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| [To be] after | Used in several past-tense verb forms. | Examples: • "I'm after winning the lotto" means "I won the lotto." • "I was after winning the lotto" means "I had won the lotto." | |
| [See you] after | [See you] later | | |
| [Tell her I was] askin' after [her] | | Not so much "inquiring about" as "sending regards," whether a mere "say hello to" or a more-serious "tell him/her [on my behalf] to get well." | |
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"It was half-four and me coming out of there..."
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| And the rest. | | Agreement in full | |
| Anything strange? | What's new? | Usually pronounced "ent'n strange?" | |
| Amn't I? | Aren't I? | | |
| Are y'alright? | Not so much a question as a general greeting, in a shop or pub. | Roughly translated: "May I help you?" One response is "could I have a Guinness, please." There is no rude connotation in the phrase. In a late club, "Y'alright, lads, please" means it's time to clear out. | |
| Arsewise | Ass-backwards | | |
| Ask me bollocks | Bullshit | "If you want to know the answer, you'll have to question my testicles" — either Podge or Rodge. | |
| At nothin' | Wasting your time, effort, etc. | "... at nutn" ... | |
| [See the] back of | Be rid of | "I think he'll just be glad to see the back of ya." | |
| Banjaxed | Broken down | | |
| Bells | Time of day | "8 bells," e.g. — 8 o'clock | |
| [Your] best man | The best option | A particular object, for example | |
| Bet | Beat (past tense or present conditional) | As in, "defeated" or "will/would defeat." Also as in "bet the head off ya." | |
| BIFFO | Acronym for "big ignorant fucker from Offaly" | Predates the political rise of Brian Cowen, Taoiseach [Prime Minister] from May of 2008 until January of 2011. | |
| Black | Crowded | (A pub, for example) | |
| [Can't get] blood from a stone | [Can't get] blood from a turnip | (If you don't have the money, you don't have it.) | |
| Blow | Hashish | | |
| [Like a] blue-arsed fly | Running around... | (Freneticaly busy) | |
| Bob | Pounds* | "A few bob," or "the few bob." The expression has carried over, and is used in reference to the euro. | |
| Bob's your uncle. | You've got it made. | | |
| Bold | Poorly-behaved | | |
| Brilliant | Excellent, first-class | (Not necessarily "bright" or "intelligent.") | |
| Bucketin' | Raining hard | | |
| Buckled, etc. | Drunk | ("Pissed", in European English.) | |
| [You'd think] butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. | He acts like he thinks he's pure. | | |
| 'Bye. 'Bye. 'Bye. 'Bye. 'Bye. | Telephone sendoff. | (Quick succession, variable-speed repetition.) | |
| Cacks | Pants | Most commonly heard as "relax the cacks." | |
| Chance the arm | To take a risk, expose oneself to embarrassment | In a feud between the Irish families Ormond and Kildare in 1492, Sir James Butler, Earl of the Ormonds, holed up in Dublin's Saint Patrick's Cathedral. After several weeks, Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of the Kildares, decided he wanted to end the feud. He went to the cathedral and requested entry. He promised he would do no harm. Sir James was suspicious, and refused him. Sir Gerald used a spear to hack through the wooden door a hole just big enough to put his arm into, which he did as a gesture of peace. James accepted, and the feud ended. | |
| Cat | No good | (Shortened version of a Gaelic word I cannot spell.) | |
| Chance [v.] | To risk | see also "chance the arm." | |
| Chancer | One who risks | (But the connotation is not favorable.) ... "God loves a tryer, not a chancer." ... | |
| Chipper | Fish-and-chip shop | Also "chippie" | |
| Clatter (n.) | Scuffle | | |
| Close | Humid | (The Irish talk about weather habitually.) ... | |
| C'mere 'til I tell ya | Listen [to this] | Often simply "c'mere..." | |
| Caught rotten | Caught red-handed | ...caught in the act, caught with one's hand in the cookie jar... | |
| Caught lovely | Same as "caught rotten," but from the opposite perspective | | |
