New to Ireland? If you constantly feel lost in the middle of a conversation, we’re here to help with the lingo.
Famous for Guinness, black pudding and green hills, the beautiful country of Ireland is known for the amazing countryside, stunning cities and – sometimes – its gregarious natives.
So, if you’re trying to pick up accents and Irish slangs from television shows or movies, just a little reminder that the accent varies from region to region.
So, stall the ball, guys, a hape of common Irish slangs are coming your way.
Food Terms
| Irish Terms | Meanings |
| Afters | Dessert |
| Gargle | Beer or alcohol |
| Messages | Shopping or groceries |
| Pan | Bread |
| Pandy | Mashed potatoes |
| Poppy | Potatoes |
| Scald | Tea |
| Scuttered, Ossified, Mouldy, Buckled | To be drunk |
| Scoops | Alcoholic drink |
| Jar | Beer |
| Gowl | An annoying person |
| Whisht | Hush (used to demand silence) |
| Banjaxed | Used to describe something that’s not in working condition |
| Scarlet | Embarrassed |
| Mank | Extremely gross |
| Eejit | Idiot |
| Slang word(s) | Meaning |
| Acting the maggot | Fooling around |
| Bad dose | Severe illness |
| Bags (To make a bags of something) | Make a mess of doing something |
| Bang on | Right, accurate, correct |
| Black stuff | Guinness |
| Boyo | Male, juvenile |
| Brutal | Awful, dreadful |
| Bucketing down | Raining hard |
| Bunk Off | Skip school or work |
| Chancer | Someone who takes risk |
| Chiseler | Young child (Dublin slang) |
| Ciotóg | Left-handed |
| Cod/Codding ya | To pull someone’s leg |
| Craic | Fun or gossip |
| Crack on | Get going |
| Culchie | A person from a rural/agricultural area |
| Stall the ball | Slow down or stop. It’s commonly used in the pubs as a way of saying wait while I finish my drink |
| Cute hoor | A person who quietly manages things to their own advantage |
| Delira and Excira | Delighted and excited (Dublin slang) |
| Deadly | Brilliant, fantastic, great |
| Donkey’s years | For a very, very long time |
| Dosser | Someone not working or messing about, up to no good |
| Eat the head off | To give out to someone |
| Earwiging | Listening in on a private conversation |
| Effin’ and Blindin’ | Swearing and cursing |
| Fair play! | Well done! |
| Hape | An absolute load of something |
| Fella | Used for your guy, as in ‘Me Fella’ partner/husband/boyfriend |
| Fierce | Very good, great, excellent |
| Fine thing | Good looking man or woman |
| Fluthered | Very drunk |
| Gaff | Home, to have a ‘free gaff’ means you are home alone |
| Gammy | Crooked, or odd looking |
| Gander | Quick glance |
| Gas | Funny or amusing |
| Gawk | To stare rudely |
| Get outta that garden | Fun phrase used in a conversation to get a laugh, reaction |
| Grand | The term has a variety of uses. Some of the common ones are: reply to ‘How are you?’, ‘how are you feeling?’ or to ‘being told of a decision’ |
| Hames/Haymes | Complete mess |
| Holy Joe | A self-righteous person |
| Holy show | Disgraceful scene |
| How’s he / she cuttin’? | Used to ask ‘How are you?’ or ‘What’s the news?’ |
| Jackeen | A city dweller, especially a Dubliner |
| Jacks | Toilet |
| Jo Maxi | Taxi, cab |
| Kip | Used to refer to sleep; a dirty or unpleasant place |
| Knackered | Exhausted, tired |
| Langers | Drunk |
| Lash | The word has the following meanings:
|
| Leg it | To run away quickly |
| Locked | Very drunk |
| Manky | Dirty, Filthy |
| Moran | Fool |
| Mortified | Highly embarrassed |
| Murder | Very difficult or to really want to do something |
| Nixer | An extra or irregular job, the income from which is not declared for taxation purposes |
| Not the full shilling | Not fully sane |
| On the tear | Going drinking |
| Oul’ Fella | Father |
| Oul‘ Dear / Oul‘ Wan | Mother, Mom |
| Pictures | Movies, film |
| Puss | Sulky face |
| Rugger Bugger | Someone who is posh, loud and loves Rugby |
| Savage | Great, brilliant |
| Shattered | Exhausted |
| Sorry | Used to mean sorry or excuse me or pardon me |
| Story? | What’s happening? |
| Suckin’ diesel | Refers to something moving forward |
| The Pale | Anywhere in the region of Dublin |
| Thick | Extremely stupid |
| Trinners | Trinity College Dublin |
| Throw shapes | Show off, sometimes aggressively |
| Haven’t a baldies | When you are unsure of an answer to a question |
| Yonks | A long time |
| Melter | A person who is very annoying |
| Black Mariah | Police van |
| Blackers | Blackberries |
| Blarney | Nonsense |
| Blackguard | To give someone a hard time |
| Bombardier | A type of Irish bus |
| Bonnet | Car hood |
| Boreen | Narrow lane |
| Chancer | A dodgy or risky character |
| Cheek | Disrespect |
| Cheese on your chin | A chat |
| Chipper | Fish and chip shop |
| Doing (or speaking) 90 to the dozen | Going (or speaking) very fast |
| Down the swanie | Down the drain |
| Flahulach | Flamboyant; also, very generous |
| Janey Mack! / Japers! | Gosh, really? |
| Jibber | A person afraid to try new things |
| Narky | Cranky |
| Nawful | Terrible |
| Sell ya the eye out of your head | Acon man who will sell anything |
| Yoyo | Euro |
| Zonk | One-pound coin |
| You couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo | An uncoordinated person |
| Your head’s a marley | You don’t know what you’re talking about |
Common Irish Phrases
| Phrases | Meanings |
| Sure, look it | An expression that’s used when people are in a situation where you’re not sure what to say |
| A whale of a time | If someone says they are having a whale of a time they mean they’re enjoying themselves very much |
| Who all’s there? | Usually asked over the phone when someone wants to know how many people are in a certain place |
| Go way outta that | Has several meanings including exclamation of disbelief or don’t be silly or it’s no trouble |
| Was it any use? | Was it any good? |
| Donkey’s years | A very, very long time |
| Happy out | It simply means to be happy |
| Put the heart crossways | To give someone a fright |
| Wet the tea | Put teabags in boiling water |
| Like hen’s teeth | Extremely rare or impossible to obtain |
| I will yea | A sarcastic way of saying that someone will definitely not do something |
| I’m gunna head on | Going to leave |
| Fierce weather | Threatening weather |
| The dose is goin‘ round | Used to refer to a viral illness |
| Do the washing | Wash clothes |
| That’s a fret | An exclamation used to react to something unbelievable yet not completely impossible |
Well, that was quite a list, but we don’t claim to have covered every phrase and slang from the vast Irish treasure trove. You may have come across a few that are not on our list. So, do let us know in the comments if we have missed out on any Irish phrases, words or slang. We will surely put them in our list.
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