best of British luck, the—(often shortened to “best of British”)
1. is used to wish a person very good luck:
- Let me wish you the best of British luck. We know how testing the competition will be.
2. is used ironically, implying that the required luck may not materialize:
- The chances of them winning are, let’s be honest, slim, but we wish them the best of British luck.
luck of the Irish, the—
1. = best of British luck, the 1:
- I have stumbled across this journal and your adventure and wish you the luck of the Irish in your pursuit.
2. extreme good luck or fortune:
- Maybe it was the luck of the Irish that saved McFadden on that freezing December day.