Everyone I’ve showed this to kept trying to figure out whether it had something to do with free drugs for sailors. That said, everyone I showed it to was probably on drugs anyway. Daiyne‘s tattoo (by Sean Donovan, Sick Creations, Snohomish WA) has a far more responsible explanation — it means “drug free” in Gaelic.
Comments
166 responses to “DRUG’AIL SAOR”
so your family told you what to get written?As excuses go thats utterly ridiculous.As for being able to understand the language i dont beleive you can,being second generation american doesnt mean you can speak a language that lots of people in IRELAND cant speak.This is a great case for raising the age that people should be allowed to get tattoos.
P.s
You’re not drug free,in your blog you talk of getting antibiotics..
so your family told you what to get written?As excuses go thats utterly ridiculous.As for being able to understand the language i dont beleive you can,being second generation american doesnt mean you can speak a language that lots of people in IRELAND cant speak.This is a great case for raising the age that people should be allowed to get tattoos.
P.s
You’re not drug free,in your blog you talk of getting antibiotics..
Oh, that’s true. Silly me…I took antibiotics to live. I am free of drugs. You can be free of recreational drugs without dying from a kidney infection. And no, my family did not tell me what to get written. They told me how to write it. Incorrectly, sure. But, that’s fine. What age would you raise it to? 30?? It’s cute that it bothers all of you so much, and it bothers me not at all.
Oh, that’s true. Silly me…I took antibiotics to live. I am free of drugs. You can be free of recreational drugs without dying from a kidney infection. And no, my family did not tell me what to get written. They told me how to write it. Incorrectly, sure. But, that’s fine. What age would you raise it to? 30?? It’s cute that it bothers all of you so much, and it bothers me not at all.
Hard luck on the mistake. If I were to try to translate it, it would be something like “to drug free” which obviously makes no sense. Someone above suggested “free to drug”, but that would be “saor le drugáil”. What it should be is “Saor óna ndrugaí” – “free from drugs”, but personally, I would have gone for “aingafa” – “unhooked (or unaddicted)”.
From my knowledge of Early and Middle Irish, which is reasonably extensive, the apostrophe can be used in place of a fada (accute accent). However, that would mean inconsistent use of some very different languages. Saor is the one constant across the board. As “drugaí” is obviously a bastardised (or bastardized) version of the English word, it has no place in Early or Middle Irish. Aside from that, the grammar in those languages is completely different. I don’t know any scholar of Early or Middle Irish who would attempt to translate that for you, given that it’s a permanent tattoo, but obviously there are people out there willing to give it a lash, despite being unfamiliar with any Gaelic or Anglicised-Gaelic language whatsoever.
It’s not hugely important, however. I mean, it’s totally wrong and untranslatable, but that’s entirely irrelevant. As you say, you’re American. Unless you visit Ireland, and only then, if you visit somewhere where there are people who can speak Irish, no one is going to pull you up on that error.
In fact, if you look at it like this: you can tell everyone you know that it means whatever you like and no one will be any the wiser. You can only potentially offend those Irish people who speak the language (about 20% of 4 million people, so, about 800,000 people). Even at that, the number of fluent Irish speakers is diminishing. Even then, you’d have to actually meet one of them. Even still, they’d have to see your bare back. The odds against anyone ever pulling you up on that mistake (apart from on here, naturally) are astoundingly small. Close to 0, I’d say.
Hard luck on the mistake. If I were to try to translate it, it would be something like “to drug free” which obviously makes no sense. Someone above suggested “free to drug”, but that would be “saor le drugáil”. What it should be is “Saor óna ndrugaí” – “free from drugs”, but personally, I would have gone for “aingafa” – “unhooked (or unaddicted)”.
From my knowledge of Early and Middle Irish, which is reasonably extensive, the apostrophe can be used in place of a fada (accute accent). However, that would mean inconsistent use of some very different languages. Saor is the one constant across the board. As “drugaí” is obviously a bastardised (or bastardized) version of the English word, it has no place in Early or Middle Irish. Aside from that, the grammar in those languages is completely different. I don’t know any scholar of Early or Middle Irish who would attempt to translate that for you, given that it’s a permanent tattoo, but obviously there are people out there willing to give it a lash, despite being unfamiliar with any Gaelic or Anglicised-Gaelic language whatsoever.
