Vocabulary in The Plough and the Stars

A phonetic spelling of 'would,' representing the Dublin working-class dialect pronunciation used throughout the play to capture authentic speech patterns.

A dialect spelling of 'better,' reflecting the way working-class Dublin characters pronounce the word, used throughout the play to render authentic speech.

An idiom meaning extremely timid or cowardly — so fearful that even harmless, everyday things cause alarm. Here it describes the social shame of being seen as a coward.

Excessive pride in oneself and one's appearance or reputation; here used to criticise someone who cares too much about how others see them, to the point of causing harm.

An idiom meaning the cause of someone's destruction or downfall; to be ruined by something means it will bring disaster upon you.

An official document granting someone a rank as an officer in a military or paramilitary organisation; here, Jack's letter appointing him as a captain in the Irish Citizen Army.

The rank or position of a captain in a military or paramilitary force; Jack has resigned from this rank after feeling passed over for promotion.

A large, run-down urban building divided into many small, cheap apartments, typically housing poor working-class families; the cramped shared setting of the entire play.

A moral or patriotic obligation one feels compelled to fulfil; here specifically the obligation to fight for one's country, used to justify joining the Rising.

Treated as holy and deserving the highest reverence; here used in a nationalist, quasi-religious sense to elevate the shedding of Irish blood in battle to something spiritually precious.

The idea, drawn from nationalist rhetoric of the period, that dying in armed rebellion is a noble, almost religious act that redeems and purifies the nation.

A long blade fixed to the end of a rifle, used as a stabbing weapon in close combat; here used as a violent threat to silence an opponent.

A dismissive idiom meaning 'someone of your sort' or 'people like you,' expressing contempt for the person being addressed.

The intestines or belly; used here in a blunt, violent way to mean the abdomen, emphasising the brutality of the threat being made.

A large public meeting held to stir up enthusiasm and support for a political or military cause; here the nationalist gathering taking place offstage in the meeting hall.

The ties of an apron; 'tied to the apron-strings' is an idiom for being controlled or held back by a woman, usually a mother or wife, implying weakness or dependence.

An idiom meaning to be completely controlled by or unable to break free from something; here used to express resentment at being held back by domestic ties.

Makeshift barriers built across streets using furniture, carts, or rubble to block enemy movement during urban fighting; here the street fortifications of the Easter Rising.

Stealing goods from shops or buildings, typically during a period of war, riot, or civil disorder when normal law enforcement has broken down.

Here used not to mean mental illness but reckless, senseless behaviour — specifically the decision to join an armed uprising that Nora believes will get Jack killed.

A hidden marksman who shoots at individuals from a concealed position at a distance; here a British soldier whose bullet kills Bessie while she stands at the window.

A dialect spelling of 'drops,' meaning small amounts of alcohol; here Bessie means she still has a little drink left to sustain her through the night.

An idiom meaning to last or carry one through until morning; here Bessie means the remaining drink will keep her going until daybreak.

A well-known Dublin building used here as a place where the bodies of men killed in the Easter Rising are brought; its name signals a real location repurposed in the chaos of the rebellion.

To fall or collapse heavily; here used in an exaggerated, defiant expression meaning the whole city could come crashing down and Bessie would not care.