What is the meaning of 'clusterbourach'?
In recent days I've seen the word 'clusterbourach' come up to describe the Brexit process. For example, in the National:
The deal was, he said later, not just a bourach, but a “clusterbourach”.
I've tried looking up this word online but have been unable to find a definition (for example, in the Online Scots Dictionary). I'm guessing from context that it means 'a mess' or something similar. Still, it would be good to get a proper definition.
What does this word mean?
meaning scottish-english
asked Dec 14 at 12:19
The Dark Lord
21318
add a comment |
In recent days I've seen the word 'clusterbourach' come up to describe the Brexit process. For example, in the National:
The deal was, he said later, not just a bourach, but a “clusterbourach”.
I've tried looking up this word online but have been unable to find a definition (for example, in the Online Scots Dictionary). I'm guessing from context that it means 'a mess' or something similar. Still, it would be good to get a proper definition.
What does this word mean?
meaning scottish-english
asked Dec 14 at 12:19
The Dark Lord
21318
We're way past clusterburach, most commentators agree we are now well into omniburach territory. I put great faith in my local MSP's scots/gaelic/english vocabulary.
– Spagirl
Dec 14 at 15:37
There is a common vulgar phrase in English (which originated with the military), "cluster-F***". It's a local play on that.
– Fattie
Dec 14 at 16:38
Omnibùrach is clearly a Scottish version of omnishambles. However, I think we are well past omnibùrach. I think we are past all vocabulary. It is also interesting that politicians now think it appropriate to use the Gaelic spelling with the ù. How times have changed.
– David Robinson
Dec 14 at 22:33
I have today seen ‘galactabouroch’ in the wild.
– Spagirl
Dec 16 at 9:17
add a comment |
In recent days I've seen the word 'clusterbourach' come up to describe the Brexit process. For example, in the National:
The deal was, he said later, not just a bourach, but a “clusterbourach”.
I've tried looking up this word online but have been unable to find a definition (for example, in the Online Scots Dictionary). I'm guessing from context that it means 'a mess' or something similar. Still, it would be good to get a proper definition.
What does this word mean?
meaning scottish-english
asked Dec 14 at 12:19
The Dark Lord
21318
In recent days I've seen the word 'clusterbourach' come up to describe the Brexit process. For example, in the National:
The deal was, he said later, not just a bourach, but a “clusterbourach”.
I've tried looking up this word online but have been unable to find a definition (for example, in the Online Scots Dictionary). I'm guessing from context that it means 'a mess' or something similar. Still, it would be good to get a proper definition.
What does this word mean?
meaning scottish-english
meaning scottish-english
asked Dec 14 at 12:19
The Dark Lord
21318
asked Dec 14 at 12:19
The Dark Lord
21318
asked Dec 14 at 12:19
The Dark Lord
21318
asked Dec 14 at 12:19
The Dark Lord
21318
asked Dec 14 at 12:19
The Dark Lord
21318
21318
We're way past clusterburach, most commentators agree we are now well into omniburach territory. I put great faith in my local MSP's scots/gaelic/english vocabulary.
– Spagirl
Dec 14 at 15:37
There is a common vulgar phrase in English (which originated with the military), "cluster-F***". It's a local play on that.
– Fattie
Dec 14 at 16:38
Omnibùrach is clearly a Scottish version of omnishambles. However, I think we are well past omnibùrach. I think we are past all vocabulary. It is also interesting that politicians now think it appropriate to use the Gaelic spelling with the ù. How times have changed.
– David Robinson
Dec 14 at 22:33
I have today seen ‘galactabouroch’ in the wild.
– Spagirl
Dec 16 at 9:17
add a comment |
We're way past clusterburach, most commentators agree we are now well into omniburach territory. I put great faith in my local MSP's scots/gaelic/english vocabulary.
– Spagirl
Dec 14 at 15:37
There is a common vulgar phrase in English (which originated with the military), "cluster-F***". It's a local play on that.
– Fattie
Dec 14 at 16:38
Omnibùrach is clearly a Scottish version of omnishambles. However, I think we are well past omnibùrach. I think we are past all vocabulary. It is also interesting that politicians now think it appropriate to use the Gaelic spelling with the ù. How times have changed.
