Table of Contents

101 Irish Phrases You Need To Know

Copyright Page
Introduction
The 101 Phrases
And Two Bonus Phrases
 101 Irish Phrases
You Need To Know
An essential guide to Irish lingo, slang and
pub talk

WorldIrish
101 Irish Phrase You Need To Know
First Published January 2013
WorldIrish
Gateway House
133 Capel Street
Dublin 1
Ireland.
www.worldirish.com

Text by Mark Farrelly

Cover design by Dave Molloy
Digitised by Green Lamp Media

Copyright Text, Cover & Layout WorldIrish,

2013

ISBN MOBI: 978-1-907694-34-9

ISBN EPUB: 978-1-907694-35-6

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Introduction
So youre planning to visit Ireland this year
and the only typically Irish phrase you know is
top of the mornin to you. Well I hate to break
it to you, but we dont say that.

However we do have countless phrases, little

sayings, and plays on language that decorate
everyday life in Ireland, and may be confusing
to a tourist who has just arrived in the country.
Never fear, Im here to give you a crash
course in speaking like an Irishman, with these
101 phrases.

We may be a small country in size, but there

are more strange and wonderful accents here
than on a Hollywood movie set. Some of
these phrases will only be heard in certain
regions, some are confined to urban centres,
and others are more common in rural Ireland.
Im from a place called County Cavan, so
when Im in Dublin most people dont have a
clue what Im saying half the time, and vice
versa. Therefore, in this book we try to cover
all of Ireland, and the colloquialisms that are
most, dare I say it, poetic.

Consider this your Irish dictionary, and

hopefully it will give you a few laughs too.

- Mark Farrelly, WorldIrish.com

The 101 Phrases

1. Sure look it

Rule number one for speaking like an Irish

person: 'Ah sure look it' is an acceptable
response for any question, statement, or
comment.

What does it mean? God only knows! But if

ever you find yourself in a situation where
you're not sure what to say, just go 'sure look
it' and you'll fit in just fine.

In use: 'Isn't it lovely weather we're having?'

'Ah sure look it.'

2. You, yee, yiz, ye, me and my

Before we go any further, lets lay down a few

ground rules. Namely the way we say my
you and the plural tense of you in Ireland.

Lots of people say me when they mean my,

and also ye when theyre saying you. As for
the the plural of you there are a few
variations such as yous yiz and yee.

In use: Did any of yiz see me coat?

3. A Whale of a time

Hopefully this is what you'll have when you

come to Ireland. It's simply an expression of
how good a time someone has had usually
used after a night out.

In use: 'The bar didn't close til half three, and

Micky got up and sang with the band. Sure we
had a whale of a time!'
4. A hooley

A shindig, a knees-up, a commotion, a bitta

craic, a kick-off, a few cans, a get together, a
soiree, a night on the town in short: a party.

In use: She set me heart a-twitchin' when

she invited me to a hooley in the kitchen.

5. Who all's there?

This is one that isn't as widespread, but if

you're visiting Ulster you'll definitely hear it.
Usually asked over the phone when the
person is wondering how many people are in
a certain place.

In use: 'Are you calling round? There's a bit of

a hooley kicking off here.' 'Oh is there? Who
all's there?'

6. The Jacks

If you arrive in Ireland and ask someone for

the restroom, youll get some very odd looks.
It's either called 'the toilet', or even more
commonly 'the jacks'.

In pubs the sexes are written in Irish on toilet

doors. So you have the 'fir jacks' for men and
the 'bean (pronounced ban) jacks' for women.
Not to be confused with 'banjaxed', which
means something is broken. You'll learn soon
enough.

In use: 'Tell ye what, you get in another round,

while I head to the jacks.'
7. Go way outta that

This has a few meanings. It can be an

exclamation of disbelief, or a standard
response when someone pays a compliment
to you (we don't really know how to take
compliments in Ireland).

However the time you'll most likely hear it is

probably when someone means 'don't be
silly', or 'it's no trouble.'

In use: 'You'll have a brandy?' 'No thanks,

don't be troubling yourself.' 'Ah go way outta
that, of course ye will!'

8. Arseways

To do something the wrong way, or for

something to go wrong on you.