It’s not hugely important, however. I mean, it’s totally wrong and untranslatable, but that’s entirely irrelevant. As you say, you’re American. Unless you visit Ireland, and only then, if you visit somewhere where there are people who can speak Irish, no one is going to pull you up on that error.
In fact, if you look at it like this: you can tell everyone you know that it means whatever you like and no one will be any the wiser. You can only potentially offend those Irish people who speak the language (about 20% of 4 million people, so, about 800,000 people). Even at that, the number of fluent Irish speakers is diminishing. Even then, you’d have to actually meet one of them. Even still, they’d have to see your bare back. The odds against anyone ever pulling you up on that mistake (apart from on here, naturally) are astoundingly small. Close to 0, I’d say.
I take it you did 6 minutes and 24 seconds of research before getting that tattoo? Looks like you looked up “drug” and “free” in an Irish dictionary and just wrote them on yourself. Well, you got the VERB for “drug” rather than the noun you desired, and the structure is wrong.
Ironically and coincidentally, your tattoo is perfectly correct to mean “Free Drugging”, as if a clinic was offering free drugging. That apostraphe should be a north-east line above the A by the way.
I take it you did 6 minutes and 24 seconds of research before getting that tattoo? Looks like you looked up “drug” and “free” in an Irish dictionary and just wrote them on yourself. Well, you got the VERB for “drug” rather than the noun you desired, and the structure is wrong.
Ironically and coincidentally, your tattoo is perfectly correct to mean “Free Drugging”, as if a clinic was offering free drugging. That apostraphe should be a north-east line above the A by the way.
I spoke a little to soon. I see that you say it’s some older form of Irish. Well I’ve no expertise with that, so I couldn’t tell you.
What I CAN tell you though is that the text on your back is intelligible to a speaker of Irish, and that if it seems quite wrong to them. If it were simply the term “drugáil saor” in Irish then it would be quite ambiguous, it’d have to be something like “drugáil le fáil saor in aisce” to mean “free drugging”.
Well if you like your tattoo then that’s all that matters. I’ll just let you know that speakers of Irish will look at it funny.
I spoke a little to soon. I see that you say it’s some older form of Irish. Well I’ve no expertise with that, so I couldn’t tell you.
What I CAN tell you though is that the text on your back is intelligible to a speaker of Irish, and that if it seems quite wrong to them. If it were simply the term “drugáil saor” in Irish then it would be quite ambiguous, it’d have to be something like “drugáil le fáil saor in aisce” to mean “free drugging”.
Well if you like your tattoo then that’s all that matters. I’ll just let you know that speakers of Irish will look at it funny.
Oh sorry, one more thing. If anyone’s looking for an Irish language translation then head over to http://www.daltai.com, we’ve got many competant native speakers.
Oh sorry, one more thing. If anyone’s looking for an Irish language translation then head over to http://www.daltai.com, we’ve got many competant native speakers.
Daiyne.
don’t give into these negative souls -the beauty of your intent shines through! You keep living you, and the world will change!
Daiyne.
don’t give into these negative souls -the beauty of your intent shines through! You keep living you, and the world will change!
What font did you use, Daiyne? I can’t comment on the translation, but I really like the lettering. Thanks.
What font did you use, Daiyne? I can’t comment on the translation, but I really like the lettering. Thanks.
Rua, I’m particular to using my own fonts… but thank you very much for the sweetness.
Rua, I’m particular to using my own fonts… but thank you very much for the sweetness.
woah. This “discussion” kinda hurts my soul. I thought BME/IAM was a positive, accepting community. Granted, I’m not involved in the community, but I would like to see everyone else play nice.
🙁
woah. This “discussion” kinda hurts my soul. I thought BME/IAM was a positive, accepting community. Granted, I’m not involved in the community, but I would like to see everyone else play nice.