– David Robinson
Dec 14 at 22:33
I have today seen ‘galactabouroch’ in the wild.
– Spagirl
Dec 16 at 9:17
We're way past clusterburach, most commentators agree we are now well into omniburach territory. I put great faith in my local MSP's scots/gaelic/english vocabulary.
– Spagirl
Dec 14 at 15:37
We're way past clusterburach, most commentators agree we are now well into omniburach territory. I put great faith in my local MSP's scots/gaelic/english vocabulary.
– Spagirl
Dec 14 at 15:37
There is a common vulgar phrase in English (which originated with the military), "cluster-F***". It's a local play on that.
– Fattie
Dec 14 at 16:38
There is a common vulgar phrase in English (which originated with the military), "cluster-F***". It's a local play on that.
– Fattie
Dec 14 at 16:38
Omnibùrach is clearly a Scottish version of omnishambles. However, I think we are well past omnibùrach. I think we are past all vocabulary. It is also interesting that politicians now think it appropriate to use the Gaelic spelling with the ù. How times have changed.
– David Robinson
Dec 14 at 22:33
Omnibùrach is clearly a Scottish version of omnishambles. However, I think we are well past omnibùrach. I think we are past all vocabulary. It is also interesting that politicians now think it appropriate to use the Gaelic spelling with the ù. How times have changed.
– David Robinson
Dec 14 at 22:33
I have today seen ‘galactabouroch’ in the wild.
– Spagirl
Dec 16 at 9:17
I have today seen ‘galactabouroch’ in the wild.
– Spagirl
Dec 16 at 9:17
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
The writer of this article is assuming the reader is familiar with a rather vulgar term, cluster fuck, given by M-W as:
a complex and utterly disordered and mismanaged situation : a muddled mess
I am not that familiar with the term bourach, but one of the meanings given in your own link is "mess." This could be connected to its other meaning of hovel, i.e. dwelling in a bad state of upkeep, but this is conjecture on my part.
So the writer has either made playful use of some rhetorical parallelism by adding the cluster in front of bourach for emphasis, or a slightly humorous attempt to bowdlerize his statement by replacing the vulgar portion of cluster fuck with something else. Whether the attempt worked and got the desired effect is another question.
answered Dec 14 at 12:30
cobaltduck
11.6k13473
1
That makes total sense! I never considered clusterfuck as a source (although I am vaguely familiar with it). Would you take a stab at a definition, in the light of what you've said? For instance, would it be fair to describe the meaning of the quote in my question as "not just a mess but a total and utter mess"?
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:44
3
By the by, I don't think it necessarily has the effect of bowdlerising clusterfuck, rather of playfully making bourach more emphatic. If it does modify clusterfuck then it 'Scottishises' it, giving it a distinctive Scottish nature. Which suits the SNP down to the ground. I do at least know more about Scottish politics than I do about Scottish linguistics! I do rather like it as a phrase. Playful and mischeivous.
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:47
Could you add a source for ‘original meaning of a dwelling in a bad state of upkeep’?
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 9:16
@TheDarkLord - The paraphrase in your first comment seems spot on from my perspective. As for your second comment, I had not thought of that, but it is an interesting idea for why the author chose this term, and is probably more valid than my explanation.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:39
@Spagirl - The reference is in the original question, but I have edited that portion to clarify my intent.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:40
|
show 1 more comment
The more common spelling of this is
clusterburach
meaning something like an 'awful great big complicated mess'. It has been used commonly recently to describe the legal difficulties in Brexit negotiations.
An example usage from recent news:
Scotland does deserve better. No reasonable person looking at the clusterburach at Westminster this week can deny that.”
It of course is patterned after the much more pejorative/taboo 'clusterfuck', a big mess. The interesting part is that
'burach' is Scots Gaelic for 'mess.
(thanks Spagirl for the dictionary link). So 'clusterburach' is two euphemism steps away from 'clusterfuck'.
