Afters (n.) - Dessert
[To be] "after" doing something - Used in formation of past tense.
[See you] after - [See you] later
And me [doing something]) - "It was half-four and me coming out of there..."
And the rest. - You can say that again. Agreement in full
Anything strange? - What's new? Pronounced "ent'n strange?"
Amn't I? - Aren't I?
Are y'alright? - General greeting, in a shop or pub. But in a club, "y'alright, lads" means it's time to clear out.
Ask me bollocks - Bullshit. "If you want to know the answer, you'll have to question my testicles" — either Podge or Rodge.
Askin' after [somebody] - Not so much "inquiring about" as just a "say hello."
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
Your best man - The best option. A particular object, for example, or a type of beer
Bet - Beat (past tense or present conditional) As in, "defeated" or "will/would defeat." Also, "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)
Blow - Hashish
Bold - Poorly-behaved
Bucketin' - Raining hard
Buckled, etc. - Drunk ("Pissed", in European English.)
Buffer - Settled person, to a Traveller Irish Travellers are a nomadic minority population.
[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, in the expression "relax the cacks."
Cat - No good. From the Irish cat melodeon
Caught out - Caught, found out, caught in the act
Caught rotten - Caught red-handed ...like "caught out," but worse(r)
Caught lovely - The opposite of "caught rotten"
Chalk and cheese - ["Different as..."] night and day
Chance [v.] - To risk. See also "chance the arm."
Chancer - Opportunist. "God loves a tryer, not a chancer." ...
Chipper - Fish-and-chip shop. Also "chippie"
Clatter (n.) - A punch or a slap
Close (adj.) - Humid. (The Irish talk about weather habitually.) ...
C'mere 'til I tell ya - Listen [to this.] Often simply "c'mere..."
Coddin' - Kidding or joking. "I'm not coddin' ya."
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 words. Derogatory. See jackeen.
Cute - Sly, devious, clever. A "cute hoor" is a sly fellow
How's she cuttin'? - How're you doin'? May be agricultural in origin
The day that was in it - The conditions being what they were
Dear - Expensive Note: this one is Euro-English.
[Not a] dickie-bird - Nothing, nobody, no response. "I rang them half-four. Not a dickie-bird."
Digout - Assistance with a task; a helping hand
Dinner - Lunch
Divil the bit - Nothing. (In response to "what's the craic.") Literal meaning uncertain.
Does be - is (emphasized form)
[The] dog's bollocks - The shit; the real thing
[Made a] dog's dinner [of it] - [Made] shit [of it,] loused it up
Donkey's years - A long time. See "Zonks"
Don't give a monkey's - Don't give a rat's ass, feel no concern. (No mention of which part of the monkey one "doesn't give.")
Don't know meself - I'm a new person. At a new job, for example
Don't work too hard. A common way to wish a good day to someone who's working or heading toward their job.
Drink taken - under the influence. The gards and the newspapers talk this way.
Eejit - Idiot
Effin' and blindin' - Cursing to high heaven
Either - Also. "You could do that, either."
Et - Eat or ate. 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 "fuck." Widely acceptable.
Fierce (adv.) - Very. See "fierce and savage"
Flagon - 2-litre plastic bottle (of hard cider)
Flange (slang) - Vagina. Possibly mostly Dublin
Fuck up - Shut up
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)
Ghost estate - Empty housing development. A vestige of the runaway "Celtic Tiger" economy
Git - Derisive term for a person
Giving out - Asserting opinion or emotion. "Giving out yards" is more of the same.
Gobsmacked - Flabbergasted
Good man y'rself - Well done
[A] good skin - A good person
Go 'way - "You don't say" - mild conversational expression of surprise
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."
Handy - Easy: 1.) "Take it handy" 2.) "A handy job" - easy 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 known as the "drink link."
Hot press - Water-heater closet
Hoor - Fellow. (Mildly derogatory)
"How's the form?" - "How's it going?" Often followed by "... Are y' well?"
Hungry - Greedy
If - Often omitted; word order changed. "I was wondering could I (...)" (I was wondering if I could [...] )
Ignorant - Ill-behaved, rude
Jackeen - Dubliner. Derogatory. See culchie.
Jacks, bog, trap - Loo, toilet (European;) bathroom, restroom (American.) Slang; loo and toilet are the common usage.
Jar - Pint (of beer)
Jocks - Underpants
Just - Emphasis, at end of sentence. "Nice weather." "Isn't it just?"
Just about - Pretty much.
Kip - 1) n. and v. Sleep. 2) n. A dive; a delapidated or messy place.
Langer - Idiot, fool, prick; literally, "penis." Corkonian, ad to national use by Roy Keane, a famous/infamous soccer player.
Langered - Drunken
Leave [v.] - Let. "He won't leave us dig up the back garden."
Leave it with me. - I'll look into it.
[Do a] legger - Abscond, walk off.
Leg-over (n.) - Sex
Lifted (somebody) out of it - Gave out (to somebody,) in a big way.
[,] like. - (Always at end of statement.) "But I was here on time, like."
Lads - Y'all, or them ("the lads") Non-gender and non-age specific
Local (n.) - One's usual pub. Needn't be the closest.
[On the] long finger - On the back burner. Not highly prioritized
Lose the head - Self-explanatory
Lovely - Common expression of approval
Made a show of (somebody or oneself) - Made a fool of (somebody or oneself)
Made up - Entirely pleased, stoked
Acting the maggot - Being unruly or annoying. Often said of (or to) a child
Manky - Filthy, grimy
Meant to be - Reputed to be. "It's meant to be brilliant" = "I've heard it's great."
