My Little Irish Dictionary
87 (in some cases not-so-SFW) words in Irish English and my best American translations. Collected from friends and coworkers during a year-long visit to Dublin.
After — immediately following. I’m just after watching a movie.
All Biz — ready to go
Ah sure look it — well listen, this is how it is
Banger — a terrible car, barely functional car
Banter — see craic
Beure — good looking girl. She’s a pure beure.
Bogger — someone from the real deep country, where dem bogs at
Bold —bad, wild, naughty. Oh I had 5 pints last night. So bold.
Bombed it — drove quickly
Boreen — a short street, like a cul-de-sac
Chancer — a dodgey lad who will say anything or do anything
Chipper — a late night food spot
Come here to me — Listen here
Couldn’t be arsed — couldn’t be bothered
Craic — fun, devilment.
Crack on to — hit on(he was really cracking on to her)
Culchie — from outside of Dublin
Deadly — dope, cool
Dose — a terrible thing or person, a drag. Your mate was just a dose, please don’t invite him around.
Down there for dancing — use your head, think a little (spoken when pointing to your head)
Drink — used in singular, like water or air, to mean alcohol. We’ve no drink so we’re off to Tesco before it closes.
Era — filler word used to flip into a negation or resignation, see ah sure look it. That does sound fun, but, era we might just head back to house now.
Far from that you were raised —don’t go thinking you’re all special, see Notions. Ah sure, far from a nice automobile you were raised.
The Fear — existential dread, potentially chemically induced
Feck —fuck for good sons, church going men, and anytime you say feck it, it’ll be grand.
Full of Beans — ready to go, full of gusto
Fuck it in there — throw something somewhere without any sense of organization. Go on, fuck the shoes under the bed and lets get out of here.
Gaff — house
Gas — hilarious. Oh sure that was absolutely gas when she spilled the drink.
Get it into ya Cynthia — finish that drink, or, in less polite contexts, track down a boy to have your way with
Giving out — complaining
Gnéasach — sexy
Gobshite — harmless, but a fucking idiot
Grand — fine. How is he recovering after drinking through rag week? Ah, he’s grand.
Grand stretch in the evening — summer nights in Ireland when it stays light until 10 or 11
Header — a nice way of saying someone is crazy
Hob — range for cooking, top of the stove
Home house — your parents house, where you grew up
Hotpress — cupboard where you keep your towels
How she cuttin’ — how’s it going, as spoken by a farmer, to which only a farmer, or my roommate and I would respond, she cuttin’ well
I will in me hole — no way
I will yeah — fuck no
Immersion — this thing you turn on so you have to hot water, but you have to turn it off when you’re done or you’ll burn the house down, or at least make your mom or your housemates angry
In the nip — naked
Is that you? — Are you done?
If you can’t lift her, don’t shift her — don’t make out with a girl you can’t carry. If you can’t lift him, don’t shift him also works.
Immense — awesome. The new Hot Chip album is immense.
Jack — the john, the toilet. I’m going to hit the Jacks before Disclosure comes on.
Jammers — busy, too many people
Let’s throw shapes also Let’s make shapes — let’s get going
Langer — penis
Langers — drunk
Lash — bender. He’s out on the lash.
Mank, Manky — dirty, filthy. This jack is a bit mank.
Mauling — Most extreme version of barroom kissing. See also the shift.
Meant to be — I’ve heard, or know for a fact, but I don’t want to be to upfront about . He’s meant to be quite dry.
Messages — to dos about town, the shopping etc., I’m out to do the messages.
Naff — tacky
Naggin — A 200ml bottle of liquor that’s nearly required for everyone to bring to a house party along with some kind of awful soda
No flies on you — sharp, intelligent
Notions — someone thinking they are all that. She’s got notions about her that one.
Off your face — super drunk
Pet Hate — pet peeve
Plaster — band aid
Plug it out — unplug
Press — cupboard
Ride — someone hot you’d like to have sex with, or, sex itself. I finished my drink while you were off shifting that ride.
Rollover — when you stay out all night and keep going
Scarleh for yer ma fer havin ya — I’m so embarrassed for you I’m actually embarrassed for your mother for giving birth to you.
Scobe — skanger in Limerick
Session — a bender, but more respectable, the hunt for the craic
The Shift— a round of aggressive kissing in a bar, most likely with a relative stranger
Shook — Shaken up, not yourself, usually thanks to a hangover. Jesus lads I’m fair shook after last night.
Shout — Idea. Picking up extra rashers, that was a great shout.
Skanger — track suit wearing petty criminal with the sides of his head shaved and his pants tucked into his socks
Slag — to rib, tease
Slapper — slut, level of achievement in the game “beat the slapper” where you try to kiss as many people as possible
Snug — a portion of a pub separated with frosted glass or a wall, originally so women wouldn’t mix with the menfolk
Sorted — fixed, finished, set up. Step around back there and Robbie will get you sorted.
State — your condition, particularly after many drinks. I’ve never been to America, but Jesus I was in some state last night.
Suited and booted — dressed up
Sweet feck all — nothing. I could write that email, I’m doing sweet feck all at work these days.
Tapped — crazy
What’s that now when it’s at home — what’s that in plain English
Would be — will be, is. Pizza would be one of my favorite foods. See also meant to be
Yoke — thing, thingy. Pass me that yoke there with the green handle. Also, ecstasy pills. D’you have any yokes on you?
Your Man — that guy, this guy, a guy. Your man at the station refused to let us through.
Your Wan — That woman, this woman, a woman. Your wan was up there dancing like Beyoncé.