Aside: there may be no trustworthy evidence for it but
'burach' may also mean 'duck', which may have been a multilingual rhyming euphemism (this is very questionable but entertaining). In other words, a cluster of ducks is not necessarily evocative of a terrible complication, but is associated by translation first and then by rhyming with a taboo word for 'a great big mess'. I have no evidence for this other than Google Translate, which is notoriously problematic for underrepresented languages like Gaelic in its various national forms, and idle, or rather motivated, speculation.
edited Dec 17 at 11:25
Spagirl
9,7841944
answered Dec 14 at 14:31
Mitch
50.1k15101211
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 1:52
Thanks for the credit in your edit, but is isn’t a ‘scots’ Dictionary it’s a Gaelic one. Scots and Gaelic are different languages. ‘Irish’ may mean the gaelic spoken in Ireland but you can’t just map that across to Scotland. This is a Dictionary of Scots which I’d been trying to avoid since ‘bourach’ in scots apparently meant a hobble for cows before the Gaelic loanword for mess took over.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 8:13
@Spagirl Forgive me for misuse of terms, I'm from the US, not Scotland or Ireland, so am not immersed in the distinctions. From the 'Am Faclair Beag' site, at the very top it says 'An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary', which is why I used the term 'Scots dictionary', which may very well be mistaken (I was mistaken to say 'Scots dictionary'). What I've found: 'Scots Gaelic': closely related to Irish Gaelic, 'Scots' or 'Lowland Scots': derived from Middle English.'Irish' is Irish Gaelic' and just 'Gaelic' is ... either?
– Mitch
Dec 15 at 14:29
1
Within Scotland the Gaelic language spoken is referred to, in English, as ‘gaelic’. People out with Scotland might refer to it as Scottish Gaelic to distinguish it from Irish and Manx. Referring to it as ‘Scots’ seems logical, but doesn’t work. I’m not upbraiding you at all, just trying to help weed out confusing elements of your answer.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 15:44
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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The writer of this article is assuming the reader is familiar with a rather vulgar term, cluster fuck, given by M-W as:
a complex and utterly disordered and mismanaged situation : a muddled mess
I am not that familiar with the term bourach, but one of the meanings given in your own link is "mess." This could be connected to its other meaning of hovel, i.e. dwelling in a bad state of upkeep, but this is conjecture on my part.
So the writer has either made playful use of some rhetorical parallelism by adding the cluster in front of bourach for emphasis, or a slightly humorous attempt to bowdlerize his statement by replacing the vulgar portion of cluster fuck with something else. Whether the attempt worked and got the desired effect is another question.
answered Dec 14 at 12:30
cobaltduck
11.6k13473
1
That makes total sense! I never considered clusterfuck as a source (although I am vaguely familiar with it). Would you take a stab at a definition, in the light of what you've said? For instance, would it be fair to describe the meaning of the quote in my question as "not just a mess but a total and utter mess"?
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:44
3
By the by, I don't think it necessarily has the effect of bowdlerising clusterfuck, rather of playfully making bourach more emphatic. If it does modify clusterfuck then it 'Scottishises' it, giving it a distinctive Scottish nature. Which suits the SNP down to the ground. I do at least know more about Scottish politics than I do about Scottish linguistics! I do rather like it as a phrase. Playful and mischeivous.
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:47
Could you add a source for ‘original meaning of a dwelling in a bad state of upkeep’?
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 9:16
@TheDarkLord - The paraphrase in your first comment seems spot on from my perspective. As for your second comment, I had not thought of that, but it is an interesting idea for why the author chose this term, and is probably more valid than my explanation.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:39
@Spagirl - The reference is in the original question, but I have edited that portion to clarify my intent.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:40
|
show 1 more comment
The writer of this article is assuming the reader is familiar with a rather vulgar term, cluster fuck, given by M-W as:
a complex and utterly disordered and mismanaged situation : a muddled mess
I am not that familiar with the term bourach, but one of the meanings given in your own link is "mess." This could be connected to its other meaning of hovel, i.e. dwelling in a bad state of upkeep, but this is conjecture on my part.
So the writer has either made playful use of some rhetorical parallelism by adding the cluster in front of bourach for emphasis, or a slightly humorous attempt to bowdlerize his statement by replacing the vulgar portion of cluster fuck with something else. Whether the attempt worked and got the desired effect is another question.
answered Dec 14 at 12:30
cobaltduck
11.6k13473
1
That makes total sense! I never considered clusterfuck as a source (although I am vaguely familiar with it). Would you take a stab at a definition, in the light of what you've said? For instance, would it be fair to describe the meaning of the quote in my question as "not just a mess but a total and utter mess"?
