This is fantastic!! Glad you enjoyed and i appreciate your votes and sharing! These Irish slang words are commonly used in everyday Irish conversationssome might sound offensive, some might sound like it was pulled out of a literary textbook. Do you know these British insults, slangs and phrases? Here is a guide to the most popular Irish Slang words used today in everyday speech. Which words did the Irish invent for our own use, and which ones travelled around the globe? thing is banjaxed!". A two-day short trip around the. The post on Instagram unearthed a good chunk of Irish slang words that Id never heard of. Great Hub! Bang on is generally used as a response and is another bit of Irish slang for good. The pubs right in front of our gaff! This word is as pretty as it sounds. Then again I live in Massachusetts, and it sometimes seems we have as many Irish people as Ireland does :) Certainly interesting - esepcially how some of these phrases we also use, but for entirely different purpose. which means darling, or more literally vein or pulse. LOVED IT. the part of a garment that covers or is next to the neck. Ann Carr from SW England on July 01, 2012: Voted up, funny and interesting. Theres no way Im waiting for a bus in that. In Irish and UK slang, a dosser is someone who prefers to relax all day, a lazy person, in simpler terms. Its used to describe a bad case of something, for example, Ive been lashing in the tablets all week. It's funny, though: the thing that wrong-footed me when I first arrived in Ireland isn't on this list. But most of them are creations of literary geniuses and everyday Irishmen who strive to make the English language as dynamic, engaging, heartfelt, communicative, and fun as possible. Your gaffers banjaxed, and I feel like I cant conquer Mount Carrauntoohil any longer. Bookmarked it. For example, The pub last night was wedged with culchies.. LOL Check out my other Irish hub sometime for a real "flavour" of warped Irish humour! Perfect combinations for an Irish jig! Had no idea those words were common in Australia. Derived from the Irish Gaelic word brog, a shoe, or from Old Norse, broc, meaning leg covering. Theyll tell you the secrets to creating the best garden in the world. Weather type: Light rain. Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on June 29, 2012: Ha!! Or a bit dodgy. Tory: Irish: Bandit, from the Irish Tory Island, a noted have for bandits and pirates. Banjaxed - Not working or broken. Yoke is probably the quintessential Irish word, and perhaps the most difficult for foreigners to grasp. Thanks very much for your comments, much appreciated this part of the globe! Our GPSs gone arseways. Fair play to her. You could refer to someone that's annoying you as 'That yoke over there' or you could also say 'Here, pass me that yoke there on the counter'. Greetings tend to vary quite a bit, depending on the county. 4. I'm steamin' - you might hear this at the pub. For example, Gway out of that with your umbrella. This word is used as a verb and it means to make a joke at someone elses expense. @ !!!! BANJAXED. Hes a miserable little pox. And I'm Riz Ahmed. An Irish blessing - "May the road rise to meet you." From the Gaelic "Go n-iri an bthar leat," which means "may success be with you". In Ireland, for some bizarre reason, we describe the shopping or the groceries as the messages. Irishmen and women, with shamrock and four-clover leaves, are fans of good luck. Rich from Kentucky on September 14, 2012: And I thought the Irish spoke English! Can you help? Replace the e with a u, and you have what this slang term means. (Derogatory). 'Mucker'- an endearing term to describe a friend. Brought dessert and everything. Derived from the Irish word gaeilge, meaning beak, gob often refers to as mouth in English. Let me know in the comments section below! I heard the waves are great at Inchydoney Beach, honey. Read: I absolutely will not be doing that. It's either called "the toilet," and the Irish slang word for that is "the jacks.". :-). Dad, weve only climbed less than a hundred feet. A first for me!! But in Ireland, when you say someone is on tenterhooks, it means they are at the edge of something agitating. As a nation we're all aware we have a language of our own. Try these handy Irish phrases to fit right in: " Stop acting the maggot " - Acting in a foolish manner. Locked is just one such term - others include mouldy, ossified, polluted, twisted and langers. And it has further connotations: a, is regarded as a strange person, a strange. Often used in a derogatory context. If you hear someone refer to a person as a Fine thing, it generally means they find that person attractive. Appreciate your input and votes!! Not to be confused with the actual meaning for deadly, i.e. Appreciate your comment! Too bad April Fools' Day is past. But in Ireland, when you say someone is, it means they are at the edge of something agitating. Jo Maxi simply means taxi. It might sound derogatory to some, or might be a term of endearment for others. Translation: A member of the police. