brogue

¹ American  

[brohg] / broʊg /

noun

1. an Irish accent in the pronunciation of English.

2. any strong regional accent.

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brogue ² American  

[brohg] / broʊg /

noun

1. a durable, comfortable, low-heeled shoe, often having decorative perforations and a wing tip.

2. a coarse, usually untanned leather shoe once worn in Ireland and Scotland.

3. brogan.

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brogue ³ American  

[brohg] / broʊg /

noun

Scot.

1. a fraud; trick; prank.

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brogue ¹ British  

/ brəʊɡ /

noun

1. a sturdy walking shoe, often with ornamental perforations

2. an untanned shoe worn formerly in Ireland and Scotland

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brogue ² British  

/ brəʊɡ /

noun

1. a broad gentle-sounding dialectal accent, esp that used by the Irish in speaking English

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Other Word Forms

• broguery
  noun

Etymology

Origin of brogue¹

First recorded in 1700–10; of uncertain origin; perhaps special use of brogue ²

Origin of brogue²

First recorded in 1580–90; from Irish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic brōg “shoe, brogue, sandal,” from Old Irish brōce; cognate with Latin brācae “trousers”(typically worn by Celts), from Gaulish; see also breech

Origin of brogue³

First recorded in 1530–40; of uncertain origin

Explanation

You may know of a brogue as a thick Irish accent, and that can help you remember another meaning: it's also a thick Irish shoe. Brogues are heavy, sturdy Irish shoes, and they're usually made from untanned hide. This is a working person's shoe: it's definitely not a fancy shoe or dress shoe. Brogues can also be called clodhoppers or brogans. If someone's coming from behind you in brogues, you're likely to hear them. It's almost impossible to tiptoe in brogues.

Example Sentences

So good, in fact, that the two went out again the following week, this time to the Old Brogue, an Irish pub in Great Falls.

From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2021

You can see him, "W. L. Douglas Pegging Shoes at Seven Years of Age," between "$7.00 French Brogue for Men" and the "$5.00 Advance Fall Style for Women" in almost any newspaper.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Brogue had been variously described in sale catalogues as a light-weight hunter, a lady’s hack, and, more simply, but still with a touch of imagination, as a useful brown gelding, standing 15.1. 

From Beasts and Super-Beasts by Saki

So far all’s well, but about the Brogue it’s a different matter. 

From Beasts and Super-Beasts by Saki

The Brogue will be standing idle in the stable and Toby can offer to exercise it; then it can pick up a stone or something of the sort and go conveniently lame. 

From Beasts and Super-Beasts by Saki

Related Words

• accent
• dialect
• expression
• jargon
• prose
• sound
• speech
• style
• terminology
• vocabulary
• voice
• word
• wording