Bob's your uncle. You've got it made.



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.



Cacks Pants Most commonly heard as "relax the cacks."

Cat No good (Shortened version of a Gaelic word I cannot spell.)

Caught out Caught, found out ...caught in the act, caught with one's hand in the cookie jar...

Caught rotten Caught red-handed ...like "caught out," but worse(r)

Caught lovely Same as "caught rotten," but from the opposite perspective



Chalk and cheese Night and day ("Different as...")

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.) 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 with "I'm not coddin' ya."

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

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 "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" question.) Literal meaning uncertain.

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 know meself I'm a new person Said of an improved employment situation, 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.

[Had] drink taken [Was] under the influence The gards and the judges talk this way, and newspapers report it so.

Drop the hand Grab somebody's ass (arse)



Eejit 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 "fuck." Acceptable in polite informal situations

Fierce (adv.) Very See "fierce and savage"

Flagon 2-litre plastic bottle (of hard cider)



Flange Vagina Possibly mostly Dublin

Fuck up Shut up (Sort of a hybrid of "shut up" and "fuck off")

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 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



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



Hoor Fellow (Mildly derogatory)

"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."



If Often omitted; word order changed "I was wondering could I (...)" (I was wondering if I could [...] )

Ignorant Ill-behaved, rude



Jacks, bog, trap Loo, toilet (European;) bathroom, restroom (American.) Slang; loo and toilet are the common usage.

Jammy Flukey Related to "waxy," although "waxy" tends to refer to an event whereas "Jammy' describes a more-general characteristic. "That was waxy," or "you waxed that one," vesus "you're a jammy bastard."

Jar Pint (of beer)

Jocks Underpants

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





Langer Idiot, fool, prick; literally, "penis." Corkonian, ad 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.) "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; 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



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.

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



Neck (n.) Nerve "You have some neck"  you really know how to push your luck.

Nixer A job done off the books



Not before time None too soon



Not on Unacceptable (behavior or result) Similar to "bang out of order."

Not the full shillin' A brick short of a full load



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



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")

Out the gap gone, out of here Corkonian

[For] pig-iron [For] the sake of argument



[You're] on the pig's back. [You've] got it made.



Pissin' time The duration that something that doesn't last very 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 *

Pull the door over Pull the door shut



Quare Grand, great

Rabbit on Talk without concision



Rag order Bad condition



Rake Slew (A large number [of something])

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.

Sambo Sandwich



Savage (adj.) Impressive, estimable See "fierce and savage"

Scoops Pints "Going for a few scoops?"

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."

Soap for me hole Hope for my soul



Soft as shite Gullible, credulous



Sound.

A common affirmation

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.

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.



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.]"

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."

It's well for some It must be nice An expression of mild 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. Q. "Will he approve?" A. "Will 'e wha'?"

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.



Ye "You," plural. Also "youse," apparently more so in Dublin ("Yz," or "yiz.")

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 showing lack of presumption

You'd want to... You'd better... "You'd wanta"

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