| Coddin' | Kidding or joking with | "I'm not coddin' ya." | |
| Cooker | Stovetop and oven unit | From the wider European (British) English | |
| Cop on | Get a grip, come to your senses, get a clue. | "Some cop-on" = "some common sense." | |
| Craic | Craic is an Irish word, the rarity that is regularly used in Irish English |
• Good times, convivial humor • "What's the craic?" — What's up? / How's it going? • "It was good craic" — a good time. • "Any craic?" — Anything going on? Often spelled "crack," as it's pronounced. | |
| Culchie | Country person | From either "agricultural;" or one of several Irish-language words. Derogatory. See jackeen. | |
| Cute | Sly, devious, clever | A "cute hoor" is a sly fellow | |
| Daub (somebody) in it | Turn (somebody) in | "Drop the dime" | |
| [The] day that was in it | [The] conditions as they existed | | |
| Dear | Expensive | | |
| [Not a] dickie-bird | Nothing, nobody | "I rang them half-four. Not a dickie-bird." | |
| Digout | Assistance with a task; helping hand | | |
| Dinner | Lunch | | |
| Divil the bit | Nothing | (In response to a "what's happening with you" question.) | |
| Does be | is | (emphasized form) | |
| [The] dog's bollocks | The shit | [The business; the real thing] | |
| [Made a] dog's dinner [of it] | [Made] shit [of it,] loused it up | | |
| Donkey's years | A long time | Also "Zonks" | |
| Don't give a monkey's | Don't give a rat's ass | (No mention of which part of the monkey one "doesn't give" in feeling no concern.) | |
| Don't work too hard | | A common way to wish a good day to someone who's working or heading toward their job. | |
| Doss | Goof off at work | | |
| Drop the hand | Grab somebody's ass | | |
| Eejit | Derisive term — "idiot" | | |
| Effin' and blindin' | Cursing to high heaven | | |
| Either | Also | "You could do that, either." | |
| Et | Eat or ate | As in "chew out," castigate | |
| Fair play | Well done | Often "fair play to ya" (same as "fair f*cks to ya") | |
| Fair f*cks to ya | Way to go | Same as "fair play" | |
| Fanny | Vagina | | |
| Feck | Mild form of the expletive "fu*k." | Acceptable in polite informal situations | |
| Fierce (adv.) | Very | See the difference between fierce and savage. | |
| Flagon | 2-litre plastic bottle of drink | | |
| Flutter | The buzz from gambling | "He enjoys an aul' flutter." | |
| Footpath | Sidewalk | "Pavement," in European English | |
| Gaff | Flat, apartment, house | | |
| Gammy | Shitty, useless | | |
| Garda | Policeman; member of An Garda Síochána | Plural gardaí (formally.) Coloquially, however, "gard" and "gards" | |
| Gargle (n) | The drink | | |
| Gas (adj.) | Funny | "You're a gas man" | |
| Gee (n) | Vagina | (Pronounced "ghee," with hard-g sound) | |
| Git | Derisive term for a person | | |
| Giving out | Voicing disapproval | Complaining, asserting opinion or emotion. "Giving out yards" is the same, but more of it. | |
| Gobsmacked | Flabbergasted | | |
| Good man y'rself | Well done | | |
| [A] good skin | A good person | | |
| Go 'way | You don't say | | |
| Grá | Love | "Shackleton, whose gra for a glass of whisky is well known...." — Irish Independent (newspaper) | |
| Grand | [Doing] fine | "Oh, you're grand." | |
| (The) guts of | Most of | | |
| Half-nut'n' (half-nothing) | Very cheap | | |
| Hames (of it) | Mess (of it) | "Made a hames of it." Rare, in modern use. | |
| Handy | Easy | 1.) "Take it handy" 2.) "A handy job" (easy, manageable work) | |
| Have it on me toes | Go, leave | | |
| Head on [him or her.] | A person's demeanor, visible from a distance. | "Did you see the big old contrary head on him." | |
| Hole in the wall | ATM | Also "drink link." | |
| Hot press | Closet holding water-heater | | |
| Homely | Homey, cozy | In American english, "homely" means "ugly," or near enough to it. | |
| "How's the form?" | "How's it going?" | Often followed by "... Are y' well?" | |
| Hungry | Greedy | | |
| I wouldn't mind, only.... | The strange thing is.... | Can be disconcerting in discussion of a serious matter. Does not mean "I wouldn't mind."
