# I don't get the joke on this T-Shirt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659 "2014-04-22T05:09:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/21 "2014-04-22T15:53:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, now that I think about it, perhaps the phrase “for the craic” is known in Philly? It’s got a pretty decent Irish community. So maybe it is, in fact, intended to be a pun with three meanings. Are you on crack? 😉 I’m just not buying any other explanation. The Liberty Bell is arguably Philadelphia’s most iconic image, and that image’s most prominent (and famous) feature is the crack. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/22 "2014-04-22T15:55:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’d take that bet for $100. Looking online for the phrase “for the craic,” it shows up in the States in [Irish-themed bars](http://www.theblueshamrockpub.com/Resources/Menu%20full%20color%206th%20proof.pdf), on [on this website of a Phildelphia area business](http://www.walshorgans.com/main.htm) (“We did it for the craic.”), websites on [Irish Philadelphia](http://irishphiladelphia.com/2010/10/aon-sceal-9/), etc. If this was a shirt being marketed and sold in an Irish pub, that would further suggest that the “for the craic” meaning is intentional. Given that the show is set around an Irish pub, I don’t think it’s too far-fatched to think, especially given that “for the craic” is an established Irish phrase. I was extremely skeptical, but I think this is pretty good evidence the pun is either triple or simply a different one than I had assumed. In the latter case it’s kind of a meta-joke for the show to have the shirt featured in it–you know they know probably everyone in the audience thinks it’s about the drug! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/23 "2014-04-22T15:57:57Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > Are you on crack? > 😉 > I’m just not buying any other explanation. The Liberty Bell is arguably Philadelphia’s most iconic image, and that image’s most prominent (and famous) feature is the crack. I’m not arguing with that. Clearly, the obvious meaning to most Americans is crack of the liberty bell and crack the drug. Duh. I mean, that’s the first thing I posted here. But given the Irish pub connection, and the fact that “for the crack/craic” is apparently an established phrase, I think there’s a third meaning going on here. That is, I think the tee-shirt was inspired by the phrase “for the craic/crack” (as apparently Irish pubs like to pun on that), and then moved that pun over to the more obvious pun that all the Americans will get, punning on the crack in the liberty bell and the street drug. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/24 "2014-04-22T16:00:05Z")
So I’m NOT being gaslighted… Okay. I’m okay with that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/25 "2014-04-22T16:09:03Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not arguing with that. Clearly, the obvious meaning to most Americans is crack of the liberty bell and crack the drug. Duh. I mean, that’s the first thing I posted here. But given the Irish pub connection, and the fact that “for the crack/craic” is apparently an established phrase, I think there’s a third meaning going on here. That is, I think the tee-shirt was inspired by the phrase “for the craic/crack” (as apparently Irish pubs like to pun on that), and then moved that pun over to the more obvious pun that all the Americans will get, punning on the crack in the liberty bell and the street drug. I think that it’s merely coincidence, and that the drug joke was the only one intended, ymmv. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/26 "2014-04-22T16:10:07Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > I think that it’s merely coincidence, and that the drug joke was the only one intended, ymmv. Indeed, my mileage does vary. Just googling Chicago Irish pubs, I see the phrase “for the craic” all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/27 "2014-04-22T16:20:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Indeed, my mileage does vary. Just googling Chicago Irish pubs, I see the phrase “for the craic” all over the place. Have you ever seen the show? I would be astounded if any of them were familiar, in any way whatsoever, with an Irish phrase - despite owning and operating an Irish bar. They’re morons, every last one of them. The idea that one of them might be able to come up with an obscure third meaning for “crack” is beyond absurd. No need to torture this one - asked and answered in the first reply. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/28 "2014-04-22T16:20:31Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Crack = Crack cocaine. > Also, the Liberty Bell has a Crack in it, and it’s in Philly. > > Hilarious! AS others have said, this is the obvious joke here. The slightly more subtle joke is the fact that the association with crack and cities makes the pun obvious, so the idea that Dennis doesn’t get it plays on his naivete of that connection. Also, I don’t think the shirt concept originated with the show. I could be mistaken, but I seem to recall seeing it in other places before I saw it on the show. As such, I’d be inclined to believe the guess of “craic” is purely incidental, and adds more to the subtle joke since, as a Philladelphian, he ought to have seen or heard that expression before. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/29 "2014-04-22T16:21:25Z")
OK, I take it back. I didn’t realize that an Irish pub figured prominently in the show, and that’s about the one place in the US where you might find the word “craic” actually used. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/30 "2014-04-22T16:22:45Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Have you ever seen the show? I would be astounded if any of them were familiar, in any way whatsoever, with an Irish phrase - despite owning and operating an Irish bar. They’re morons, every last one of them. The idea that one of them might be able to come up with an obscure third meaning for “crack” is beyond absurd. No need to torture this one - asked and answered in the first reply. Yes, I’ve seen every single episode. It’s not their characters being clever. It’s a writer. (ETA: Or, if it is the case that it didn’t originate with that show, then whoever the original T-shirt designer was. I’m assuming it was a Philadelphian, and it’s not too crazy to think it might be an Irish Philadelphian familiar with that phrase.) But, whatever. I started this thread thinking that it’s just the obvious Liberty Bell/drug pun, but now I think it’s inspired by the Irish phrase “for the craic,” which appears to be quite common in Irish communities. It’s not at all far-fetched that a writer would be familiar with that and apply it to the shirt in the obvious bell & drug sense. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/31 "2014-04-22T16:30:24Z")
