AFQjCNGDefYkIHev-tB7YDx5CoSzvkQUFA&bvm=bv.45512109,d.ZGU


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    #30
    WoollyRedHat
    Registered Users Posts: 10,462 ✭✭✭✭WoollyRedHat


    Our gaff, in the middle of our street, Our gaff in the middle of our...
    wha'


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    #31
    Paramite Pie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,312 ✭✭✭Paramite Pie


    Jhcx wrote: »
    Next ye'll be saying pad and crib. I'll stick to the house or apartment terminology

    No we won't, Americans have their own slang and we have ours. The word gaff has been around much longer than mtv as far as I know.

    Looks like the word may have been originated in England but I think it's more widely used in Ireland.


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