Mental - Crazy (situation, etc.)
Message - Errand. "Doing some messages" can be anything from picking up some groceries to putting in a bet at the booking office.
[Just] messin' - [Just] playing
Mind yourself - "Take care," (upon departure,) or or "careful now," specific to a potential danger
Mingin' - Filthy, dirty, foul-smelling
[the] Mockers (n.) - [a] Jinx. To "put the mockers" on an event is to bring bad luck with presumptuous words. E.g. "It's quiet this evening" at work in a restaurant.
Muppet - Dumbass
Naggin - Hip-flask (of whiskey, etc.) Usually 200 ml., in modern times
Neck (n.) - Nerve "You have some neck"
Nixer - A job done off the books
Not before time - None too soon
Not on - Unacceptable (behavior or result)
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.
Now - Spoken as greeting in a retail transaction. A form of "hello."
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. (For her, "the other one")
The other one - Her. A specific woman, whose identity is presumed known. See also "your one" and "your man."
Out the gap - gone, out of here. Corkonian
[For] pig-iron - [For] the sake of discussion
[You're] on the pig's back. - [You've] got it made.
Pissin' time - The duration that something that doesn't last very long lasts. 0Cheap batteries, for example, "don't last pissin' time."
Plonker - Not a compliment.
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, exceptional, or (as an intensifier) extremely
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 - You should; you would be right to _.
Risk it for a biscuit - Self-explanatory, except "biscuit" means cookie.
Ring, ringpiece - Anus
Rock and roll - Dole. (Rhyming slang)
Sambo - Sandwich
Savage (adj.) - Impressive, estimable. See "fierce and savage"
Scoops - Pints. "Going for a few scoops?"
Scratcher - 1.) Bed 2.) The dole "In the scratcher" vs. "On the scratcher"
Scrote - Tracksuit-wearing scumbag; maggot.
Scutters - Diarrhea
Scutterin' - Babbling. "Scutterin' gobshite"
(You can) see by (somebody.)... - You can see by his demeanor....
On Shank's mare - "On foot." Origin unknown
Shift (v.) - 1.) Move 2.) Move something 3.) Sell something 4.) Make out; kiss.
Shore - Drain - (in gutter, on street, etc.)
Short - Shot (of liquor)
A shower - A large number "A shower of wankers," for example. The expression seems to always apply to people, and is never used in a complimentary way.
Since year dot. - c From the beginning.
Sing it. - You got that right.
Skanger - Scumbag Used in description of a demographic in which track suits are common, ranging in style from white on blue to blue on white.
[A good] skin - [A] good fellow
Skint - Broke (no money.) Skinned.
Sláinte - Cheers (over a drink) Literally, "health," in Irish
Slapper - Slut. Origin uncertain.
Sliced pan - Mass-produced white bread. From the [Anglo-Norman] French pain — "bread."
So - Used at the end of a statement. No particular semantic meaning. "I'll call over later, so."
Soap for me hole - Hope for my soul
Soft as shite - Gullible, credulous
Sound (adj.) - A common expression of approval
Go spare - Flip one's lid
It'll stand to ya. - It'll work to your benefit.
A start - A job, at its inception. "Any chance of a start? No? Okay." — Christie Moore
Getting Stick - Getting hassled. "Getting stick" for being skinny, for example; or fat; or red-headed...
[In the] stooks - Obstinate. "Heels dug in" over an issue.
Ah, stop - Tell me about it; you're talling me... Droll reaction to an obvious statement
Stop the lights - Oh, my Jesus. From the 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
The Sun does be splittin' the stones - It's bright and hot. (Relatively hot.) The Irish tend to speak about the weather casually.
Sure - Tag word, used at fore of sentence. Adds emphasis to a statement assumed obvious
Swiss - Hole. Rhyming slang, from "Swiss roll," via rhyming slang. "Swiss Roll" is a popular spongecake-and-artificial-cream dessert. Yep....
Tasty - Well-executed. 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. Often pronounced "tick"
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) Tod - On my own - "I don't want to be left down there on me Tod." Rhymning slang; from "Tod Sloan."
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.
Us - Me. "Give us a bell [telephone call.]"
Oh, you're very good. - A statement of appreciation for an act of kindness.
Wagon - Disagreeable woman
Was, were - Would have been. "One more step and you were in traffic"
Waxy - Flukey, lucky See "jammy"
Wear [something] off [somebody] - Hit somebody with something. "I'll wear it off him"
Went down a bomb - Worked like a charm
What are we like? - Said in bemusement at our own behavio(u)r
Whatever about _ - Never mind _ "I don't even 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. Begrudgery.
Weren'tn't - Weren't
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, etc.] wha'? - Yes, of course.
With _ years [e.g.] - For _ years - "Been in Ireland with nine years"
Worser - Worse
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.]
Work away. - Go ahead.
Yank - American "Septic tank," in rhyming slang
Ye - "You," plural. Also "youse," apparently more so in Dublin ("Yiz.")
Yoke - Thing, thingamabob, whatchyacallit
You can't have it all ways - You can't always get what you want
You know that kind of way. - You know how that is.
You know y'rself - A polite way of sharing information
You'd want to... - You'd better...
You may... - You'd best... "You may do some work...."
Young one - Young woman
Your man - That guy. Refering to a person whose identity is presumed known. (See also "the other one.")
Your one - That woman
Youse - You (plural) Mostly in Dublin. Also "yiz." "Ye," elsewhere.
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.