How to speak the Irish version of English
In Ireland, two languages are prominent. Irish (or Gaelic) and English. The Irish version of English is much different to Oxford style English and even people from England find it hard to understand Irish people because of their strong accents and strange phrases.
Here is a list of words and phrases in alphabetical order to fill in some of the gaps and help you understand what they mean:
| A | |
| Acting the maggot | playing around |
| Ages | long time |
| Any Use? | any good? |
| Arse | backside |
| Arseways | complete mess (I did it all arseways) |
| Artist | person getting social security (drawing the dole) |
| B | |
| Babby | little child – baby |
| Bad dose | bad illness |
| Bag of Taytos | packet of potato chips/crisps |
| Bags | bad, messy job (see hames) |
| Banjaxed | broken, useless, tired |
| Barn brack | Halloween cake |
| Belt | hit, assault |
| Be wide | be careful |
| Bird | girl, girlfriend |
| Black | crowded |
| Blackguard | person that is doing no good |
| Black Stuff | Guinness |
| Blather | talk |
| Bloody | used mostly for strengthening an adjective |
| Bog | toilet, restroom |
| Bog | country area/ piece of land that once was a lake |
| Bogey | snot |
| Bogtrotter | country person |
| Bold | naughty |
| Bollocks | stupid/somebody one doesn’t like |
| Bolloxed | very drunk |
| Bolt | run fast |
| Boozer | pub |
| Bothrin | narrow lane or road |
| Bouzzie, Bowsie | young good-for-nothing person |
| Boxin’ the fox | robbing an orchard |
| Boyo | a young person |
| Brasser | prostitute |
| Brutal | terrible |
| Bucketing | raining heavily |
| Bushed | very tired |
| Business | excrete |
| C | |
| Carry-on | argument/noise |
| Cake-hole | mouth |
| Cha | tea |
| Chancer | dodgy/risky character |
| Cheek | disrespect/talk back |
| Cheesed Off | angry/annoyed |
| Chinwag | a chat |
| Chipper | fish and chip shop |
| Chiseller Chronic |
young child terrible or awful |
| Class | great |
| Clatter | slap |
| Cod | (to) joke |
| Colcannon | Mashed potatoes & cabbage/ kale |
| Cop on! | don’t be so stupid! |
| Cooker | stove |
| Covers | blankets |
| Craic (pronounced crack) | fun time |
| Crisps | potato chips |
| Culchie | a city dweller’s name for a country person |
| Cute hoor | Untrustworthy/sly person |
| D | |
| Da | father |
| Deadly | cool, great |
| Dear | expensive |
| Delph | crockery, cups, saucers etc |
| Desperate | terrible |
| Diabolical | really terrible |
| Diddies | breasts |
| Divil | devil |
| Dodder | waste time |
| Dodgy | suspect/mechanically impaired |
| Donkey’s Years | a long time |
| Dope | idiot |
| On the Doss | playing truant |
| Dosser | lazy person |
| Dote | cute person, usually a baby |
| Drawers | underwear, usually ladies |
| Dry Shite | boring person |
| Dummy | pacifier |
| Dump (taking a) | excrete |
| E | |
| Eat the head off | Attack verbally |
| Eejit | idiot |
| F | |
| F-word | used freely, mostly for strengthening an adjective |
| Fag | cigarette |
| Fair play! | well done! |
| Feck | used instead of the other F word |
| Fella | Male person, also used for boyfriend |
| Fib | a lie |
| Fifty | stood-up (I got a fifty) |
| Fine thing/fine bit of stuff | Attractive/good looking person |
| Fla/Flah | Attractive/good looking person |
| Flah’ed out | very tired |
| Flicks | movies |
| Flitters | in tatters, shabby |
| Fluthered | very drunk |
| Follier-upper | a serial |
| Foostering | wasting time |
| Fry | fried breakfast (sausage, bacon, eggs and black & white pudding) |
| Full shilling | mentally competent (He’s not the full shilling) |
| G | |
| Gaff | house |
| Gas | funny |
| Gawk | stare |
| Gee-Eyed | very drunk |
| Get off with (someone) | make out, kiss |
| Gift | superb |
| Git | horrible person |
| Give Out | scold |
| Gob | mouth (Shut you gob!) |
| Gobdaw | idiot |
| Gobshite | idiot |
| Gobsmacked | very surprised |
| Go-car | baby’s pushchair |
| Gollier | a big, fat spit of phlegm |
| Gone in the head | mad, crazy |
| Go way outta that! | indicating scepticism |
| Gowl | idiot |
| Grand | fine, lovely |
| Guard | policeman |
| Gurrier | hooligan |
| Gut | stomach |
| H | |
| Hames | mess |
| Hammererd | very drunk |
| Hard Neck | lack of respect |
| Hardchaw, Hardman | rough, tough person |
| Header | mad, crazy person |
| Head the ball | idiotic person |
| Heel | the first or last slice of a loaf of bread |
| Hickey | a love bite |
| High babies | senior infants’ school |
| Holliers | holidays/vacations |
| Holy show | embarrassing exhibition |
| Hooley | party/celebration |
| Hoor | prostitute |
| Hop | playing truant from school |
| Horse’s hoof | embellished story |
| Hot Press | drying cupboard |
| Howya | hello- salutation |
| Hump, the | sulking |