“For the crack\*” is a common term in Ireland and elsewhere meaning “for fun” but I still think crack (drug) mixed with the crack in the bell explanation is the intended pun and it’s a coincidence that “for the crack” has a meaning aside from “visit x for the y” \*“craic” is a blarneyfied abomination cooked up by some fuckpigs in the Irish tourist trade. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/32 "2014-04-22T16:41:17Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > \*“craic” is a blarneyfied abomination cooked up by some fuckpigs in the Irish tourist trade. Can you expound on that a bit? Is it a modern word with an affected Irish spelling or something? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/33 "2014-04-22T16:47:24Z")
Ah, actually, I found a pretty good explanation [here](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Craic&defid=3236791). So, if I’m understanding correctly, it appears to be a Hiberno-English and/or Scottish-English dialect word, not a word from Irish or Gaelic itself. In the 70s, the “craic” spelling began to creep in, presumably to make it look “more Irish”? Is it something like that? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/34 "2014-04-22T16:52:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Ah, actually, I found a pretty good explanation [here](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Craic&defid=3236791). So, if I’m understanding correctly, it appears to be a Hiberno-English and/or Scottish-English dialect word, not a word from Irish or Gaelic itself. In the 70s, the “craic” spelling began to creep in, presumably to make it look “more Irish”? Is it something like that? Yep, well into my lifetime I only ever saw that spelling on tourist pubs/traps but it has supplanted the original English dialectal spelling and has also led people to believe that the word “craic” is a purely Irish term that the English/Scots have adopted when it existed in dialectal English in Britain all down the years. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/35 "2014-04-22T16:54:08Z")
Fascinating. What an enlightening thread this has been! I love learning new things about language. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/36 "2014-04-22T17:05:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, I take it back. I didn’t realize that an Irish pub figured prominently in the show, and that’s about the one place in the US where you might find the word “craic” actually used. > [@pulykamell](#): > > But, whatever. I started this thread thinking that it’s just the obvious Liberty Bell/drug pun, but now I think it’s inspired by the Irish phrase “for the craic,” which appears to be quite common in Irish communities. I’m an Irish-American (my mother’s maiden name is Rosie O’Rourke, and her mothers name was Mary MacNamara), and have spent more hours than I care to think about in Irish bars in the US (including those frequented by Irish immigrants). I also used to work with many Irish immigrants. I’ve never heard the term “craic.” It’s certainly not well known or common, and the idea that the writers intended any secondary pun is far-fetched at best. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/37 "2014-04-22T17:11:32Z")
Colibri, you never heard an Irish immigrant using the term “crack” for fun? That is kinda surprising. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/38 "2014-04-22T17:18:23Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I’m an Irish-American (my mother’s maiden name is Rosie O’Rourke, and her mothers name was Mary MacNamara), and have spent more hours than I care to think about in Irish bars in the US (including those frequented by Irish immigrants). I also used to work with many Irish immigrants. I’ve never heard the term “craic.” It’s certainly not well known or common, and the idea that the writers intended any secondary pun is far-fetched at best. _shrug_ Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way of finding out. Googling around, it seems the phrase or word comes up here in Chicago a reasonable bit. For example, [here’s a born-and-raised Chicagoan](http://www.city-data.com/forum/chicago/1561574-whats-living-canaryville-like-2.html) from Canaryville (a very Irish-American neighborhood here) naturally using it in dialect: "yes there is a sox/cubs rivalry amongst the neighborhood. haha but its all for the craic and ball breakin’ " It’s not far-fetched to think whoever designed that t-shirt may have come across the phrase and had a light-bulb moment, applying it to the Liberty Bell and crack cocaine. It’s not something I’d wager a huge amount on, but I’d take a hundred dollar flutter if there was some way of tracking down the designer. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/39 "2014-04-22T17:33:05Z")
I had never heard of the word “craic” until…yesterday, when I read an Irish book that used it. It was pretty easy to figure out in context. And now here’s this thread. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659/40 "2014-04-22T17:37:56Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > I had never heard of the word “craic” until…yesterday, when I read an Irish book that used it. It was pretty easy to figure out in context. > > And now here’s this thread. Hah. That kind of stuff happens to me all the time. Also in the reverse: I’ll read something here that I’ve never heard of–whether it be a word, a phrase, a song, a fad, etc.–and then I encounter it seemingly everywhere I go. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-get-the-joke-on-this-t-shirt/686659.md?page=3)