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:44
3
By the by, I don't think it necessarily has the effect of bowdlerising clusterfuck, rather of playfully making bourach more emphatic. If it does modify clusterfuck then it 'Scottishises' it, giving it a distinctive Scottish nature. Which suits the SNP down to the ground. I do at least know more about Scottish politics than I do about Scottish linguistics! I do rather like it as a phrase. Playful and mischeivous.
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:47
Could you add a source for ‘original meaning of a dwelling in a bad state of upkeep’?
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 9:16
@TheDarkLord - The paraphrase in your first comment seems spot on from my perspective. As for your second comment, I had not thought of that, but it is an interesting idea for why the author chose this term, and is probably more valid than my explanation.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:39
@Spagirl - The reference is in the original question, but I have edited that portion to clarify my intent.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:40
|
show 1 more comment
The writer of this article is assuming the reader is familiar with a rather vulgar term, cluster fuck, given by M-W as:
a complex and utterly disordered and mismanaged situation : a muddled mess
I am not that familiar with the term bourach, but one of the meanings given in your own link is "mess." This could be connected to its other meaning of hovel, i.e. dwelling in a bad state of upkeep, but this is conjecture on my part.
So the writer has either made playful use of some rhetorical parallelism by adding the cluster in front of bourach for emphasis, or a slightly humorous attempt to bowdlerize his statement by replacing the vulgar portion of cluster fuck with something else. Whether the attempt worked and got the desired effect is another question.
answered Dec 14 at 12:30
cobaltduck
11.6k13473
The writer of this article is assuming the reader is familiar with a rather vulgar term, cluster fuck, given by M-W as:
a complex and utterly disordered and mismanaged situation : a muddled mess
I am not that familiar with the term bourach, but one of the meanings given in your own link is "mess." This could be connected to its other meaning of hovel, i.e. dwelling in a bad state of upkeep, but this is conjecture on my part.
So the writer has either made playful use of some rhetorical parallelism by adding the cluster in front of bourach for emphasis, or a slightly humorous attempt to bowdlerize his statement by replacing the vulgar portion of cluster fuck with something else. Whether the attempt worked and got the desired effect is another question.
answered Dec 14 at 12:30
cobaltduck
11.6k13473
edited Dec 15 at 15:43
answered Dec 14 at 12:30
cobaltduck
11.6k13473
answered Dec 14 at 12:30
cobaltduck
11.6k13473
answered Dec 14 at 12:30
cobaltduck
11.6k13473
11.6k13473
1
That makes total sense! I never considered clusterfuck as a source (although I am vaguely familiar with it). Would you take a stab at a definition, in the light of what you've said? For instance, would it be fair to describe the meaning of the quote in my question as "not just a mess but a total and utter mess"?
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:44
3
By the by, I don't think it necessarily has the effect of bowdlerising clusterfuck, rather of playfully making bourach more emphatic. If it does modify clusterfuck then it 'Scottishises' it, giving it a distinctive Scottish nature. Which suits the SNP down to the ground. I do at least know more about Scottish politics than I do about Scottish linguistics! I do rather like it as a phrase. Playful and mischeivous.
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:47
Could you add a source for ‘original meaning of a dwelling in a bad state of upkeep’?
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 9:16
@TheDarkLord - The paraphrase in your first comment seems spot on from my perspective. As for your second comment, I had not thought of that, but it is an interesting idea for why the author chose this term, and is probably more valid than my explanation.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:39
@Spagirl - The reference is in the original question, but I have edited that portion to clarify my intent.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:40
|
show 1 more comment
1
That makes total sense! I never considered clusterfuck as a source (although I am vaguely familiar with it). Would you take a stab at a definition, in the light of what you've said? For instance, would it be fair to describe the meaning of the quote in my question as "not just a mess but a total and utter mess"?
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:44
3
By the by, I don't think it necessarily has the effect of bowdlerising clusterfuck, rather of playfully making bourach more emphatic. If it does modify clusterfuck then it 'Scottishises' it, giving it a distinctive Scottish nature. Which suits the SNP down to the ground. I do at least know more about Scottish politics than I do about Scottish linguistics! I do rather like it as a phrase. Playful and mischeivous.