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| If | Often omitted; word order changed | "I was wondering could I (...)" (I was wondering if I could [...] ) | |
| Ignorant | Ill-behaved, rude | | |
| Jackeen | Dubliner | (To country person.) Derogatory. See culchie. | |
| Jacks, bog, trap | Loo, toilet (European;) bathroom, restroom (American.) | Slang; loo and toilet are the common usage. | |
| Jammy | Flukey | Same as "waxy" | |
| Jar | Pint | (of beer) | |
| Just | Emphasis, at end of sentence | "Nice weather." "Isn't it just?" | |
| Just about | Pretty much | "How're ya, lads?" "Ah sure still alive anyhow." "Just about." | |
| Kip | 1) n. and v. Sleep. 2) n. A dive; a delapidated or messy place. | | |
| Knob | Penis | | |
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Langer | Idiot, fool, prick; literally, "penis." | Corkonian, spread to national use by Roy Keane, a famous/infamous soccer player. | |
| Langered | Drunken | | |
| Leave [v.] | Let | Give permission. "He won't leave us dig up the back garden." | |
| Leave it with me. | I'll look into it. | | |
| [Do a] legger | Abscond, go away; walk off the job. | | |
| Lifted (somebody) out of it | Gave out (to somebody,) in a big way. | | |
| , like. | (Always at end of statement.) | Comparable to "so" or "so it is" — softens impact of a direct assertion. | |
| Lads | Y'all, or them ("the lads") — non-gender, non-age specific | | |
| Local (n.) | One's usual pub | Needn't be the closest; only the most-accustomed. | |
| [On the] long finger | On the back burner | Not highly prioritized | |
| Lose the head | | Self-explanatory | |
| Lovely | | Common expression of acceptability | |
| Made a show of (somebody or oneself) | Made a fool of (somebody or oneself) | | |
| Made up | Entirely pleased | | |
| Manky | Filthy, grimy | | |
| Meant to be | Reputed to be | "It's meant to be brilliant" | |
| Message | Errand | "Doing some messages" can be anything from picking up some groceries to putting in a bet at the booking office. | |
| Messin' | Kidding (around) | | |
| Mind yourself | "Take care," or "be careful there" | In general, upon departure, or specific to a potential danger | |
| Mingin' | Filthy, dirty, foul-smelling | | |
| [the] Mockers | [a] Jinx | To "put the mockers on [something]" is to bring bad luck by mentioning a negative possibility. | |
| Muck-savage | Country bumpkin | | |
| Muppet | Dumbass | | |
| Naggin | Hip-flask (of whiskey, etc.) | Usually 200 ml., in modern times | |
| Neck (n.) | Nerve | "You have some neck" — you really know how to push your luck. | |
| Neck (v.) | Drink forthwith | See "put a hole in it." | |
| Nixer | A job done off the books | | |
| Not before time | None too soon | | |
| Not the full shillin' | A brick short of a full load | | |
| [Getting] notions | Thinking "above one's station" | As in office politics... | |
| Not the worst of 'em | | Common way to say that somebody or something is alright. | |
| Not up to much | Not worth much | May be said of goods or services — does not imply lack of activity. | |
| Off licence | Establishment licensed to sell alcohol for take-away | Not usually hyphenated — and not, of course, spelled in the American fashion. | |
| Once | As long as; providing that | "Once you can get there on time, you're grand.*" | |
| Only | Absolutely | "It's only delicious." | |
| Yer only man | Your best option | "Guinness is yer only man." | |
| The other lad | Him | (See "the other one") | |
| The other one | Her. A specific woman, whose identity is presumed known. | See also "your one" and "your man."