🙁
they’re just telling the truth or should they all pretend its correct?
ignorance is bliss and its a pity you had to find out but your not the first person to mistranslate a tattoo. personally i’ve lied once to a american girl that her irish translation tattoo was correct when it had not only grammar mistakes but spelling and structural mistakes.
Still it always makes me wonder why someone would get a tattoo when they dont speak the language or live in the country. family ties maybe but still….
they’re just telling the truth or should they all pretend its correct?
ignorance is bliss and its a pity you had to find out but your not the first person to mistranslate a tattoo. personally i’ve lied once to a american girl that her irish translation tattoo was correct when it had not only grammar mistakes but spelling and structural mistakes.
Still it always makes me wonder why someone would get a tattoo when they dont speak the language or live in the country. family ties maybe but still….
…..
Why in gods name do people do things like this ? If your getting a tattoo in another language at least get someone who speaks the language to translate it for you. I cannot believe you when you say that people who know the language helped you because no person with even an average knowledge of the language could make such a mistake as you now have permanently placed on your back.
Your tattoo is absolutely 100% WRONG grammatically. Drug’ail is not a word, not in modern Irish, not in middle irish, not in anything, and even if it was a word your tattoo would mean “Free drugs” not “drug free”.
The correct way to say “Drug Free” would be “Saor ó dhrugaí” (free from drugs). Or if you really wanted to compact things, “Gan drugaí” (without drugs) would probably be ok and understood.
Why bother getting something in Irish if you weren’t going to do it right ?
…..
Why in gods name do people do things like this ? If your getting a tattoo in another language at least get someone who speaks the language to translate it for you. I cannot believe you when you say that people who know the language helped you because no person with even an average knowledge of the language could make such a mistake as you now have permanently placed on your back.
Your tattoo is absolutely 100% WRONG grammatically. Drug’ail is not a word, not in modern Irish, not in middle irish, not in anything, and even if it was a word your tattoo would mean “Free drugs” not “drug free”.
The correct way to say “Drug Free” would be “Saor ó dhrugaí” (free from drugs). Or if you really wanted to compact things, “Gan drugaí” (without drugs) would probably be ok and understood.
Why bother getting something in Irish if you weren’t going to do it right ?
So who messed up?, your “Irish” speaking friends how never learnt English until school, (I guess you mean they have Irish as their first language) or you in the “two years” you spent researching?
Nice idea, up there with all the people with Chinese and other tatts with no idea what they mean…..
As some one else said, comedy gold 😀
So who messed up?, your “Irish” speaking friends how never learnt English until school, (I guess you mean they have Irish as their first language) or you in the “two years” you spent researching?
Nice idea, up there with all the people with Chinese and other tatts with no idea what they mean…..
As some one else said, comedy gold 😀
oh god that sucks… the reason i would never get a language i didnt speak fluently tatooed on my body.
the fact that saor is after drug’ail isnt even correct, it should be before.
does anyone actually know what drug free is in irish so at least the girl knows?
oh god that sucks… the reason i would never get a language i didnt speak fluently tatooed on my body.
the fact that saor is after drug’ail isnt even correct, it should be before.
does anyone actually know what drug free is in irish so at least the girl knows?
Ta se go hiontach ar fad!
Ta se go hiontach ar fad!
I loled.
“Everyone has at least one tattoo with a mistake in it.”
I don’t have any tattoos.
Wrong.
Seriously though, I don’t get the whole thing with tattoos in a language you don’t understand. In Belgium a wannabe Irish girl asked me to look at her tattoo saying it meant “strong”
It said faidir.
It just made no sense getting a tattoo in a language she didn’t even speak.
I loled.
“Everyone has at least one tattoo with a mistake in it.”
I don’t have any tattoos.
Wrong.
Seriously though, I don’t get the whole thing with tattoos in a language you don’t understand. In Belgium a wannabe Irish girl asked me to look at her tattoo saying it meant “strong”
It said faidir.
It just made no sense getting a tattoo in a language she didn’t even speak.