In use: 'We tried to roast the turkey but it went

arseways on us.'

9. Was it any use?

Simply means 'was it any good?' It's a

common saying everywhere, and if you're
heading to any big events you can consider it
a guarantee that an Irish person will ask you
this question afterwards.

In use: 'We headed into town for a few last

night.' 'Was it any use?'

10. Donkey's years

Used as a reference of time. We have

absolutely no idea the length of time a
donkey's year is, but it's widely accepted that
it's a very very long time.

In use: You're all very welcome to

Lisnabuntry. We haven't had this big a crowd
here in donkey's years.'

11. Quare

This is fairly common around the south of

Ireland. It's an odd pronunciation of 'queer',
but it's used as a replacement for 'very.' Dont
ask why, we just do.

In use: 'Jaysis it's quare warm today isn't it?'

12. Happy out

Just means 'happy', but for some reason we
feel the need to add 'out'. It's usually used in
the present, so basically while you're in the
process of having a whale of a time, you're
happy out.

In use: 'Look at you there, happy out leaping

about the place.'

13. Put the heart crossways in someone

To give someone a fright. This is what you'll

do if you're staying with an Irish friend or
relative and you accidentally walk in on them
in the shower.

In use: 'Jaysis you put the heart crossway in

me, I didn't see you there at all!'
14. The Press

A press is what we call a cupboard in Ireland.

However, the 'hot press' ... Well that's a
different matter altogether! Its the press in the
house with the hot water cylinder, where we
keep clothes dry.

In use: 'Hold on now till I get the biscuits from

the press.'

15. The Guards

So you think you know all the lingo before you

come over to Ireland by learning the police
are called the Garda Sochana, and that a
policeman or woman is called a Garda.
However we don't called them that at all, we
just call them guards.
In use: 'We may turn down the music, and tell
John to get off the roof! The neighbours will
have the guards on us any minute.'

16. Wet the tea

There's a lot of phraseology around tea in

Ireland. Most importantly if anyone asks you
to wet the tea, they're telling you to throw a
few teabags in the teapot, and pour boiling
water in.

In use: 'Sit down there and relax while I go

wet the tea.'

17. Like hen's teeth

This is derived from the original phrase 'as

rare as hen's teeth,' but has been shortened
over the years. Pretty much means something
is rare. Have you ever seen teeth in a hen?
Me neither.

In use: Ah sure we used to have lots of

eligible bachelors round these parts, but
they're like hen's teeth now.'

18. Diesel and petrol

If you rent a car when you're visiting Ireland

and need to refuel, you needn't be going in
looking for gas. You have to find out whether
the car is diesel or petrol and fill it with that at
a petrol station or garage.

Not with green diesel mind you. That last thing

you want is to get dipped by the guards.

In use: 'Give me 20 worth of petrol please.'

19. The boot

This is what we called the trunk of a car. So if

you're heading on a day out and your great
aunt tells you to throw everything into the
boot, you know exactly what she means!

In use: 'Is anyone able to come help me bring

in the shopping from the boot?'

20. Minerals

This is what we call soft drinks. Beware if

you're visiting old people they'll automatically
assume you love a mineral called 7Up, and
will force feed you with it to the point where
youll overflow.
In use: 'You can't drink because youre
driving? Well sure you'll have a mineral
instead?'

21. Pint of Gat

A pint of Gat is another name for Guinness.

On that note when drinking Guinness, look
towards the horizon so you don't drink the
head of the pint. And if someone asks if it's
good Gat, and you're not sure how to judge it,
simply respond with 'sure look it.'

In use: 'Give me two pints of Gat and a bottle

of Bulmers.'

22. Ossified

Very drunk. What you'll end up like after too

many pints of Gat.

The actual definition of the word is to cease

developing; be stagnant or rigid. So you can
imagine how drunk an ossified person must
be.

In use: 'Lord God you were fairly ossified last

night weren't you?'

23. Chips

So in Ireland chips are crisps, and French fries

are chips. Be warned you will fall in love with a
delicacy called 'curry cheese chips' some
night when you're ossified.

In use: 'Here love, fancy a bag'a chips?'

