Madam, - Twenty years ago, at a time of poor cash flow, I was contracted to write a feature for Ireland of the Welcomeson the summer Strawberry Fair in Enniscorthy. It was to be light-hearted with emphasis on enjoyment and fun.
I wrote a comprehensive piece mentioning that the best "crack" was to be found on the riverside and near the cathedral. In the rejection slip, the editor pointed out that crack in North America was a drug of addiction and in Belfast and New Zealand it meant sexual intercourse.
Dineen's Irish-English Dictionary explains that the noun "cracaire" means a jester, a talker, a boaster. - Is mise,
NICHOLAS FURLONG, Wexford.