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:47
Could you add a source for ‘original meaning of a dwelling in a bad state of upkeep’?
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 9:16
@TheDarkLord - The paraphrase in your first comment seems spot on from my perspective. As for your second comment, I had not thought of that, but it is an interesting idea for why the author chose this term, and is probably more valid than my explanation.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:39
@Spagirl - The reference is in the original question, but I have edited that portion to clarify my intent.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:40
1
1
That makes total sense! I never considered clusterfuck as a source (although I am vaguely familiar with it). Would you take a stab at a definition, in the light of what you've said? For instance, would it be fair to describe the meaning of the quote in my question as "not just a mess but a total and utter mess"?
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:44
That makes total sense! I never considered clusterfuck as a source (although I am vaguely familiar with it). Would you take a stab at a definition, in the light of what you've said? For instance, would it be fair to describe the meaning of the quote in my question as "not just a mess but a total and utter mess"?
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:44
3
3
By the by, I don't think it necessarily has the effect of bowdlerising clusterfuck, rather of playfully making bourach more emphatic. If it does modify clusterfuck then it 'Scottishises' it, giving it a distinctive Scottish nature. Which suits the SNP down to the ground. I do at least know more about Scottish politics than I do about Scottish linguistics! I do rather like it as a phrase. Playful and mischeivous.
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:47
By the by, I don't think it necessarily has the effect of bowdlerising clusterfuck, rather of playfully making bourach more emphatic. If it does modify clusterfuck then it 'Scottishises' it, giving it a distinctive Scottish nature. Which suits the SNP down to the ground. I do at least know more about Scottish politics than I do about Scottish linguistics! I do rather like it as a phrase. Playful and mischeivous.
– The Dark Lord
Dec 14 at 12:47
Could you add a source for ‘original meaning of a dwelling in a bad state of upkeep’?
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 9:16
Could you add a source for ‘original meaning of a dwelling in a bad state of upkeep’?
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 9:16
@TheDarkLord - The paraphrase in your first comment seems spot on from my perspective. As for your second comment, I had not thought of that, but it is an interesting idea for why the author chose this term, and is probably more valid than my explanation.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:39
@TheDarkLord - The paraphrase in your first comment seems spot on from my perspective. As for your second comment, I had not thought of that, but it is an interesting idea for why the author chose this term, and is probably more valid than my explanation.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:39
@Spagirl - The reference is in the original question, but I have edited that portion to clarify my intent.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:40
@Spagirl - The reference is in the original question, but I have edited that portion to clarify my intent.
– cobaltduck
Dec 15 at 15:40
|
show 1 more comment
The more common spelling of this is
clusterburach
meaning something like an 'awful great big complicated mess'. It has been used commonly recently to describe the legal difficulties in Brexit negotiations.
An example usage from recent news:
Scotland does deserve better. No reasonable person looking at the clusterburach at Westminster this week can deny that.”
It of course is patterned after the much more pejorative/taboo 'clusterfuck', a big mess. The interesting part is that
'burach' is Scots Gaelic for 'mess.
(thanks Spagirl for the dictionary link). So 'clusterburach' is two euphemism steps away from 'clusterfuck'.
Aside: there may be no trustworthy evidence for it but
'burach' may also mean 'duck', which may have been a multilingual rhyming euphemism (this is very questionable but entertaining). In other words, a cluster of ducks is not necessarily evocative of a terrible complication, but is associated by translation first and then by rhyming with a taboo word for 'a great big mess'. I have no evidence for this other than Google Translate, which is notoriously problematic for underrepresented languages like Gaelic in its various national forms, and idle, or rather motivated, speculation.