24. The Fear

The Fear is what you will have the morning

after you were ossified, and ate said curry
cheese chips. Also called 'the beer blues',
'drinker's remorse', and 'the chronics' it
sums up how you feel when you can't
remember large chunks of the night before.

Other symptoms include unexplained

depression, cuts and bruises, and not being
able to find your shoes. Why do we do it to
ourselves?

In use: 'I'm afraid to show my face in there

again. I'm crippled with the Fear.'

25. I will yea

This can get very confusing. I will yea means 'I

definitely won't.' We're big into our sarcasm
here, and if you get flustered by it, don't worry.
You arent the first and definitely won't be the
last.

In use: 'Are you going to get up for mass in

the morning? I will yea!'

26. Beyont

Beyont is an all-encompassing word for any

place that isn't the place you're in at the
moment. It can refer to the other end of the
room, or to the other side of the world.

Expect to hear a lot of country people

question you about stuff you have at home,
and they'll use the word beyont when doing it.

In use: 'Would you have much rain beyont?'

27. I'm guna head on

There are two phrases for the price of one

here. There's 'head on', which means you're
going to leave, and 'head' which simply
means to 'go.

So if someone asks you will you head

somewhere, you'll now know what they're
actually asking.

In use: 'There's two lads shouting at each

other in the chipper. I'm guna head on before
a fight breaks out.'

28. Naggins and shoulders

Naggins and shoulders refer to the sizes of

bottles of spirits. A shoulder will get you a
good way to being to being happy out, but a
naggin is perfect for smuggling (or 'gooching')
into a pub.

However we're not endorsing such scurrilous

actions.

In use: 'Get me a shoulder of Captain

Morgan, and Aisling wants a naggin of vodka.'

29. Fierce weather

All weather is 'fierce'. It can be fierce wet,

fierce cold, fierce mild, fierce dry, fierce
windy, fierce drizzly, fierce warm, fierce
frosty, fierce breezy, fierce damp, fierce
humid, fierce dead. Fierce everything
basically.
Actually on that note, if someone tells you it's
a fierce soft day. They mean the weather is
humid, drizzly and it would make you sleepy.
If its a fierce dead day, its the same thing
except its not raining.

In use: 'How are you? God it's fierce weather

we've been having the last few days.'

30. A jumper

Sweaters, or pullovers, are called jumpers in

Ireland. It's an absolute guarantee that Irish
mammies will insist you put on a jumper if
you're heading out anywhere.

In use: 'Make sure and bring a jumper with

you. It's fierce weather out there.'
31. That dose is going' round

Don't say they didn't warn you! If you didn't

wear your jumper you probably caught the
cold. Without a doubt, someone will reassure
you that 'that dose is goin' round'; meaning
everyone else has the same illness.

I'm not sure why that's meant to make you

feel any better though.

In use: 'Brendan's in bed with the flu, he won't

make the festival.' 'Oh God help him, but sure
that dose is goin' round.'

32. A Shuck

A shuck is big ditch that runs along the bottom

of fields. If they're not cleaned out regularly,
grass, briars, and nettles can grow up and you
mightn't even see the shuck.

So if you're planning any Sound of Music-

esque frolics through the fields, beware you
don't fall in.

In use: 'Come quick, the tractor got out of

control on Patsy and now he's below, stuck in
the shuck.'

33. Do the washing

Obviously if you're planning a long stay in

Ireland, your clothes are going to have to be
washed at some stage. However, instead of
doing laundry, we do the washing.

This is all weather-related too, and if you're

staying with an Irish mammy she'll constantly
talk about doing the washing.
In use: 'There's great drying today, so I got up
at half six to do the washing and get it out on
the line nice and early.'

34. The messages

You will hear about people going out to do the

messages, or going into town for the
messages.
Alas, middle-aged Irish women are not part of
some secret government organisation; they're
just referring to the shopping.

The messages are what some Irish people

call the groceries.

In use: 'Anyone want anything? I'm heading

into town to do the messages.'
35. Call round for a cil

A cil as we all know is globally thought of as

a session of traditional music and dancing, but
it can simply mean calling round to someone's
house for a chat and a cup of tea.

The phrase is beginning to die out but it's our

mission to bring it back into fashion!

In use: 'Are you doing anything Friday? Sure I

might call round for a cil.

