ShenanigansAn Irish-American favourite, it certainly sounds as if it derives from Irish, but its origins are unknown. The word lickarse is an insult thats often used in schools and the workplace. I havent heard this one used that much as of late. SpondoolicksA term for cash that has journeyed around American, British and Irish slang and could actually comes from the Greek spondulox, a type of shell used as an early form of money. It wasnt until a friend from the UK said he didnt know what I was on about the first time we met and I used it in a sentence. If youre looking for a new way to say I have no idea, try this phrase on for size. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Transport Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. lol Thanks again RC. Here are some of my favourites. Translation: The name given to dung heaps/dirty people. The only two people that I know who use this are lads from Mayo, so this is possibly a west of Ireland insult. SheilaThe Australian slang for woman comes from the Irish name Sle.54. HEY. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Indonesia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. To keep it going, and to make this guide as helpful as possible, Im going to offer myself as an Irish slang translator. Huair/Hoor (an Irish insult with both an offensive and a playful meaning), Longer Offensive Irish Phrases and Insults, 19. HamesTo make a hames of something has something in common with yoke (see word 62). Nice one is an Irish saying thats used to show approval of someones behaviour. For example, He was slagging me, so I gave him a kick in the bollox. For example, Gway out of that with your umbrella. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Travel TV Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Shes only after putting diesel in her aul ones petrol car. Dogs Bollocks / Mutts Nuts / Puppys This was one of the most enjoyable posts that Ive written in a while. Ah, shtap hes some tool that lad. The term pratie comes from the Irish for potatoes, prta.84. As an Irish native, I have to say that a lot of these do not carry meaning in Irish society. Bal bochtAn Bal Bocht, the novel that Brian ONolan published in 1941 as Myles na gCopaleen, parodied the miserylit of Peig and An t-Oilenach, but to put on the poor mouth was an expression before na gCopaleen also parodied the title of An Bal Beo, Toms Milles 1936 collection of Irish words and phrases.13. For example, Ah stop, thats gas! or Emmas dog is gas. Now, I know Conors Ma. Like very sorry? For example, Dont be worrying about it, its grand. Likely to be severely hungover the following morning. So many cultures adopt their own language as if in code it seems! Funny Luggage Tags Amuse Your Fellow Passengers at the Baggage Carousel! Charlie Haughey, whose response to the discovery of the murderer Malcolm Macarthur in the attorney generals home, in 1982, Conor Cruise OBrien turned into the acronym. Definition of a farmer a man how is outstanding in his own field. And so is the jacks. The things f*cked. Having the painters in - having your period. "What class of an eejit are you?" Tell the world! Funny how some are in both but then maybe not since so many Irish are there! Perhaps nowhere was the concept of the shebeen more embraced than in South African townships, where they are an important part of the social and cultural landscape.A history of Ireland in 100 words: 2 Gubu. Bottle. This is another Irish phrase you can use to describe someone thats tight with their money. Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on October 02, 2012: Like your use of a bit of slang, your are coming on grand and soon you will be suckin diesel me ol' flower! It's funny, though: the thing that wrong-footed me when I first arrived in Ireland isn't on this list. Young Slatterys like his aul lad. I use this one a lot. This has been a bad aul dose. 30. lol Thanks for your comments and votes, much appreciated!! Kenneth. Mallacht na baintr ort: A widow's curse upon you. In Ireland, we have a fairly random, and often completely impenetrable, number of Irish slang words and expressions. Here are some Irish slang words for describing both good and bad weather. Now, if youre not familiar with the word Bollox or Bollocks, its slang that refers to a mans testicles. This next section covers the more common, everyday Irish sayings and phrases that tend to pop up in conversation frequently. To Eat the head off of someone means to get very angry at them. A personal favourite. some can of piss, Mashed potatoes, cabbage or kale & butter, served at Halloween, Somebody who hangs around aimlessly on the streets, A person from the countryside Looking forward to reading more of your work here! HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. I'll have to re-read this to get the full effect of all the phrases! Give it a lash: attempt something.46. So, weirdly enough, since we first published this guide in early 2019, the most common email weve had off the back of it is from people looks for words and Irish slang for girl. He made a right bags of that. From press trips to content development find out what The Travel Tart can do for you! Congrats. Rolls off the tongue nicely, though Pox. The word huair is often used to describe a promiscuous woman and is deemed to be severely offensive. Ya see i'm in a play and i really need to know what to do. Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on November 06, 2012: Welcome! LOL. Jeff Berndt from Southeast Michigan on April 24, 2013: Great stuff! For example, Come on narkey hole if you dont hurry up and get ready we wont get a seat., Related read: Check out our guide to 101 Irish slang words and phrases. As useful as a cigarette lighter on a No idea how to describe this one. Then check out some Travel Insurance for Backpackers for Ireland. LOL It's funny that you mention dating an Irishman. Appreciate your votes and sharing!! For example, I need a barrel of soudafed. Weather type: Rainey. Rich from Kentucky on September 14, 2012: And I thought the Irish spoke English! We talk about the weather a lot in Ireland. Its worth noting that when someone says that theyre grand, they may not necessarily be so. You can use this word to say something is bad or awful. You dig?The jazz and beat slang about being hip to the groove comes from the Irish tuig or, more accurately, dtuig, as in an dtuigeann t?; the d is an eclipsis, or ur, before the t of tuigeann (understand). This is another one thats often used to describe women. Hi everyone out there in Travel Tart land, today Ive got a big treat for you Ive Read more, Africa Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. @ Susie: Sorry I forgot. Youre looking well!, For example, Ah, Kayla. Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on June 24, 2012: Delighted it gave laughter to start the day, billybuc!! For example, Im going to call in sick. If either of them had brains theyd be dangerous. For example, Sorry pal can you tell me where the jacks is?!. DeadlyFollowing the trend of using ordinarily negative words to describe things positively wicked, sick, insane, killing it deadly is a quintessential contemporary Dublin word with which to signify somethings coolness. a cigarette, Devious and sly person, usually referring to someone from outside Dublin, Bread bought already cut into thinnish slices, Caught doing something one shouldnt have been doing, Are you choosing to ignore In the book, the language is always called "Cant", which is also a word for slang in general in English. Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on September 14, 2012: Great information Suzie HQ. From the word negro, which means the color black in numerous languages. the rungs of a chair. English Literature. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories See more at: http://www.thetraveltart.com/wp-admin/edit-tags.php?taxonomy=category#sthash.vNspdaTh.dpuf, South Africa Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Why on earth would you get sick on the kitchen door, when you could have opened the fu*king thing. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Travel Blogging Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. (In place names Domhnach means Church. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Taiwan Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Shes an awful wagon. Lets get out for a dander and get some fresh air. The word lethal is mainly used in northwestern Ireland and means great. You can also abbreviate lethal into leefs. Thanks for sharing. Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on August 24, 2012: Thanks Relationshipc, Appreciate your comments and visit! Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on September 11, 2012: Thanks Daniel, Appreciate your comments! It basically means be quiet!. he can ask me bollix if he tinks im gettin into a barney wit him over it the poxbottle, sure ur aulwan kno's wot he's like n all inanyways dya kno worimean pal. Seriouslynever met one that I didn't take to immediately! Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Namibia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Colombia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. For example, Feck this, Im not listening to him shiting on for any longer, or That fecker was in here mooching about the place again this morning.. Us Irish are a canny lot! Travel Interviews on Funny Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information and Stories. Proud of that too, lassie! You have no idea how much of this I recognised and I've never been to Ireland! is just the Irish version of "How can I help you?". I may have to pepper my States language with these soon, especially "not the full shilling"! Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on June 28, 2012: Thought there was a hint of the 'ol Irish charm there!! .maybe a hub! Oh, and "it's bucketing down" comes up semi-regularly in winter (you know, when it actually rains). In a nutshell, give it a lash means to give something a go. Dive on in below! Soft dayAlthough this type of weather isnt unique to Ireland, our description of it is. form of "personal hygine" where one takes off their t-shirt, wipes the sweatiest areas of one's person, and then wears it to the pub. One day I will get over there and look up my ancestors, the O'Dowds.greatly enjoyed this hub! Salivating, dying for something e.g. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Kazakhstan Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Now, you have sparked within me an interest and desire to go to Ireland! Required fields are marked *. Photograph: Richard Boll/Photographers Choice/GettyA history of Ireland in our favourite words: 21 brogue. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories, Zimbabwe Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Its used to describe someone thats falling about the place trying to impress a figure of authority. Will I, yea? GubuThe acronym for grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented can now refer to any political or legal wrangling. So today, Ive collected over 800 Irish slang expressions just for a bit of a laugh so you can lose a bit more time to the internet that youll never get back! He keeps biting me. And sure any he has its all beside the mark, describing the sound of a gull, in Finnegans Wake.40. If youve read our detailed guide to Irish insults, youll have an idea of the types of slags that Irish people throw at each other. The thing has gone to shit and I only have it a week. Theres more than just one craic in Irish slang. The exact number of unique words in the Shelta dictionary is hard Its like a midden in there. Thats what some might call being wired to the moon. lol Appreciate your incredibly kind words soooo much. Our favourite theory is the India-based Royal Munster Fusiliers being pestered by langur monkeys.62. For example, That new car Jerry picked up is cracking. gis the skinny on me ol mate, The papers used to roll a joint or Suzanne Ridgeway (author) from Dublin, Ireland on June 23, 2012: rajan jolly, Thanks so much for your lovely comments! Voted up! Privates, Driving through housing estates to avoid the traffic, Someone not working or is messing about, up to no good, A lovely little thing, usually a baby or a nice person, A lady of the night who plies her trade on the docks, A Dublin postcode, but usually For example, Ah, man, the heads bouncing off of me. I Voted UP and all the way on this hub. Sound. Murray Gell-Mann (above, at Cern) called his subatomic particles quorks until he noticed the line Three quarks for Muster Mark! in Finnegans Wake. Synonyms are "Irish Gypsy" and "Tinker" among others. Great Hub! For example, Sure, yer one was caught shifting yer man last week!. Im laughing while typing this one as I havent heard it in years. Hopefully you will get to visit us over this neck of the woods and have a head start in the speech! To this day Ive absolutely no idea what it means and its one you dont tend to hear used that often. However, the real power behind the family comes from Aunt Polly. Youll hear the craic was 90 used when someone is describing a situation where a serious bit of fun was had. If its lashing rain, you may want to just stay inside. Banjaxed drunk. What does it mean? Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories. because I love the IRISH. Travel wasn't meant to be taken too seriously! Travel Blog: The Travel Tart, Offbeat Tales From A Travel Addict! bars of a cot, I could eat the lamb o Jayjus through Bags messy job. When Is The Best Time To Visit Ireland? Ah, sap. so and so did The I, unfortunately, have never been there, but would love to some day. Houl yer whisht in there. I use this a fair bit when describing someone thats been a bit bold, but youll often hear people say it about a child that has misbehaved. LOL Glad you enjoyed, appreciate your continued support and votes:-). Thanks for dropping by and commenting. A rake ofA lot of, or many.77. Thanks from this here lass!! Its name emerged from the Aztec or Nahuatl word for testicle. BogThe name for the peaty wetland found across Ireland is the Irish for soft.19. To play hurling. Unsurprisingly enough, this one is used to describe someone thats afraid of doing a bit of work. BaloobasA term originating from the name of the Baluba tribe, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For example, Shane, hows the form?! For example, Do you remember the time Micky got caught moving the cow in the back of his Ford Focus? Oh, I do. :P Reall fun and great craic ;). My dad has been calling me this since I was about 5. Strangely enough, he's appeared in reputable publications like USA Today, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and is a member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers. Thats right, youre foostering. This is another tame bit of Irish slang used to describe a man or woman that youre less than fond of. 33 Irish Insults And Curses: From 'Dope' And 'Hoor' To 'The Head On Ye' And More. To go on the lash: to go drinking excessively. For example,The car wont start. Give it a lash (one of my favourite Irish phrases), 9. Bad dose spate of illness. Hes some lash: a good-looking fella. Translation: A tricky situation. For example, Its a grand aul day today Mary. For example, Story horse?! !, Youll often hear people refer to a young lad as a youngfella and a woman as a youngwan. Youll generally hear people use this when describing how long its been since theyve seen someone, or how long its been since theyve done something. "What's the craic" can also be used to say hello to someone meaning "hi, any gossip/how is it going". He was in here at half 4 this morning preparing that report, the prick. This word is used as a verb and it means to make a joke at someone elses expense. CraicCraic journeyed from Middle English (crak) via Shakespeare to 18th-century Scotland (both crack) and was then adopted into Hiberno-English in the mid-20th century and given its Gaelic spelling. In the guide below, youll find a load of Irish insults and Irish curse words (or cuss words, for ye Americans). Example: Sure hes only been working here a wet week. A bit of an education in Irish Slang that you can bring to the Emerald Isle when you visit or at least, have some idea what the locals are saying! And who said Strine was an Australian invention? There are hundreds of slang I could use but had to limit this list somewhere! Sure you can find that vacation time, your hubs may suffer though!! If someone told me they were shattered, I'd think they were drunk not tired! Faffing means to do something without actually doing anything. For example, Her new fella was here last night. Theyre all big huairs in that family. Its the master, Me ould segotia, me ould sweat, me ould This Irish insult is used to describe someone thats very tall. I have a friend called Mayo Declan thats a master at this. Mainly when Im speaking to a non-Irish person and I forget that the words Im using actually areslang.