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| Out the gap | gone, out of here: "I'm out the gap." | Corkonian | |
| [For] pig-iron | [For] the sake of argument | | |
| [You're] on the pig's back. | [You've] got it made. | | |
| Pissed on the chips | Screwed that one up | [May be Euro-English] | |
| Pissin' time | The duration that something that doesn't last long doesn't last. | Cheap batteries, for example, "don't last pissin' time." | |
| Plonker | Not a compliment. | Just like it sounds. | |
| Press | Cupboard or closet | The "hot press" is the one that contains the water-heating immersion* | |
| Put a hole in it. | Finish your drink. | (Used amongst friends, when it's time to go elsewhere) | |
| Pull the door over | Pull the door shut | | |
| Quare | Strange | "It's a quare aul' world" | |
| [The] Quare One | Satan, the Devil | | |
| Rabbit on | Talk without concision | | |
| Rag order | Bad condition | | |
| Rake | Slew | (A large number [of something]) | |
| Rat-arsed | Drunken | | |
| Relations | Relatives | | |
| [You've] right to, e.g. | You should | She had right to = she should have ... etc. | |
| Ring, ringpiece | Anus | | |
| Rob | Steal | In American, you would "steal" a car. In Ireland, you'd "rob" it. To rob a car in American is to steal something from inside it. | |
| Rubber | Eraser | (for pencil) | |
| Safe as houses | A good bet | This expression acquired an ironic counter-validity after the 2008 collapse of housing prices following more than a decade of hyperbolic increase. | |
| Sambo | Sandwich | | |
| Savage (adj.) | Impressive, estimable | See the difference between fierce and savage. | |
| Scratcher | 1.) Bed 2.) The dole | 1.) "In the scratcher" 2.) "On the scratcher" | |
| Scutters | Diarrhea | | |
| Scutterin' | | Part of an insult phrase — e.g. "scutterin' gobshite" | |
| (You can) see by (him [or her]) that.... | You can see by his demeanor that.... | | |
| On Shank's mare | "On foot." | Origin stories are dubious | |
| Shift (v.) | | 1.) Move 2.) Move [something] 3.) "Move" [something] commercially; sell it 4.) Make out; kiss with. "I shifted her in the club." | |
| Shore | Drain | (in gutter, on street, etc.) | |
| Short | Shot | (of liquor) | |
| A shower of _ | A large number of _ | "A shower of wankers," for example. The expression seems to always apply to people, and is never used in a complimentary way. | |
| Shoutin' and roarin.' | | Self-explanatory | |
| Since year dot. | From the beginning. | | |
| Sing it. | You got that right. | | |
| Skanger | Scumbag | (Also used as a more-specific description of a demographic in which track suits are common — normally ranging in style from white on blue to blue on white.) | |
| [A good] skin | [A] good fellow | | |
| Skint | Broke (no money) | From "skinned." | |
| Sláinte | Cheers (over a drink) | Literally, "health," in Gaelic | |
| Slagging (n.) | Verbal abuse | | |
| Slapper | Slut | Origin uncertain | |
| Sliced pan | Crappy mass-produced white bread | From the [Anglo-Norman] French pain — "bread." | |
| So | [Tag word,] used at end of a sentence or phrase | No particular semantic meaning. Softens the declarative nature of the sentence. "I'll call over later, so." | |
| Soft as shite | Gullible, credulous | | |
| Sound. | | A common affirmation | |
| [Go] spare | Flip one's lid | | |
| [A] start | A job, at its inception | "Any chance of a start? No? Okay." — Christie Moore | |
| [Getting] Stick | Taking shit, getting hassled | "Getting stick" for being skinny, for example; or fat; or red-headed... | |
| [In the] stooks | Obstinate | "Heels dug in" over an issue. | |
| Stop the lights | "Oh, my Jesus" | From a 1970's quiz show, "Quicksilver," in which the phrase was integral to the play of the game. | |
| [What's the] story? | What's up? | A general greeting. Frequently shortened, and often the word "story" is about the only clearly-audible part. | |
| [Good ol'] stretch in the evening | Days are getting longer | Irish weather talk | |
