Irishisms
Our guide of quare little Irishisms aims to help yer man, yer wan and the youngfella understand the nuances of Irish sayings.
If you don't understand this, don't worry, you soon will after reading our guide!
The Craic
Meaning: Fun or a good time It's pronounced "crack".
Example: "It was great craic at the pub last night!"
Grand
Meaning: Good, fine or okay. It's a very common term.
Example: "The weather isn't too bad. 'Tis grand!'"
What's the story?
Meaning: How are you? It's an informal greeting.
Example: "What's the story? Long time no see."
Deadly
Meaning: Excellent, brilliant or great.
Example: "That concert was absolutely deadly."
Sláinte
Meaning: Cheers or good health. Said when raising a drink.
Example: "Let's have a great night, sláinte!"
Gas
Meaning: Funny or hilarious.
Example: "Fran told me this story last night, it was gas!"
Eejit
Meaning: An idiot or a fool. A softer, more lighthearted insult. You can also "act the eejit", meaning, to mess around.
Example: "Ah, don't mind him, he's acting the eejit."
Acting the maggot
Meaning: Messing around or behaving foolishly.
Example: "Stop acting the maggot and finish your homework."
Yer man / Yer wan
Meaning: "That man" or "that woman". Used to refer to a person whose name you can't remember or can't be bothered to remember.
Example: "Yer man from down the road was asking for you, you know, yer man!"
Dote
Meaning: A very sweetheart, a cutie or a really lovely person. An affectionate term usually used by mothers as a term of endearment.
Example: "Look at the flowers Sarah bought me, isn't she a wee dote?"
The Press
Meaning: The cupboard. Found in the kitchen and usually overstocked with just about anything imaginable. Your mother will know what's inside it and where it is.
Example: "Go into the kitchen and get the biscuits from the press."
Bockety
Meaning: Wobbly, unsteady, or not straight. From the Irish word, "bacach", meaning lame.
Example: "Be careful with that chair, it's a bit bockety."
Smithereens
Meaning: Small, scattered pieces. The word itself is Irish in origin - "smidiríní".
Example: "I dropped my phone, and it smashed to smithereens."
Mé Féiner
Meaning: Selfish or self-centered. From the Irish for "myself".
Example: "Sure, he only cares about himself, he's a pure mé féiner."
Yoke
Meaning: A thing, object, or person. A versatile word for somethings name you can't think of.
Example: "Give me that yoke over there."
Holy Show
Meaning: An embarrassment. Usually to describe a person's actions - to make a holy show of oneself.
Example: "I was out at the weekend. I made a holy show of myself."
G'way ourrah dat!
Meaning: "Go away out of that!" A phrase of disbelief, meaning "No way!".
Example: "You won the lottery? G'way ourrah dat!"
Session
Meaning: A long period of drinking, conversation, and often music. If you're there, you're "On the Sesh!"
Example: "We went for one drink and ended up in a full-blown session."
Notions
Meaning: A person who thinks they are better than they are.
Example: "She's getting a bit full of herself, she has notions now."
How's she cuttin'?
Meaning: How are you? It's an informal greeting.
Example: "Alright there, Mick? How's she cuttin'?"
Feck
Meaning: A mild curse word. Used as a softer alternative to the F-word, often in trivial circumstances.
Example: "Ah, feck it, I forgot my keys again."
Aul one / Aul fella
Meaning: A term for one's mother or father.
Example: "I'll be down to the pub in a few minutes, my aul fella is giving me a lift."
Banjaxed
Meaning: Very badly broken or ruined. There is usually no way back.
Example: "My car is completely banjaxed after I hit that pothole."
Muppet
Meaning: An idiot or a foolish person. You don't want to be called this.
Example: "He's locked his keys in the car again. What a muppet!"
Young fella / Young one
Meaning: A term for a young boy or girl.
Example: "My young fella is starting secondary school in September."
I will in me hole
Meaning: I won't.
Example: "Will you do the dishes for me? I will in me hole!"
Just the one
Meaning: The first drink of many. It's never just the one.
Example: "Will you come for a pint? Ah, I will yeah. 'Just the one'."
Poxy
Meaning: Useless or of poor quality.
Example: "This poxy umbrella broke the second I put it up."
Quare
Meaning: Very. Also used to mean strange or odd.
Example: "That was a quare good feed."
Well
Meaning: Hello. A very common greeting.
Example: "Well lad, how are you?"
Dryshite
Meaning: A boring, uninteresting person. We all have that one friend.
Example: "He's a complete dryshite; he never wants to go out."
Ride
Meaning: A person who is very attractive. Also used to describe the act of making love.
Example: "She's an absolute ride." or "I got the ride last night!"
Culchie
Meaning: Some from rural Ireland.Or if you ask someone from Dublin, anyone not from Dublin.
Example: "Ah, he's a culchie, but he's a grand lad."
Giving out
Meaning: To complain or scold someone.
Example: "My mam was giving out to me for coming home so late."
Fair / Pure
Meaning: Very. Used to add emphasis.
Example: "It's a fair long way to go." or "That was a pure class act."
A Few Scoops
Meaning: A few drinks.
Example: "Fancy heading to the pub for a few scoops later?"
Scaldy
Meaning: Someone or something that is rough around the edges or unpleasant.
Example: "I wouldn't go near him, he's scaldy."
In bits
Meaning: Upset, exhausted or distressed. In a bad way.
Example: "I got tackled in my football match and I was in bits."
A Gargle
Meaning: An alcoholic drink.
Example: "I'm heading out for a gargle with the lads."
Bleedin'
Meaning: An intensifier. Used to really emphasise your point.
Example: "It's bleedin' freezin' outside."
Arseways
Meaning: Doing something completely incorrectly, or getting it all wrong.
Example: "I tried to build that shelf, but I put it together arseways."
Ah, G'wan
Meaning: "Oh, go on." A phrase to encourage someone in a lighthearted way.
Example: "Ah g'wan, you'll stay for another cup of tea."
Effin' & Blindin'
Meaning: Swearing a lot.
Example: "He was effin' and blindin' at the TV after his team lost."
A Gander
Meaning: A look or glance.
Example: "Give me the remote and I'll have a gander at what's on tele."
Locked
Meaning: Drunk, very drunk
Example: "I was locked last night. I can't remember a thing."
Scarlet for ye!
Meaning: You should be embarrassed. A common phrase in Dublin.
Example: "Scarlet for yer da for havin' ye."
Ye / Yous / Yiz
Meaning: You (plural). Used to address more than one person.
Example: "Are yiz coming to watch the match on Sunday?"
Suss Out
Meaning: To figure something out or investigate.
Example: "I'll try figure out where we can have our Christmas party."
On the hop
Meaning: To be spontaneous or skip school.
Example: "I got suspended from school, the principal caught me 'on the hop'."
The Snug
Meaning: A small secluded room inside a pub. Originally for people who wanted to drink in privacy, such as women or priests.
Example: "Let's go to the snug, it's much quieter there."
Tipping away
Meaning: To be getting along or doing okay.
Example: "How's your new job? Ah, it's grand, just tipping away."
Manky
Meaning: Dirty, rotten or disgusting.
Example: "I'm not eating that, it's manky."
Gobsmacked
Meaning: To be utterly amazed, shocked, or surprised.
Example: "I couldn't believe it, I was gobsmacked."
Savage
Meaning: Excellent or brilliant.
Example: "The party last night was absolutely savage."