Taking the apostraphe to be a síneadh fada, I would take it to mean “Cheap Drugging”.
Mo chomhghaelgóirí, ní chiallíon an focal “saor” “free” as Béarla i dtearmái eacnamaíochta. An phrása atá uaibh ná “saor in aisce”.
Taking the apostraphe to be a síneadh fada, I would take it to mean “Cheap Drugging”.
Mo chomhghaelgóirí, ní chiallíon an focal “saor” “free” as Béarla i dtearmái eacnamaíochta. An phrása atá uaibh ná “saor in aisce”.
plastic Paddys ftw.
Gold. this cheers me up no end.
plastic Paddys ftw.
Gold. this cheers me up no end.
If I saw someone in the street with that tattoo, I’d think “what a generous soul, giving away drugs for free”, because that’s what it translates to – Free Drugs. lol.
If I saw someone in the street with that tattoo, I’d think “what a generous soul, giving away drugs for free”, because that’s what it translates to – Free Drugs. lol.
Hard luck on the tattoo. You could always stick an F in between the Drug and the Ail part and it could read DRUG FAIL – like an internet joke reference. Its still salvagable. Dont give up hope.
Hard luck on the tattoo. You could always stick an F in between the Drug and the Ail part and it could read DRUG FAIL – like an internet joke reference. Its still salvagable. Dont give up hope.
Hey wilbur or emmet. I am looking to get eternal love as a chest piece. and i agree that you cannot trust a dictionary for a correct translation. I am nearly three fourths scott but most of my family dont care about their ancesstery. Although i do have a friend who’s family all descends directly from ireland. i am not sure if im wanting a scottish translation if that would be the way to go.
so if either or you could help it would be greatly appreciated.
Hey wilbur or emmet. I am looking to get eternal love as a chest piece. and i agree that you cannot trust a dictionary for a correct translation. I am nearly three fourths scott but most of my family dont care about their ancesstery. Although i do have a friend who’s family all descends directly from ireland. i am not sure if im wanting a scottish translation if that would be the way to go.
so if either or you could help it would be greatly appreciated.
Actually that doesn’t mean “Drug Free” or “Free Drugs” it means “free Reluctance”! Drugall means reluctance or aversion to something. Drugail comes from this word
Actually that doesn’t mean “Drug Free” or “Free Drugs” it means “free Reluctance”! Drugall means reluctance or aversion to something. Drugail comes from this word
Oh, and DeVo, Eternal Love is “Grá Síoraí “
Oh, and DeVo, Eternal Love is “Grá Síoraí “
Just an update. It’s been two years…and I still love it…faults and all. It’s comic relief and I believe that it shows that I don’t take myself all that seriously…
Just an update. It’s been two years…and I still love it…faults and all. It’s comic relief and I believe that it shows that I don’t take myself all that seriously…
lol
Truth is american and english speaking people tend to translate everything incorrectly due to there vernacular. Just watch subbed anime or anything in chinese because they don’t get it they never will.
simple straightedge tattoo anti-cool or straightedge in another language.
my favorite straightedge tattoo is my green purple and black barbed wire sleeves that connect to my Saint Jerome tattoo in olde english on my shoulders.
or my antidrug tattoo which simply says “They Live To Die,
I Live To Thrive”.
fuck the inet wannabes that tattoo is awesome.
and real straightedge folks never fly the coop aka break edge and sadly most people are on drugs so i debunk every 07-10 naysayer
lol
Truth is american and english speaking people tend to translate everything incorrectly due to there vernacular. Just watch subbed anime or anything in chinese because they don’t get it they never will.
simple straightedge tattoo anti-cool or straightedge in another language.
my favorite straightedge tattoo is my green purple and black barbed wire sleeves that connect to my Saint Jerome tattoo in olde english on my shoulders.
or my antidrug tattoo which simply says “They Live To Die,
I Live To Thrive”.
fuck the inet wannabes that tattoo is awesome.
and real straightedge folks never fly the coop aka break edge and sadly most people are on drugs so i debunk every 07-10 naysayer