edited Dec 17 at 11:25
Spagirl
9,7841944
answered Dec 14 at 14:31
Mitch
50.1k15101211
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 1:52
Thanks for the credit in your edit, but is isn’t a ‘scots’ Dictionary it’s a Gaelic one. Scots and Gaelic are different languages. ‘Irish’ may mean the gaelic spoken in Ireland but you can’t just map that across to Scotland. This is a Dictionary of Scots which I’d been trying to avoid since ‘bourach’ in scots apparently meant a hobble for cows before the Gaelic loanword for mess took over.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 8:13
@Spagirl Forgive me for misuse of terms, I'm from the US, not Scotland or Ireland, so am not immersed in the distinctions. From the 'Am Faclair Beag' site, at the very top it says 'An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary', which is why I used the term 'Scots dictionary', which may very well be mistaken (I was mistaken to say 'Scots dictionary'). What I've found: 'Scots Gaelic': closely related to Irish Gaelic, 'Scots' or 'Lowland Scots': derived from Middle English.'Irish' is Irish Gaelic' and just 'Gaelic' is ... either?
– Mitch
Dec 15 at 14:29
1
Within Scotland the Gaelic language spoken is referred to, in English, as ‘gaelic’. People out with Scotland might refer to it as Scottish Gaelic to distinguish it from Irish and Manx. Referring to it as ‘Scots’ seems logical, but doesn’t work. I’m not upbraiding you at all, just trying to help weed out confusing elements of your answer.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 15:44
add a comment |
The more common spelling of this is
clusterburach
meaning something like an 'awful great big complicated mess'. It has been used commonly recently to describe the legal difficulties in Brexit negotiations.
An example usage from recent news:
Scotland does deserve better. No reasonable person looking at the clusterburach at Westminster this week can deny that.”
It of course is patterned after the much more pejorative/taboo 'clusterfuck', a big mess. The interesting part is that
'burach' is Scots Gaelic for 'mess.
(thanks Spagirl for the dictionary link). So 'clusterburach' is two euphemism steps away from 'clusterfuck'.
Aside: there may be no trustworthy evidence for it but
'burach' may also mean 'duck', which may have been a multilingual rhyming euphemism (this is very questionable but entertaining). In other words, a cluster of ducks is not necessarily evocative of a terrible complication, but is associated by translation first and then by rhyming with a taboo word for 'a great big mess'. I have no evidence for this other than Google Translate, which is notoriously problematic for underrepresented languages like Gaelic in its various national forms, and idle, or rather motivated, speculation.
edited Dec 17 at 11:25
Spagirl
9,7841944
answered Dec 14 at 14:31
Mitch
50.1k15101211
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 1:52
Thanks for the credit in your edit, but is isn’t a ‘scots’ Dictionary it’s a Gaelic one. Scots and Gaelic are different languages. ‘Irish’ may mean the gaelic spoken in Ireland but you can’t just map that across to Scotland. This is a Dictionary of Scots which I’d been trying to avoid since ‘bourach’ in scots apparently meant a hobble for cows before the Gaelic loanword for mess took over.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 8:13
@Spagirl Forgive me for misuse of terms, I'm from the US, not Scotland or Ireland, so am not immersed in the distinctions. From the 'Am Faclair Beag' site, at the very top it says 'An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary', which is why I used the term 'Scots dictionary', which may very well be mistaken (I was mistaken to say 'Scots dictionary'). What I've found: 'Scots Gaelic': closely related to Irish Gaelic, 'Scots' or 'Lowland Scots': derived from Middle English.'Irish' is Irish Gaelic' and just 'Gaelic' is ... either?
– Mitch
Dec 15 at 14:29
1
Within Scotland the Gaelic language spoken is referred to, in English, as ‘gaelic’. People out with Scotland might refer to it as Scottish Gaelic to distinguish it from Irish and Manx. Referring to it as ‘Scots’ seems logical, but doesn’t work. I’m not upbraiding you at all, just trying to help weed out confusing elements of your answer.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 15:44
add a comment |
The more common spelling of this is
clusterburach
meaning something like an 'awful great big complicated mess'. It has been used commonly recently to describe the legal difficulties in Brexit negotiations.
An example usage from recent news:
Scotland does deserve better. No reasonable person looking at the clusterburach at Westminster this week can deny that.”
It of course is patterned after the much more pejorative/taboo 'clusterfuck', a big mess. The interesting part is that
'burach' is Scots Gaelic for 'mess.
(thanks Spagirl for the dictionary link). So 'clusterburach' is two euphemism steps away from 'clusterfuck'.
