What is the meaning of ar bís? I found the Irish word "ar bís" online and am wondering what it means. Google Translate claims it means "excited" but this Irish dictionary says "on tenterhooks". We don

Shawn

Community Tutor

What is the meaning of ar bís? I found the Irish word "ar bís" online and am wondering what it means. Google Translate claims it means "excited" but this Irish dictionary says "on tenterhooks". We don't really use this word in my part of America. Hehehe. From what I can tell, "on tenterhooks" means "to be in suspense." Are any of these the correct definition, how do you use it in a sentence (Perhaps "Tá sé ar bís."??? ), and is it pronounced like the English word "air" followed by BEESH?

Sep 26, 2014 6:02 AM

Answers · 4

It means to be eager or impatient to do something. Tá sé ar bís leis an úrscéal Gaeilge is déanaí a léamh (he's keen to read the latest Irish-language novel) Tá sé ar bís le rónta a fheiceáil nuair a bheas sé ar Reachlainn (he's excited about seeing seals when he's on Rathlin Island) "Bís" literally means "screw, vice" (in fact it's a borrowing from English "vice") and it is indeed pronounced "beesh".

September 26, 2014

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