| Hump off | go away, leave me alone |
| I | |
| I will in me ring I will yeah |
I will not! No, that will never happen |
| I am in me wick | I am not! |
| J | |
| Jackeen | a country person’s name for somebody that lives in Dublin |
| Jacks | toilet, restroom |
| Jaded | fatigued/very tired |
| Jammers | very crowded, busy |
| Jammy | lucky |
| Janey Mack! | Gosh |
| Jar | A pint |
| Jaysus! | Jesus |
| Juicy | pretty |
| K | |
| Kip, to have a | short siesta, rest |
| Knackered | fatiguedvery tired |
| Knick-knacking | ringing a doorbell and running away |
| Knobs | breasts |
| Knockers | breasts |
| L | |
| Langers/langered | drunk |
| Lashing | raining heavily |
| Lay off! | leave me alone, stop it! |
| Legging (it) | running fast |
| Letting on | pretending |
| Local, the | the nearest pub |
| Locked | very drunk |
| Lolly/ice lolly | Popsicle |
| Low babies | junior infants’ school |
| M | |
| Ma | mother |
| Maggot(Stop acting the maggot) | Stop playing around! |
| Manky | very dirty |
| Mary Hick | old-fashioned female |
| Mentaller | crazy person |
| Me ould segotia, me ould flower | Terms of endearment |
| Messages | shopping, groceries |
| Messing | playing around |
| Milling | fighting |
| Mitch | bunk school |
| Mortified | embarrassed |
| Mot | girlfriend |
| Motherless | drunk |
| Mouldy | drunk/ rotten |
| Murder | difficult |
| Mushies | magic mushrooms |
| N | |
| Nappy | Diaper |
| Nickser, Nixer | a job done with no tax paid on wages |
| Nip | nude |
| O | |
| Odds | loose change |
| Off the drink | abstaining from drinking alcohol |
| Off your nut | mad, crazy |
| Ole Lady/ole wan | mother |
| Ole Man/ole fella | father |
| On the never never | On Hire purchase |
| Ossified | drunk |
| P | |
| Paralytic | very drunk |
| Perishing | freezing |
| Pictures | movies |
| Piss in the Beds | dandelions |
| Pissed off | angry/annoyed |
| Piss up | a night of big drinking |
| Plastered | very drunk |
| Plonker | idiot |
| Polluted | very drunk |
| Poteen/Poitin | illegal Irish spirit/drink |
| Pram | stroller/pushchair |
| Press | closet, cupboard |
| Puck | slap in the face |
| Pull your socks up | Get to work/get busy |
| Puss Face | bad-tempered person |
| Q | |
| Queer hawk | peculiar person |
| R | |
| Rapid | amazing |
| Rashers | bacon slices |
| Reddener | blush |
| Red neck | a country person |
| Reef | beat up |
| Ride | an attractive person, to have intercourse |
| Root | look for |
| Rosie Lee | tea |
| Rubber | eraser |
| Ructions | Loud arguing or commotion |
| Runners | trainers, everyday sports shoes |
| Runs | diarrhoea |
| S | |
| Sap | weak/fragile person |
| Scab | a person who constantly borrows |
| Scab | the hard outer part of a healed wound |
| Scallion | spring onion |
| Scalped | to get a short haircut |
| Scanger | ignorant female |
| Scarlet | blushing |
| Scatter | run away from something |
| Scram! | go away! |
| Scratch | social security, dole |
| Scratcher | bed |
| Scrawbed | Scratched by fingernails |
| Scrubber | female of low morals |
| Scutters | diarrhoea |
| Shag, to | to have intercourse with |
| Shagged | fatigued/ very tired |
| Shattered | fatigued/ very tired |
| Shenanagans | different things going on |
| Shlossed | very drunk |
| Shook | Pale, ill, scared |
| Shorts | liquor drinks (spirits) – shots |
| Shower of savages | a riotous crowd |
| Slagging | making fun of someone |
| Slapper | female of low morals |
| Slash | urinate |
| Sleeveen | sly person |
| Snapper | child, baby |
| Snobby Weather! | Ignoring me? |
| Snog, Shift | to make out, kiss |
| Snug | pub booth (usually fitting only 3/4 people) |
| Sound | really nice |
| Specky Four-Eyes | person who wears glasses (child’s nickname) |
| Spuds | potatoes |
| Squealer | a person who tells stories to get another in trouble |
| Stop the lights! | Really?! |
| Stocious | very drunk |
| Strand | beach |
| Suckin’ diesel | having a good time |
| Sweets | candy |
| T | |
| Thick | stupid /unintelligent |
| Throwing Shapes | Showing off |
| Tip | unclean, messy place |
| Tool | idiot |
| Trap | mouth |
| Twisted | very drunk |
| Twistin’ hay | means you’re starting trouble, usually in a playful way |
| U | |
| Up the pole | pregnant |
| Up the yard! | Go away! |
| Up to ninety | near boiling point, ready to explode |
| W | |
| Wagon | ugly female |
| Wanker | a person you don’t like |
| Wet the tea | make tea |
| Whist | keep quiet |
| Wrecked | tired |
| Y | |
| Y-Fronts | Men’s briefs |
| Yoke Yonks |
a word used to name something instead of its proper name. “pass me that yoke” (pass me that hammer) a long time |
| Your hole (to get) | to have sexual intercourse |
Watch a hilarious video of tourists in Dublin trying to say some common Irish phrases:
from IrelandBeforeYouDie