36. Giving out

This is one youll probably hear on your first

day in Ireland, and Im sorry to break it to you
but the person wont be giving you anything.
Its the act of complaining, or scolding. So if
someone gives out to you, youve probably
done something to upset them.

In use: Stop giving out about the weather and

just enjoy yourself!

37. A yoke

To those outside of Ireland a yolk refers to the

yellow bit in an egg, but here it has a totally
different meaning.

A yolk, or yoke is used to reference any

inanimate object. So if someone calls you a
yoke theyre not exactly paying you a
compliment!

In use: Pass me that yoke there. The

television remote? Yes the television remote,
sure what other yoke would I be on about?!

38. The off-licence

The off-licence is the starting point to manys

the great night, and also manys the forgotten
one. Your one-stop-shop for all your alcohol
and overpriced crisp needs, its our version of
a liquor store.

Its also sometimes just called The offie, and

beware, they close at 10pm!

In use: Im headin to the off-licence for a

cheeky naggin before its shut. Want
anything?

39. Ah here!
Its hard to put into words what ah here
means, and thats partly because it was
probably born out of the lack of a similar
phrase.

You know when you witness something, or a

thing happens to you thats hard to believe,
but not in a good way? Thats one of the times
you can exclaim ah here!

In use: Were really sorry but there are no

more pairs of wellies left in the shop. Ah
here!

40. It's grand

Grand usually means spectacular or sublime

but in Ireland its used all the time when
something is just fine or OK. People usually
say they feel grand when you ask them how
theyre feeling, and Itll be grand is a phrase
used when youre in a situation where youre
more than likely screwed!

In use: I may head on, its 4am now and I

have to be up for work in three hours. Ah itll
be grand, stay for one more.
41. Shenanigans

You can substitute in divilment for this phrase

too. Unlike most of these sayings,
shenanigans is an actual word, meaning acts
of mischief and people up to no good.

So in Ireland, a night out on the town can

usually be classed as shenanigans.

In use: Riding the lawnmower into school!?

Well Ive never seen such shenanigans!
42. Yer wan / yer man

If someone says either of these to you theyre

not actually implying that you own said
person. Yer wan and Yer man are used
when referring to people, instead of using her
or him.

Usually its either when talking derogatorily

about someone, or when youre referring to
someone you dont know very well.

In use: Oh theres Julia Roberts, hasnt she a

lovely face? She was in that other film with yer
man. What do ye call him again?

43. A gaff

Dublin slang for someones house. Then they

have gaff parties, rather than house parties.
Sure maybe youll get invited to one.

In use: Ill head round to your gaff after I get

my dinner.

44. Lord lantern Jaysis!

Were extraordinarily fond of shouting out the

names of random religious figures as a
means of expressing feelings such a surprise,
happiness, and anger.

Jesus sometimes gets changed to Jaysis, but

besides that its a free-for-all. Examples are:
Well Holy God, Sweet Jesus, Holy Mary
mother of God, Jesus Mary and Joseph,
Bejesus, Bejaysis, God almighty, Lord above,
Jesus Christ Almighty, and Jesus Mary and all
thats holy.
In use: Lord lantern Jaysis! You scared the
Bejesus out of me!

45. Yon

No I dont mean the act of yawning when

youre tired. Yon is a sort of a demonstrative
adjective I suppose like that. I use it way
too much when pointing things or people out.

Beware, it can get confusing when coupled

with some of the other phrases featured.

In use: Hand me yon yoke till I give it to yer

wan. (These sentences are getting more
complicated arent they?)

46. Aknownt of me

This one isnt as widespread as the others,

and can sometimes confuse Irish people,
nevermind tourists.

Pronounced a-knownt is literally means

unbeknownst.

In use: Is that you, trying to sneak out the

door aknownt of me?

47. Fella

Fans of WWE will know this one as its used

regularly by Irish superstar Sheamus. Its the
Irish way of pronouncing fellow, and probably
used here every bit as much as man is.

Also the word lad is used in the exact same

way.

In use: Howaya fella? I was wondering where

I could find a pair of socks? Some other lad
told me youd know.

48. Knackered

This has two meanings. It can mean the same

as wrecked, or can be used to describe
something which is broken beyond repair.

