GO mBEANNAÍ Dia daoibh, a big hello to both my cairde coimeádacha - conservative friends and to my cairde forásacha - progressive friends, you are all welcome to the Bluffer’s Guide to Irish,
Depending on your political point of view, you will be saying either “tragóid atá ann” - it’s a tragedy or “yeeeeoooww!! on hearing that cheeky chappy Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is stepping down from being a Member of Parliament after he received the findings of an Coiste um Pribhléidí - the Privileges Committee of the British Parliament which was investigating whether or not chuir sé Baill Pharlaiminte ar míthreoir - he misled MPs with his statements on parties in Downing Street le linn na paindéime Covid - during the Covid pandemic.
Obviously, the report is going to report that that is exactly what he did but in the words of the great NI footballer, Danny Blanchflower, “Our tactics have always been to equalise before the other team score” Johnson has come out fighting.
“Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it infamy,” he says of an dornán beag bídeach de dhaoine - “a small handful of people” who have brought the prince of politics to his knees.
The man is a true íobartach - victim.
On the other hand ... could it be something to do with na bréaga - the lies he told (see Peter Stefanovich’s tweets and videos), his prorogation of parliament, his hollow promises to the DUP - the list is endless.
Of course, it goes deeper than that to the heart of what being a tír dhaonlathach - a democratic country actually means.
There are different words for types of government – a gerontocracy, autocracy, theocracy and one that fits the current Tory Government, a kleptocracy – but I haven’t found a term for a government made up of clowns.
As Stefanovich writes in bylinetimes.com: “Any politician who counts among their closest allies Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries is never going to be able to manage an enduring political project.”
On the other side of the pond, Donal Trump is having a little difficulty at the minute.
The blind bombshell is accused of keeping cáipéisí rúnaicmithe rialtais - classified government documents which he should have handed over when he left An Teach Bán - the White House.
Trump is rogha na coitiantachta - the frontrunner or favourite for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and it is claimed the former POTUS took “hundreds” of classified government documents in cardboard boxes to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida,
He is further accused of comhcheilg a bheith ar bun aige - conducting a conspiracy, heavy duty charges which sees the former President up in court – again – tomorrow after earlier defending himself against charges that he paid (via others) Stormy Daniels €130,000 to keep schtum about a caidreamh collaí - a sexual relationship between the two.
Whatever the truth, what is clear is that politics in the UK and the USA need recalibrated.
CÚPLA FOCAL
cairde coimeádacha (carja kimaadaha) - conservative friends
cairde forásacha (carja foraasaha) - progressive friends
tragóid atá ann (tragoydge ataa un) - it’s a tragedy
an Coiste um Pribhléidí (un cawshta um privlaydgee) - the Privileges Committee
chuir sé Baill Pharlaiminte ar míthreoir (kher shay bwil faralaimtcha er mee-hrore) - he misled MPs
le linn na paindéime Covid (le lin na panyama covid) - during the Covid pandemic
an dornán beag bídeach de dhaoine (un dornaan big bweejakh de geenee) - the small handful of people
íobartach (eebertakh) - victim.
na bréaga (ne brayga) - the lies
tír dhaonlathach (cheer gaynlahakh) - a democratic country
cáipéisí rúnaicmithe rialtais (capayshee roon-akmeeha reealtish) - classified government documents
An Teach Bán (un chakh baan) - the White House
comhcheilg a bheith ar bun aige (co-kelig a vay er bun aggy) - conducting a conspiracy
rogha na coitiantachta(ray ne cotcheeantakhta) - the frontrunner or favourite
caidreamh collaí (cadgeroo collee) - a sexual relationship