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. Every time I went to buy something in a sandwich shop or get a bed at a hostel, the person behind the counter would ask me, "Are you okay?" However, youll also hear people describing someone as Sound when theyre giving that person their approval, for example, That chap from around the corner fixed the engine. 9. Therefor, I think it is very much possible that the police officers have actually got the saying from the potential . Your "oul fella" and your "oul wan" These terms refer to your father and your mother respectively. The jammy hoor!. lemonkerdz from LIMA, PERU on November 06, 2012: man i loved this article, my family came from Swords in ireland, although i have never been, but it was amazing to read a lot of expressions that me and my brothers use are in your irish slang words..and the others.well we learned them from watching "Father Ted" bless him, he opened up ireland to the world. One day I will get over there and look up my ancestors, the O'Dowds.greatly enjoyed this hub! I cant reach my coworkers, and the other tourist guides trailing behind us wont be able to hear us outside the Cave of Maghera. Theres a lotof different Irish slang for drunk or to describe someone thats had far too much to drink. I was locked and in bed by half ten.. Go fetch me a mug, boyo. Here are 20 Northern Irish phrases and what they mean in plain English. Weather type: Sunny. Meredith, I really need to go to my brothers wedding. You would be lead to believe us Irish speak the English but don't be fooled!! However this word nick is very tricky, as it is used for many things in both formal and British slang. Dressed to the nines : - Don in your Sunday best. Here are some of my favourites. Glad you enjoyed Gypsy Rose Lee! Joshua Zerbini from Pennsylvania on June 29, 2012: Suzie, this was a hilarious hub! The Middle English word "bigrucchen" meant "to grumble about"; the Irish made "begrudge" a noun. For example, Dye see yer wan over there with the red hat? For example, Shite, put the cans away. Roon - Round. Hi ya oh he from the Samui isle!! For example, I havent seen Tony in donkeys years.. :P Reall fun and great craic ;). Youll hear the craic was 90 used when someone is describing a situation where a serious bit of fun was had. Gas. Donkeys years is a phrase Irish people use meaning a long time (as in, Ive known him for donkeys years, an example given in the video above), as is yonks. For example, Shes been up to 90 since she came home and saw what the dog did to the couch in the living room. For example, Ah stop, thats gas! or Emmas dog is gas. It is also used as Irish slang meaning "throw" (e.g. Interesting! Were stuck here. Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on April 25, 2013: Many thanks hope it made some sense to you! !LOL what an idea!! I wish I'd had your list before we traveled to Ireland in 2010. Youll generally hear people use this when describing how long its been since theyve seen someone, or how long its been since theyve done something. Kenneth Avery from Hamilton, Alabama on June 28, 2012: @ Susie Q . Anatomy a. Thanks for stopping by! Now, for you Americans reading, when we say Craic in Ireland were not referring to something that you smoke on a street corner, nor are we referring to the crack in your arse. Another way to say youre feeling delighted. Houl yer whisht in there. If ever there was a Gobdaw its that lad. 24 of 30. Example: "My mate's birthday party was good craic.". It stems from the English noun. If you're behaving foolishly, you'll be told to 'cop on', if you solve a difficult problem, you'll be praised for having good 'cop on'. Haven't got a baldy no . We do use many weird and wonderful words don't we!! For example, Mam cooked some dinner for you. That young lad was in here last night acting the maggot. Looking forward to reading more. It is a term most commonly used by angry Irishmen for the current state of their lives, caused by another Irishmans fortune. Bad dose. Eighteenth- and 19th-century Scottish and English schoolboy slang ("sapskull", "saphead") that the Irish took and shortened. Whenever somebody feels embarrassed or flustered, some peoples cheeks turn red or scarlet. Hopefully you will get to visit us over this neck of the woods and have a head start in the speech! Another tame one. 10 Yonks. 