In use: Well cursed Jaysis on that tractor!

The engine is knackered in it!

49. Fair play to ye

How I dont win the FIFA Fair Play Award

every year is beyond me. People are always
telling me fair play to ye. Alas fair play has
different connotations amongst the Irish.
It means well done or fair dues.

In use: You made it the whole way over from

Wisconsin? Well, fair play to ye!

50. Pure

Means absolute, completely, and beyond all

doubt. Although I wouldnt go saying it all the
time. Its mostly used when giving out about
something, so be careful you dont use it in
the wrong context.

In use: I went to that concert last night. Any

use? It was pure shite.

51. Dodge

Im always made fun of for saying dodge and

Ive no idea why. At home dodge is used as a
verb that merely means to go somewhere
much like head on.

In use: Are you coming to the pub tonight?

Ah sure I might dodge down for a while.

52. Spuds

Spuds is slang for potatoes, and everyone

knows were mad for the spuds. Theres a
growing trend of young Irish people going
months without eating a spud, but for anyone
over the age of 45 spuds are an essential part
of dinner every single day.

In use: Ah sure Mary rang me and by the

time I got her off the phone the spuds were
boiled dry.
53. A cute hoor

A cute hoor is someone whos cute, and we

dont mean cuddly! Theyre devious,
conniving, and generally up to no good.

More often than not, a cute hoor is trying to

swindle you.

In use: I bought an electric saw from the cute

hoor, and sure it stopped workin after a half
an hour.

54. Willyatethat?

Youre going to need to have a quick ear for

this one. Slowed down, the phrase is Will you
eat that? but country people will run all the
words together and substitute ate for eat.
On that note, ate is used for the future, past,
and present tense of eat.

In use: Willyatethat steak if I cooked it for

you?

55. Auld

Pronounced ow-ld, its how many of us say

old. In fact nearly any word with an o sound
can be replaced with ow. Such as howld,
bowld, etc.

Lots of Irish people refer to their parents as

my auld fella and auld one. Also, the Irish
version of yo momma jokes are called yer
auld one jokes.

In use: Would you not tell your auld lad to

bring that auld car to the dump?!

56. Not worth a shite

Not worth a shite means absolutely useless.

Simple as that.

In use: How did the match go? Were the

team any use? Not worth a shite.

57. Dosser

Someone whos lazy and skives off work is a

dosser. Its what every mother dreads hearing
about their child at parent-teacher meetings.

In use: Well see if John can help. That

dosser? Sure if there was work in the bed
hed sleep on the floor!
58. A ride

Someone who is quite dashing or beautiful.

Its also slang for sex, so sometimes a ride on
the bumper cars could have a triple meaning!

In use: Ryan Reynolds or Ryan Gosling? I

cant choose, sure theyre both rides.

59. Whisht

Whisht is an instruction for someone to be

quiet. Howld your whisht is when you tell
someone whos already quiet to keep it that
way, or can be used when telling a person to
keep information secret.

In use: [At mass] If you dont whisht the priest

will come down to ye and embarrass us all!

60. Dodgy

Not to be confused with dodge, this one is

said when warning someone about a
dangerous area, or something that isnt quite
right or not to be trusted.

In use: Jaysis I think I ate a dodgy burger, my

stomachs in knots!

61. Ye glomocks

In Ireland we invent our own bad language,

and then invent even more words that mean
the same as the bad language but arent
actually considered swear words.
Glomocks is one, and others include gobshite,
feck, jinit, bollix, and gobdaw amongst many
many more.

In use: It says turn right at the next

crossroads Youre holdin the map upside
down ye glomocks!

62. The tae

Derived from the Irish word for tea. Its

pronounced tay and is said in the countryside
more often than tea is. I told you thered be
lots of tea-related phraseology!

In use: I brought the biscuits so you can

make the tae.

63. It was savage

It wasnt good, in fact it was even better than
great it was savage!

In use: I hear you had the Yanks out with you

last night. Was it any use? Ah God it was
pure savage!

64. Ill ring ye later

Instead of calling people on the telephone we

ring them. So if someone tells you theyll give
you a ring, dont get your hopes up. You wont
be receiving any jewelry Im afraid.

