Irish Slang – A Jennet

Here’s your bit of Irish for the day: jennet.

While it might be an English word, its definition is slightly altered here in Ireland. I hadn’t actually heard the word before moving here and hearing locals use the word frequently in their metaphors; “He made a jennet out of me” (meaning that one was made to appear foolish) or “I went motoring down the road like a jennet” (meaning one went very fast).

Now the dictionary defines Jennet as “A female Donkey” and “A small Spanish horse.” Irish people would disagree with this; a jennet is definitely not a donkey – donkeys reproduce, jennets cannot. A jennet is the offspring of a stallion and a female donkey, akin to a mule, which is the offspring of a mare and a male donkey. Now!