Dialect/Slang Word- "Lash!"

[stephen07]

The word "lash" is in common use in Mid-Ulster (Northern Ireland) especially amongst young people. It means excellent, wonderful, "class" or "cool".

e.g. "We're aff school themorra it's gonna be lash!" "That film was lash!"

I've searched for it in Ulster dialect, Ulster-Scots, Hiberno-English and slang dictionaries but have never located it.

Has anyone ever heard of this word before or can you suggest where it might have come from?

[Anglika]

There is a Scots word "lash" = a large/abundant quantity of things or persons.

I suppose it could be adapted to the use you are citing.

[stephen07]

Originally Posted by Anglika

There is a Scots word "lash" = a large/abundant quantity of things or persons.

I suppose it could be adapted to the use you are citing.

Very interesting! There are a lot of Scots words in use in my area even though we're well outside the broad Ulster-Scots speaking area. I think this might be a likely explanation. Thanks for the reply.

[DaBrudders]

The word lash is also common in the republic. Especially around Dublin where "out on the lash" means to go out drinking, in the same context as "out on the p*ss".

[stephen07]

Originally Posted by DaBrudders

The word lash is also common in the republic. Especially around Dublin where "out on the lash" means to go out drinking, in the same context as "out on the p*ss".

We also use lash to mean heavy rain e.g. "It was lashin it down." However in mid-Ulster "lash" has the specific meaning of excellent or wonderful and I have not been able to trace this anywhere else.

Geordie dialect also has "out on the lash" meaning to go out drinking but I have never heard this before in NI.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by stephen07

I've searched for it in Ulster dialect, Ulster-Scots, Hiberno-English and slang dictionaries but have never located it.

What about?

Possibly from Irish Laise or Luise meaning, glamour [with semantic extension to wonderful]
Source: Cork Slang

[BobK]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

What about?

Possibly from Irish Laise or Luise meaning, glamour [with semantic extension to wonderful]
Source: Cork Slang

Interesting. In the Geordie song 'The Keel Row' the young woman singer's young man is called 'leish': The Keel Row . Perhaps it's related.

b

[stephen07]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

What about?

Possibly from Irish Laise or Luise meaning, glamour [with semantic extension to wonderful]

Source: Cork Slang

Possibly! Is "laise" pronouced laish? As I said it's not in any Hiberno-English dictionary I've searched, and seems to be very local even within Ulster. Thanks for all the replies! They're lash! (sorry )

Took a look at that Cork slang page and although the usage seems to be different it's certainly quite similar.

[bianca]

Originally Posted by stephen07

We also use lash to mean heavy rain e.g. "It was lashin it down." However in mid-Ulster "lash" has the specific meaning of excellent or wonderful and I have not been able to trace this anywhere else.

Geordie dialect also has "out on the lash" meaning to go out drinking but I have never heard this before in NI.

What I find both funny and interesting is that: "out on the lash" as you said, means out on a drinking spree, while "to lash out", means to fly off the handle. Maybe because those out on a lash can easily lash out, too...

[BobK]

Originally Posted by stephen07

Possibly! Is "laise" pronouced laish? As I said it's not in any Hiberno-English dictionary I've searched, and seems to be very local even within Ulster. Thanks for all the replies! They're lash! (sorry )

Took a look at that Cork slang page and although the usage seems to be different it's certainly quite similar.

Well I know next to nothing about Gaelic, but I believe the ending -ise makes the sound [ʃ].

b