| Stroppy | Argumentative | | |
| Sure | [Tag word,] used at fore of sentence or phrase | Adds emphasis to a statement assumed obvious | |
| Swiss | Hole | From "Swiss roll," via rhyming slang. "Swiss Roll" is a popular spongecake-and-artificial-cream dessert. Yep.... | |
| Tasty | Well-executed, tidy | A job done properly | |
| That _ | So _ | "The place was that small, you had to step outside to change your mind." | |
| That's the shot. | That's the ticket. | | |
| Thick | Argumentative, obstinate | | |
| This is me | This is my ([stop on the train,] for example) | | |
| Through money for a shortcut | | An expression of how fast it goes away | |
| [On the] tick | [On a] tab | At the pub, for example | |
| To | Often omitted | "I'll try get some teatowels" | |
| Toe-rag | Scumbag | | |
| (On me) tot | On my own | "I don't want to be left down there on me tot." | |
| Touchin' cloth | Burstin' for a shite | | |
| Turfed out | Ejected | (From a club, e.g.) | |
| Twig | Grasp, realize | One of only a few words that remain from Gaelic Irish. | |
| Up here for thinkin', down there for dancin'. | | Somewhat self-explanatory, though slightly cryptic. It's a way of acknowledging your own cleverness. | |
| Us | Me | "Give us a bell [telephone call.]" | |
| Wagon | Disagreeable woman | | |
| Was, were | Would have been | "One more step and you were in traffic" | |
| Waxy | Flukey, lucky | | |
| Wear [something] off [somebody] | Hit somebody with something | "I'll wear it off him" | |
| Went down a bomb | Worked like a charm | | |
| What age are ya? | How old are you? | | |
| Whatever about _ | Never mind _ | "I don't like rain, whatever about snow." | |
| Well? | General greeting | [Southeast — possible origin Waterford. In the southeast, one would often answer their telephone* this way, also.] | |
| It's well for some | It must be nice | An expression of mild begrudgery | |
| Weren'tn't | Weren't | | |
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West Brit | Anglophile | Derisive. Often used in reference to the adoption or affectation of British accent in the speech of a native Irish person. | |
| What way | How (it's going to turn out, etc.) | "Let me know what way it goes." | |
| Will | Shall | "Will we go?" | |
| Will [he, she, etc.] wha'? | Yes, of course. | Q. "Will he approve?" A. "Will 'e wha'?" | |
| Wire | Penis | | |
| With _ Years [e.g.] | For | "Been in Ireland with nine years" | |
| Would _ | If _ would | "She rang to ask would I call over" = "She called to ask if I'd come over" ... | |
| Would be | Is | "He'd be a stonemason." | |
| Would want | Would need | As in, "I'll beat you good-looking — sure* I'd want a big stick." | |
| Would ya ever...? | Will you...? | [Not impolite.] | |
| Wouldn't go astray | Wouldn't do any harm | (Might be a good idea) | |
| Work away. | Go ahead. | | |
| Ye | "You," plural. | Also "youse," apparently more so in Dublin ("Yz," or "yiz.") | |
| Yoke | Thing, thingamabob, whatchyacallit | | |
| You know that kind of way. | You know how that is. | | |
| ..You know yourself.... | | A pacifying modifier. It doesn't assume that the listener knows anything — it just says "I don't assume that I'm telling you anything new." | |
| You'd want to... | You'd better... | "You'd wanta" | |
| You may... | You'd best... | "You may do some work...." | |
| Young one | Young woman, girl | | |
| Your man | That guy | Refering to a person whose identity is presumed known. (See also "the other one.") | |
| Your one | That person, female | ||
| Youse | You (plural) | Mostly in Dublin. Also "yiz." "Ye" outside of Dublin, depending upon usage. | |
| Yr auld lad and yr aul one | Your dad and your mom | | |
| Zonks | Ages | "Haven't seen ya in zonks." May be more common in Dublin. | |
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* The Irish pound, the currency until January 2002, was worth €1.27.
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