In use: Whats the plans for this hooley

tonight? Not sure yet, sure Ill ring ye later.

65. Jumping ditches

Now this my friends is a touchy subject. For
some in Ireland a ditch means the same thing
as it does to anyone else: a kind of trench
along the side of a road that all surface water
flows into.

However for some of us (Ulster people), we

see the ditch as the hedge that goes along the
side of a road, or which separates fields. And
the phrase jumping ditches comes from this,
implying that someone is feeling great, i.e
good enough to jump hedges

In use: I was crippled with the flu yesterday

but Bejesus Im jumping ditches today!

66. Some

Some is used as an expression to emphasise

when somethings noteworthy. Its very tough
to explain; try and think of it as the phrase
and then some, except we put it before the
subject.

In use: Jesus thats some day out there! Its

fierce weather so it is!

67. The shift

Were a right bunch of Casanovas here, and

the act of shifting is when you kiss someone
passionately.

To shift is to kiss, and if youre a single

person whos visiting Ireland, you will definitely
be asked after a night out if you got the shift
during the nights shenanigans.

In use: Remember teenage discos? God

they were great! I got the shift 15 times once!

68. Dock in dock in, in and out, take the

sting of the nettle out

Nettles are very common in Ireland. If you

havent heard of them before, theyre weeds
with a nasty sting. However thankfully, theres
another weed called a Dock, and if you rub it
on wherever you were stung by the nettle
youll be cured!

So if it happens to you during your stay youll

know what to do. Although you also have to
say the rhyme or the whole thing wont work!

In use: Dock in, dock in, in and out, take the

sting of the nettle out. If you dont Ill give you
a clout. Dock in, dock in, in and out.
69. Acting the maggot

Someone whos involved in shenanigans is

usually acting the maggot.

In use: Tony come down out of that tree and

stop acting the maggot!

70. In the middle of my

This means being part way through

something, but also the verb is often taken out
of the sentence. So when someone says I
was in the middle of my dinner, they dont
literally mean it!

In use: Noleen came in the door talking

nonsense and me in the middle of my tea.
71. Deadly

This is another primarily Dublin expression,

which is exclaimed when something is really
really good. Sometimes the word buzz is
added to the phrase for no particular reason.

In use: Oh youre here for The Gathering?

Youll have a deadly time.

72. Ripping into me

This should not be taken literally. Its actually

referring to when someone is giving out to
you. Usually when youve done something to
really wind them up.

In use: The owner of the shop came out and

started ripping into me cos I forgot to pay for
my Mars bar!

73. Would ye stop?!

Sometimes well ask you to do something, but

we dont actually want you to do it. Would ye
stop? is a perfect example.

Its actually an exclamation of endearment

and means continue doing whatever it is that
earned you such affection.

In use: Ill get you another pint before you

go. Would ye stop?!

74. Pinteen

The habit of adding een to random words is

something which a lot of Irish people suffer
from. Particularly those from Cork.

So if you happen across a Corkonian youll no

doubt hear such gems as a pinteen, a
mugeen of tea, and a few spudeens. It
actually comes from the Irish language, where
n (pronounced een) means little

In use: Will we head into town for a few

pinteens and bit of craic?

75. Hes an eejit

Someone who is quite silly, stupid, or socially

awkward. However theyre harmless auld
sods all the same.

In use: Paid 40 for that jumper so he did.

God hes an eejit.
76. Drawers

This is what a lot of Irish mammies call

underwear. So if you hear them asking if
youve fresh drawers, dont be confused.

On that note, we do keep our drawers in a

drawers drawer, which hopefully isnt all that
discombobulating.

In use: Do you want me to wash any of your

clothes? Im sure youll need fresh drawers.

77. Suckin diesel!

I can see how this creates a rather odd

image, when you take the phrase literally. It
doesnt actually involve the physical act of
sucking diesel.
Its an expression of joy when something
starts to go right, or starts working properly.

In use: The band have just gone on stage.

Ah great! Now were suckin diesel!

78. Cmere to me

A shortened version of come here to me, its

yet another phrase thats not meant in the
literal sense. Although its pretty hard to
describe what it actually means.