33 Irish Insults And Curses: From 'Dope' And 'Hoor' To 'The Head On Ye' And More. To keep it going, and to make this guide as helpful as possible, Im going to offer myself as an Irish slang translator. For example: "Let's meet after the lecture for a few jars.". Call a taxi. Stop being a dosser, man! A shorter and a fancier way of asking for an Irish local to have a cup of tea with you at your local tea shop is by asking them, Care for a cup of cha? For example, Did you hear Martin and Bernies youngfella was caught cheating in the Garda exam. Talk about a dope. Speechless Kenneth! Someone thats boring. I also lived in 3 continents from the Caribbean, South East Asia to Africa. The word crack came from the Middle English term crak, meaning loud, bragging conversation. Some instruments commonly used for trad music are the fiddle, the flute and the whistle, Uilleann pipes, harp, accordion, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica. Translation: How are you?. Its just right across the block, and they serve delightfulpastries, too. Sleeveen = Sly, calculating person. For example, Yer man was caught last week stealing from the till in Superquinn. I was chatting to a friend from London recently over pints about the Irish phrases and slang words that he couldnt get his head around when he first moved to Ireland. If you think you can't, you won't be able to accomplish something, but if you think you can, you'll succeed. 22. Its lashing down.. Theyre unreal. Funny reading that as I have taught Irish slang to students abroad :). Arseways - To make a complete mess of. Rattletrap. This guide to British sayings, funny British phrases, dirty expressions, slang words, and more will not only help you understand what the people of England, Wales, and . Hi fpherj48, Thanks so much for your lovely comments which definitely made me laugh! For example, He spends his day going between the bookies and the pub. Savage, mate. Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on August 24, 2012: Thanks Relationshipc, Appreciate your comments and visit! If you use one of these . I loved this. I can't wait to use some of these ^_^. So, the next time your Irish friend cancels your much-needed Irish vacation plans because of a stomach-ache, you can say mor ya. (Especially after enjoying an evening in a . Jammy - if you are a lucky person you might be described as flukey or jammy. lol Thanks again RC. A short or a clipped version of the word traditional, trad often refers to traditional Irish folk music. And now, it is an official slang in the modern Irish scenes. 10. We got back from the pub at half 2 but we were up until 7 having the craic. Voted Up and Sharing, then I'm off to the Jacks! Voted up and across. Update: weve had around 50 emails since this guide was published asking about the term the luck of the Irish. For the first day or so, I thought I might be coming down with something. As each generation comes of age, it adds new and creative slang to the culture. Thanks for dropping by and commenting. Irish Slang Word #22: Deadly or Savage What it means: A more extreme way of saying awesome in Irish slang is deadly or savage. Slinte! When to use these words will be up to your discretionand that makes learning and using Irish slang words more fun and exciting! My cousin does professional Irish dancing and has visited there every year. I did not realise it until I read your list. I said like alllllllllll of these to people I know and they were soooooooooo confused. We all went back to Sharons after. For example, Hes a cute hoor that fella, always manages to get a free ticket to the concerts in the Phoenix Park. Appreciate your votes and sharing MK!!!! For example, I called over yesterday and he was going on about his new tractor for an hour. Proud of that too, lassie! This word is pronounced as "slaan-sha". The term is derived from a teenage Irish entertainment show that commonly reported teenage issues. Standard English: 'That was a great score'; 'He's a great guy'. These meanings portray left-hand people as weird outcasts of or Irish society.