Aside: there may be no trustworthy evidence for it but
'burach' may also mean 'duck', which may have been a multilingual rhyming euphemism (this is very questionable but entertaining). In other words, a cluster of ducks is not necessarily evocative of a terrible complication, but is associated by translation first and then by rhyming with a taboo word for 'a great big mess'. I have no evidence for this other than Google Translate, which is notoriously problematic for underrepresented languages like Gaelic in its various national forms, and idle, or rather motivated, speculation.
edited Dec 17 at 11:25
Spagirl
9,7841944
answered Dec 14 at 14:31
Mitch
50.1k15101211
The more common spelling of this is
clusterburach
meaning something like an 'awful great big complicated mess'. It has been used commonly recently to describe the legal difficulties in Brexit negotiations.
An example usage from recent news:
Scotland does deserve better. No reasonable person looking at the clusterburach at Westminster this week can deny that.”
It of course is patterned after the much more pejorative/taboo 'clusterfuck', a big mess. The interesting part is that
'burach' is Scots Gaelic for 'mess.
(thanks Spagirl for the dictionary link). So 'clusterburach' is two euphemism steps away from 'clusterfuck'.
Aside: there may be no trustworthy evidence for it but
'burach' may also mean 'duck', which may have been a multilingual rhyming euphemism (this is very questionable but entertaining). In other words, a cluster of ducks is not necessarily evocative of a terrible complication, but is associated by translation first and then by rhyming with a taboo word for 'a great big mess'. I have no evidence for this other than Google Translate, which is notoriously problematic for underrepresented languages like Gaelic in its various national forms, and idle, or rather motivated, speculation.
edited Dec 17 at 11:25
Spagirl
9,7841944
answered Dec 14 at 14:31
Mitch
50.1k15101211
edited Dec 17 at 11:25
Spagirl
9,7841944
edited Dec 17 at 11:25
Spagirl
9,7841944
edited Dec 17 at 11:25
Spagirl
9,7841944
9,7841944
answered Dec 14 at 14:31
Mitch
50.1k15101211
answered Dec 14 at 14:31
Mitch
50.1k15101211
answered Dec 14 at 14:31
Mitch
50.1k15101211
50.1k15101211
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 1:52
Thanks for the credit in your edit, but is isn’t a ‘scots’ Dictionary it’s a Gaelic one. Scots and Gaelic are different languages. ‘Irish’ may mean the gaelic spoken in Ireland but you can’t just map that across to Scotland. This is a Dictionary of Scots which I’d been trying to avoid since ‘bourach’ in scots apparently meant a hobble for cows before the Gaelic loanword for mess took over.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 8:13
@Spagirl Forgive me for misuse of terms, I'm from the US, not Scotland or Ireland, so am not immersed in the distinctions. From the 'Am Faclair Beag' site, at the very top it says 'An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary', which is why I used the term 'Scots dictionary', which may very well be mistaken (I was mistaken to say 'Scots dictionary'). What I've found: 'Scots Gaelic': closely related to Irish Gaelic, 'Scots' or 'Lowland Scots': derived from Middle English.'Irish' is Irish Gaelic' and just 'Gaelic' is ... either?
– Mitch
Dec 15 at 14:29
1
Within Scotland the Gaelic language spoken is referred to, in English, as ‘gaelic’. People out with Scotland might refer to it as Scottish Gaelic to distinguish it from Irish and Manx. Referring to it as ‘Scots’ seems logical, but doesn’t work. I’m not upbraiding you at all, just trying to help weed out confusing elements of your answer.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 15:44
add a comment |
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 1:52
Thanks for the credit in your edit, but is isn’t a ‘scots’ Dictionary it’s a Gaelic one. Scots and Gaelic are different languages. ‘Irish’ may mean the gaelic spoken in Ireland but you can’t just map that across to Scotland. This is a Dictionary of Scots which I’d been trying to avoid since ‘bourach’ in scots apparently meant a hobble for cows before the Gaelic loanword for mess took over.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 8:13
@Spagirl Forgive me for misuse of terms, I'm from the US, not Scotland or Ireland, so am not immersed in the distinctions. From the 'Am Faclair Beag' site, at the very top it says 'An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary', which is why I used the term 'Scots dictionary', which may very well be mistaken (I was mistaken to say 'Scots dictionary'). What I've found: 'Scots Gaelic': closely related to Irish Gaelic, 'Scots' or 'Lowland Scots': derived from Middle English.'Irish' is Irish Gaelic' and just 'Gaelic' is ... either?