Its kind of a phrase you say when you want

someone to listen up, or when youve a good
story to share.

In use: Cmere to me, wait till you hear who

Sharon shifted last night!...
79. Torrential

There are so many weather-related phrases in

Ireland that they could make up a book on
their own, but torrential is a particular
favourite of mine.

Sure its an actual word and used around the

world; but nowhere is it overused as much as
in Ireland. Id go as far as to say there arent
three days go by in Ireland without torrential
rain falling somewhere.

In use: Did you hear the rain outside last

night? Jaysis it was torrential!

80. Rashers
An essential part of any Irish fry, rashers are
thinly sliced pieces of back bacon. I dare you
to taste a rasher sandwich and not enjoy it!

In use: Well weve got the sausages, rashers,

black and white puddin, and eggs. That
should fill us till dinner time.

81. Ill hit ye a slap in the butt of the lug

This a threat you dont want to hear from an

Irish mammy. Your lug is your ear, and
nothing hurts like a quick clip to the earlobe.

Of course, being the well behaved tourist you

are, you wouldnt do anything to warrant such
punishment, would you?

In use: Tommy its 12 oclock! Get up out of

bed or Ill go up there and hit ye a slap in the
butt of the lug!

82. Do you want a lift?

People are going to be constantly offering you

lifts during your stay in Ireland. It means giving
someone a ride (no not the Irish ride) when
they need to go somewhere.

Of course theres a certain etiquette around

this: they offer, you refuse, out of politeness
even though you really need one. They say
go way outta that, its no trouble, and after
ten minutes of flirting around the idea you
eventually agree to it.

In use: Going to have a look at the sites are

ye? Sure Im driving into town, do you want a
lift?
83. Mighty

Great, stupendous, fantastic! The craic is

mighty.

In use: I heard you crawling into bed in the

early hours of this morning. You must have
had a mighty time last night?

84. Culchies

Culchies are people from the countryside,

however to proper Dubliners a culchie is
pretty much anyone who isnt from Dublin city,
and even those beyond the canals are
suspicious.

Outside of Dublin the term culchie is all

relative: e.g. people from Co Meath think all
people from Cavan are culchies, but people
from Cavan town think its just the people
from rural Cavan that are. And then, in my
rural parish of Killinkere in Cavan, people in
Upper Killinkere think people in Lower
Killinkere are culchies despite that fact that
we all live in the countryside.

In use: Donegal against Mayo in the All-

Ireland Gaelic football final? Sure the city will
be infested with culchies!

85. On my tobler

This is an innovative one. On my tobler is a

play on the name of the Swiss chocolate bar
Toblerone, which Irish people discovered in
airports in the 1980s. So what it really means
is on my own, but being ever so witty, weve
changed it to a funnier expression.

In use: Well Barry and Brian decided head

on, and Aoife went to get chips, so I was left
on my tobler!

86. Ill see ye now

This is a way of saying goodbye that makes

no sense. Obviously the point of a goodbye is
telling the person that youre leaving, not that
you can see them presently.

Where it came from, I dont know, but I say it

all the time.

In use: Right well I may head on because I

have to be up to milk the cows in the mornin.
Ill see ye now.

87. Whats the story?

Haha I love this phrase because it confuses
so many people. Whats the story? is a way
of asking someone how theyre feeling, or if
theyve any news.

However its great to watch people give a

confused and desperate mumble, thinking
theyre been asked to tell a tale of some sort.

In use: Ah Jaysis how are ye Michael?

Whats the story?

88. A lash

This has two meanings actually. To give

something a lash means to give it a try, but to
go on the lash is a different thing entirely. That
means going out for a copious amount of
drinks!

In use: I had never played the banjo before,

but the sure the craic was mighty and I
decided to to give it a lash.

89. Bate

Bate is the Irish way of saying beat. Its

used a lot because we like to decide that
anything decent is unbeatable.

In use: Jaysis the craic last night was great.

You couldnt bate it with a stick.

90. Stocious

Pretty much the same as ossified. Actually

there are so many different words and
phrases for being drunk that I dont even know
the half of them.
In use: You were stocious last night. You told
me I was your best friend ten times. And sure
I only met ye yesterday!

