McAlpine's Fusiliers
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
The term was popularised by the 1960s Dubliners song of the same name.