craic

noun

ˈkrak 

1

chiefly Ireland and Scotland : a fun time or experience : amusement, enjoyment

Life is very quiet and you have to make your own craic. [=fun]

—Sandra Cribben, quoted in The Scottish Daily Mail

… a (sort of) grown-up mystery-comedy-drama series that's proper craic.

—Shannon Connellan

2

chiefly Ireland and Scotland : a fun social atmosphere or occasion

This is a bar that puts a strong focus on good craic, great grub and first-class cocktails …

—Edwin McFee

—often used with the

… in Ireland, we like the craic; it's our culture and we take it seriously. We love going out. We spend more money on cultural events, tickets and shows than most of our European counterparts …

—Ruth Medjber

… he was one of them, a guy who worked hard and then enjoyed a few pints and the craic with his pals.

—Hugh MacDonald

3

chiefly Ireland and Scotland : someone who is fun and enjoyable to be around

He helps keep morale high, he's a good craic but he cares a lot.

—Curtis Nelson, quoted in The Derby Telegraph (Nottingham, England)

… a good craic with the lads …

—Axel Tuanzebe, quoted in The Observer (London, England)

also : fun and enjoyable company

I really like the Scottish people, they are really good. They are always up for a laugh. They are a great craic.

—Luke Humphries, quoted in The Daily Record and Sunday Mail (Glasgow, Scotland)

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Irish, borrowed (via Hiberno-English) from Scots and northern English crack entry 2 in sense "lively conversation, gossip, news"

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined at sense 2