Hi all,

We have a band we've tentatively named "ceol do beoir," music for beer. I suspect that this is "for" in the sense of "to," like the music is a present for the beer.

In English the phrase "music for beer" is ambiguous, and could mean
(A) Music in exchange for beer,
(B) Music as an offering to the beer, like "that sandwich is for me"
(C) Music to go with beer, like "that's a good Cabernet for Hawaiian pizza,"
(D) Music that is in favor of beer, in the sense of "citizens for tax reform,"

I'm wondering what phrase would correspond either to (A) "music (in exchange) for beer." Am I right that the phrase "ceol do beoir" means "music for beer" in sense (B)?

Thanks!

It would have the B meaning. But do causes lenition, so it should actually be ceol do bheoir in that meaning.

Thanks a thousand! I'll either add the h, or use the old orthography (Ḃeoir).

I may be way off, but is (A) ceol le haghaidh beoir ? My pocket Oxford Irish suggests either that, or "ar" with sums of money. Could "Ceol ar beoir" or "ceol ar do bheoir" be acceptable translations of (A)?

I think ceol ar beoir would work, but it may be too cryptic in Irish, since the word "ar" has so many meanings. My first thought was that it might work better if you reverse the structure (as is frequently the case with Irish):
Beoir ar mhalairt ceoil
Beer in exchange for music

However, that might come across as you being the ones offering the beer, rather than the music, so you might clarify it this way, though it's a bit longer:
Ag malartú ceoil ar beoir
Exchanging music for beer
or perhaps
Ag gabhail cheoil ar beoir [not sure why I put the "h" in cheoil here, but it sounds right]
Singing for beer

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

If I were to see it without context, I would interpret it as 'music to beer', like you're changing music to beer, not offering music for beer.



I like those a lot better.

Ha ha oh wow, that hadn't occurred to me at all. Technically we change beer into music, so maybe reversing it would make more sense.

Although in English, "turning X into Y" can mean the same thing in both directions, e.g. "turning work into money" and "turning money into work." Both imply that I'm doing the work and getting the money.

Thanks for the insight. I don't actually mind a name that is ambiguous or requiring some context, as the phrase "music for beer" in English is similarly ambiguous. A quirky phrasing isn't bad, either: I'm amused at the prospect of some abracadabra transformation of music into beer.

Thanks!

To me, the second one wouldn't imply you're doing the work, unless you were talking about someone else turning moeny into work. But I have to say beoir do cheol as in 'beer to music' does sound kinda appealing to me, in the sense that you turn beer into money haha

ar an mbeoir

don bheoir

leis an mbeoir

i leith na beorach



Yes.