Actually, Lorenzo, that’s not correct. “Craic” is an English loan-word borrowed into Irish, according to most linguists. As in “crack a joke.” It’s just like the awful Irish word “seisiun” or “seisiún,” which is just the Gaelic-ified version of the English (née French) word “session.” Just like the quasi-Scots-Gaelic word “crag” or “crac,” which is the same word. In Scots Gaelic, there’s also a word “cracas,” meaning “conversation,” that also derives from the English “crack.”
The earliest comprehensive Irish dictionary is from about 1927, and it doesn’t contain the word “craic.” In fact, the word does not appear in any Irish-language literature until the mid-20th century. It has much earlier use in England and Scotland (cf. Spenser, Burns). . . and in areas of the Low Countries with the same meaning (witty conversation / banter / jokes), so it does seem hard to refute that the word is Germanic in origin and not a Celtic word.
I think it’s ironic that so Irish a concept would be described by an English loanword, but it could be that something so Irish didn’t need a descriptive term in Gaelic. Eh, whatever.
Down there, isn’t that called the “Dixieland Harp”?
I´m glad to read that Phil obviously distinguishes the Dixieland Harp (or Bedpan from the Five String. It used to be my main instument before I got infected by the UP-virus. BTW, UPs accompanied by a Fine String (clawhammer style) really sounds great.
Best
Hans
Well, it is possible, but in fact I´m not sure how to call it. It derives from 4/4 but in the 3/4 the first thumbing is left out and I played two “strums” after each other. Of course, this only works if the jigs aren´t played too fast.
Actually, that’s right…partly anyway (huh’em). I read that article too.
But it also says that the Germanic-English speaking people first borrowed
it from the Gaels, tweaked it just a little, then gave it back to them long
before it was ever published. The trem can mean lots of things.
No, no, he’s just saying he wants to keep you on hand … OOPS! … uh, no, he means you’re handy … DOH! … no, no, he wants to keep his hand … er … just helping you out here, Joseph … um …
from the Five String. It used to be my main instument before I got infected by the UP-virus. BTW, UPs accompanied by a Fine String (clawhammer style) really sounds great.
How in the world do you do jigs clawhammer style? 