– Mitch
Dec 15 at 14:29
1
Within Scotland the Gaelic language spoken is referred to, in English, as ‘gaelic’. People out with Scotland might refer to it as Scottish Gaelic to distinguish it from Irish and Manx. Referring to it as ‘Scots’ seems logical, but doesn’t work. I’m not upbraiding you at all, just trying to help weed out confusing elements of your answer.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 15:44
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 1:52
Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
– tchrist♦
Dec 15 at 1:52
Thanks for the credit in your edit, but is isn’t a ‘scots’ Dictionary it’s a Gaelic one. Scots and Gaelic are different languages. ‘Irish’ may mean the gaelic spoken in Ireland but you can’t just map that across to Scotland. This is a Dictionary of Scots which I’d been trying to avoid since ‘bourach’ in scots apparently meant a hobble for cows before the Gaelic loanword for mess took over.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 8:13
Thanks for the credit in your edit, but is isn’t a ‘scots’ Dictionary it’s a Gaelic one. Scots and Gaelic are different languages. ‘Irish’ may mean the gaelic spoken in Ireland but you can’t just map that across to Scotland. This is a Dictionary of Scots which I’d been trying to avoid since ‘bourach’ in scots apparently meant a hobble for cows before the Gaelic loanword for mess took over.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 8:13
@Spagirl Forgive me for misuse of terms, I'm from the US, not Scotland or Ireland, so am not immersed in the distinctions. From the 'Am Faclair Beag' site, at the very top it says 'An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary', which is why I used the term 'Scots dictionary', which may very well be mistaken (I was mistaken to say 'Scots dictionary'). What I've found: 'Scots Gaelic': closely related to Irish Gaelic, 'Scots' or 'Lowland Scots': derived from Middle English.'Irish' is Irish Gaelic' and just 'Gaelic' is ... either?
– Mitch
Dec 15 at 14:29
@Spagirl Forgive me for misuse of terms, I'm from the US, not Scotland or Ireland, so am not immersed in the distinctions. From the 'Am Faclair Beag' site, at the very top it says 'An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary', which is why I used the term 'Scots dictionary', which may very well be mistaken (I was mistaken to say 'Scots dictionary'). What I've found: 'Scots Gaelic': closely related to Irish Gaelic, 'Scots' or 'Lowland Scots': derived from Middle English.'Irish' is Irish Gaelic' and just 'Gaelic' is ... either?
– Mitch
Dec 15 at 14:29
1
1
Within Scotland the Gaelic language spoken is referred to, in English, as ‘gaelic’. People out with Scotland might refer to it as Scottish Gaelic to distinguish it from Irish and Manx. Referring to it as ‘Scots’ seems logical, but doesn’t work. I’m not upbraiding you at all, just trying to help weed out confusing elements of your answer.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 15:44
Within Scotland the Gaelic language spoken is referred to, in English, as ‘gaelic’. People out with Scotland might refer to it as Scottish Gaelic to distinguish it from Irish and Manx. Referring to it as ‘Scots’ seems logical, but doesn’t work. I’m not upbraiding you at all, just trying to help weed out confusing elements of your answer.
– Spagirl
Dec 15 at 15:44
add a comment |
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We're way past clusterburach, most commentators agree we are now well into omniburach territory. I put great faith in my local MSP's scots/gaelic/english vocabulary.
– Spagirl
Dec 14 at 15:37
There is a common vulgar phrase in English (which originated with the military), "cluster-F***". It's a local play on that.
– Fattie
Dec 14 at 16:38
Omnibùrach is clearly a Scottish version of omnishambles. However, I think we are well past omnibùrach. I think we are past all vocabulary. It is also interesting that politicians now think it appropriate to use the Gaelic spelling with the ù. How times have changed.
– David Robinson
Dec 14 at 22:33
I have today seen ‘galactabouroch’ in the wild.
– Spagirl
Dec 16 at 9:17