bad cess to (one)

bad cess to (one)

A curse of bad luck upon one. "Cess" is an Irish term for luck. Primarily heard in New Zealand. If you can just lie to me like that, then bad cess to you! Well, bad cess to all of the corrupt politicians who were just voted out of office. I wish I could be more forgiving, but no. Bad cess to those who've wronged me!

See also: bad, cess, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bad cess to

a curse on. chiefly Irish

The origin of cess in this expression is probably linked to the historical requirement for Irish households to provide the soldiers of their English overlords with provisions at the low prices ‘assessed’ by the government. Alternatively, the word could be a shortened form of success .

See also: bad, cess, to

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