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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA “gorb” is a glutton or greedy eater in the cited Irish and Scots dialect references. So “greedy Gorb” reads as a playful, emphatic way to describe someone who eats greedily—but the sources establish the word gorb, not this exact phrase as a standard or widely used expression.
What does “gorb” mean?
The Ulster Irish vocabulary work Focail na n-Ultach defines gorb as “a glutton” and also records “gorby-guts”: Ulster Irish Vocabulary. A Dúchas.ie Meitheal community vocabulary entry likewise gives “gorb – a glutton”: Dúchas.ie vocabulary record.
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These entries support the glutton meaning, but the community record is not a comprehensive survey of where the word is used today.
Is “greedy Gorb” a set phrase?
The phrase is understandable from its parts: gorb already means a glutton, and greedy emphasizes that quality. The cited references do not establish “greedy Gorb” as a fixed idiom, a widely used expression, or a current phrase with documented frequency. It may be used playfully, but that interpretation should not be mistaken for evidence that it is a conventional saying.
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Is the word Irish or Scots?
The evidence includes both Irish and Scots material, so it is too broad to assign the word exclusively to one tradition. The Ulster Irish vocabulary work and a Dúchas.ie community entry both record the glutton sense. A historical Scots glossary also links gorb with greed, while listing related forms for young birds: Studies in Lowland Scots glossary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is “gorb” connected to young birds?
The Scots glossary defines gorbel, gorbal and gorblin as unfledged birds, describing them as forms from gorb, “greedy”; it also records gorp for a young bird in Cumberland usage. An A Way with Words transcript discusses a possible relationship between the glutton and young-bird senses, and reports local use of “gorby” for a Canada jay in Maine: A Way with Words, “Pants on Fire” transcript.
That discussion presents a possible connection, not a proven etymology. The examples also do not establish a comprehensive map of the word’s distribution.
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