91. Howld on

Remember our o replaced with au or ow

lesson? Well it pops up here again. Being told
to howld (hold) on doesnt require you to
actually hold onto anything. They just want
you to wait a minute.

In use: Will we head on? Howld on now till I

find my keys.

92. In the back of beyonds

Well if beyont is far away the back of beyonds

must be on the other side of the moon. Also
referred to a the arsehole of nowhere, its
usually is used when talking about a place in
the middle of the countryside, or somewhere
thats a good journey away.

In use: Have you ever been to the Cliffs of

Moher? The Cliffs of Moher? Sure thats in
the back of beyonds!

93. Thats a terror

Usually when we say thats a terror, whatever

it is were talking about is not actually
terrifying. Its used more as an expression of
disbelief.

In use: You lost all your clothes in a poker

game!? Jaysis thats a terror.
94. Mind yourself

Now were a worrisome bunch here, and we

dont want any of our visitors coming to any
harm, so generally if someone to tells you to
mind yourself theyre saying be careful, or
take care of yourself.

However if you get into an argument and they

tell you to mind yourself, its a way of
threatening that you could be about to get a
slap.

In use: Youre sure youre OK with walking

home? Watch out for any cars, and mind
yourself now wont ye?

95. On the dole

Unfortunately youll come across plenty of

people who are on the dole in Ireland at the
minute. Its our slang for the social welfare
payment you receive when youre
unemployed.

And of course in the current economic

climate, its almost gotten to the stage where
being on the dole is our most common
occupation.

In use: I have a degree in architecture , an

MA in interior design and a PhD in structural
engineering ... Oh and what are you at with
yourself at the minute? Im on the dole.

96. Wrecked

If you're very tired. Normally used after a big

night out.
In use: 'We were out last night until half six
this morning.' I'm wrecked now though.'

97. Go on ye good thing

Heading to The Races during your trip to

Ireland? Chances are youll hear someone
shouting this at a horse as it trundles towards
the finishing post.

It can also be heard being shouted by some

Dubliners when they see a ride walking down
the street in a short skirt.

In use: Go on ye good thing Shergar, keep

going Oh wait wheres he gone to?

98. Get on your wick

The phrase get on your wick is used when

talking about something that really annoys
you. This phrase is actually one weve stolen
from the UK, but is probably used in Ireland
more than in Britain.

In use: Did you hear that child screaming

down the back of mass? Jaysis hed get on
your wick.

99. Bleedin

Unless you actually see the blood, when

someone in Ireland says bleedin, they dont
mean it in the literal sense. Think of it as an
Irish version of frickin.

Although bleedin can also be said when

somethings really really good, and the phrase
is then usually bleedin deadly. Thats another
one youll hear from the Dubs.
In use: I found me bleedin coat under the
table, bleedin deadly!

100. Ojus

Well Dubliners may say bleedin a lot, but

down the country were huge fans of the word
ojus Its derived from the word odious, but
unlike the proper meaning, ojus can also be
used when youre talking about something
thats great too.

So you may hear someone say ojus craic,

but also ojus bad. Then you may also hear
someone say just ojus on its own, and in
that case its up to you to decipher what they
mean by it.

In use: Were you at that cil in Donohoes

last night? I was indeed. Jaysis we had an
ojus time!

101. That's a fret

'That's a fret' is an expression of disbelief.

Usually said in a calm way though. So when
something's surprising, but at the same time
not beyond the realms of possibility.

In use: '101 phrases I need to learn before

coming to Ireland? That's a fret!'
And Two Bonus Phrases
These two, you simply CANNOT do without

Craic

Ah yes, surely youve heard of this one. Weve

loads of craic here, but if any of you are
hoping I mean crack cocaine youre going to
be disappointed!
Craic means a laugh, a bit of fun, a whale of a
time. Its also used in conjunction with other
Irish phrases a lot of of the time. So you can
have mighty craic, or fierce craic etc.

In use: We had the Yanks over last night, and

Jaysis the craic was mighty.

Langer
This is a Cork word, and its meanings are
similar to that of eejit. Compared to eejit
though, it doesnt have the same endearing
ring to it.

In use: And as for this Langer! He spilled a

pint all over my dress last night when he was
dancin.