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McAlpine's Fusiliers. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
McAlpine's Fusiliers, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
McAlpine's Fusiliers in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
After Sir Robert McAlpine, a major employer of Irish workmen, and (possibly) the military appearance of a group of men with shovels over their shoulders.
Noun
McAlpine's Fusiliers pl (plural only)
- (Ireland, UK, informal) The Irish immigrant labour force in Britain in the early 20th century.
2006, Kevin Noble, Baghdad Trucker, Durham: Northern Writers, page 92:He'd left his homeland at fifteen, seeking his fortune on the motorways of Britain with McAlpine's Fusiliers before migrating to Sydney.
Usage notes
- The term was popularized by the 1960s Dubliners song of the same name.