Appendix:Glossary of Hiberno-English slang

and jargon

Ireland is known to linguists as having a great variance in grimes - dead, gone

colloquial slang from area to area, despite Irelands rela-
tively small population of just over four million. Irish En- grimesyard - graveyard
glish draws from both the English language and the Irish
I'm bleeding planking it - I am quite nervous
language (Gaelic). Note: some words aren't strictly slang
but more a dierent pronunciation, and word pronuncia- in a ball - To be extremely drunk
tion and use vary GREATLY around Ireland.
Jackeen - Dubliner (mildly mocking).

jaa - Red-haired person with an attitude.

1 General slang
knacker (silent K) - derogatory name for working
acting the maggot - Acting Up, misbehaving. class males, implying juvenile delinquency. Also
an extremely derogatory term for a member of the
acting up - Misbehaving. travelling community
arsing around - Doing nothing. lushing - Going out and getting drunk. - Lets go
banjaxed (adjective) - Broken beyond repair. lushing!"

boy - Generally used at the end of a sentence. No man lad - good man
particular meaning, an exclamation. Commonly
monan - shit
heard in south-east Wicklow. Not gender specic.
eg I was langered last night, boy!", Its freezin' out pikey/tinker/gypsy - A member of the travelling
today, boy!" community. (The rst two are derogatory.)
class (adjective) - cool/very good. pile - a lot
c'mere - 'come here'-attempting to get somebodys
pissed o - Annoyed.
full attention.
pissed - Drunk or Annoyed.
conkers (noun) - seeds of the horse chestnut tree.
Used in a childhood game. pitch - To throw something.
craic - Many uses, usually fun time and good con- playin' away - Meaning a person is having an aair or
versation. E.g. " The craic was mighty last night!". cheating Hes playin' away]] - Hes having an aair
deadly - Brilliant or cheating on his boy/girlfriend

eejit - Idiot run amok - Crazy with anger.

feck - similar to fuck but not as oensive scoop/jar - A pint.

at out - to be very busy or to be continually doing slagging/ripping it out of/rippin the piss]] - To
something ie."I was at out boozing over the week- ridicule/mock/make fun of e.g.Hes ripping it out of
end John means Hes making fun of John
gall - fuck all sound - Adjective used to say that a person is of good
character and a worthwhile individual.
gobshite - Someone who talks rubbish, gob meaning
mouth shite meaning shit. Also meaning a stupid tae, cha, scaw, scald - Tea.
person or an eejit, as in hes some gobshite
takin' the Mick - to mock someone
got me hole - Had sex, to say I got me hole last
night would mean I had sex last night teague - massive head, or legend

1
2 2 BELFAST SLANG

the pictures - the cinema eejit - An idiot. For example, the above slang terms
were coined by an eegit.
tick - Annoyed or angry with another person
feel wick - you should be embarrassed
warnock - of the coloured persons
nie - now
well - said continuously in WATERFORD, NA-
VAN, SLIGO, LONGFORD, LAOIS, NENAGH at out with the tits out, at out with the cock out -
and LIMERICK comes from the saying 'are you working hard or doing something longer than usual
well' or Hello.
fook - slang for Fuck
Wellys - Wellington Boots, often also called Russian
fruit - Someone who is weak nerdy or homosexual
boots.
giv er dixie - continue what you are currently doing
with the same level of enthusiasm
2 Belfast Slang geg - a funny time/person (to have a geg)(that wee
girl is a geg)
lawd - a man can be used in a greating, whats the
crack lawd great - Can mean attractive

will you c him ? - to kiss someone ! gutties/guddys - sport shoes

(he/she/that/this) does my head in - Drives me up head melter/melter - someone annoying

the wall, irritates me.
hippy - Somone who listens to rock music, has a full
aah gee - a response to someone doing somethin time job and usually keeps themselves to themselves.
stupid to mock them A.K.A The Belfast meaning for Hippy is the com-
plete opposite of the actual term hippy. The term
all the best! - Good-bye, wishing you all the best. is not insulting if directed to rock fans and is quite
amusing as it is totally ironic.
aye - Yes
Hun - A British person, Protestant.
bad craic - Thats not good
is that you? - asking if you've nished whatever
ball beg - ones testicles
you're doing.
baltick - frezzing janto - usually a spide. Used more certain parts of
barcode - Refers to teenage moustaches with contain the city
only a few hairs on either side of the mouth, hence keep her lit - basically keep doing what your doing,
the term barcode. but phrase used by joyriders while spinning about
barneys, disco Biscuits, donaghdees, smarties, like - this is not a slang but its used in many sentences
bumbles, bumble bee - terms for XTC (like ya know what i mean)
bender - homosexual lit to the tit - o your head on drugs
blocked - To be intoxicated with alcohol. Mexicans - people living in the Republic of Ireland
i.e. south of the border
cacks - Ones underpants
Mickey Ds - Mc Donalds
catch yerself on - Realise that you are talking non-
sense please. millie - A name to describe working class females.
The word millie comes from the girls who worked
cheerio - Goodbye
in the linen mills. However today millie is as com-
cheers, thankin' you - a few ways to say thanks mon as muck menace to Belfast and the world in
general, tomboy image, budgie swing earrings and
cracker - class usually more STDs than brain cells (and that is say-
ing a lot actually). I.E - Common unemployed (non
dander - Go for a walk or or how a person walks educated) Belfast female.
(look at his dander)
orange bake - describing a millies face (fake tan)
dead on - Great. Perfect, Really nice. (Often used
to describe people.) Papa Doc - Rev. Ian Paisley, a Unionist politican
 3

peelers, scum, 5.0. black bastards - the police. 3 Dublin Slang

poke - Ice cream cone ages - long time

put yer foot down - Go faster in an automobile aul fella/ol' lad/ol' man - Father

aul one - Mother or sometimes any mature woman.

skint - Haven't got any money
barry - a shit Im going to take a barry
skundered - really embarrassed
bate - beat someone up
smicker - (known in England as chavs) - A young
be wide - Be careful or wary.
teenage/adult male usually from a working class
area. culchie/bogger/mucker/muck Savage - a country
person
snattered - To be intoxicated with alcohol.
cute Hoor - Someone who quietly has one up on ev-
somethin shockin - In need of somethin despertaly eryone
e.g I need a shower somethin shockin
D4/D4 head - A term used to describe upper class
people, derives from the cliche of D4/Dublin 4 post
spide - chavs in Belfast
code being quite wealthy, also a particular mindset
associated with people from that area of Dublin
steamin' - To be intoxicated with alcohol
deadly/whopper/rapid/gift - good
stoley - used by joyriders to describe the car they
stole the night before disco biscuits - Ecstasy tablets

swall - to go out and get drunk (to go out for a dope/sap/spa - Idiot
swall) (to get a swall) Dubes - Dubarry Deck shoes, shoes which are
stereotypically characterized with D4s
the big Doc - Slang in reference to Rev Ian Paisley
Dutchie - Dutch Gold, a very cheap imported lager
The Dev - The Devenish, a pub/resturant in Belfast so it appeals to youths
in the west of the city
fair play/fair balls - well done/congratulations
tout - someone who tells fairly good - Derived from the 1st generation Paul
Duy, from Duleek, Navan. Meaning things are go-
tube - Idiot. ing quite well, or fairly good!!

up da du/stout - pregnant fridgid - person who has never French kissed

ur da - term used to make fun of a persons father, gargle/scoops - Drink (alcohol)

that the person making fun, may or may not want to gawk - to look at. Also used as the verb to get sick.
have sexual relations with.
gayface - Someone who is gay and does not hide it.
what about ye'? - How are you
gee (pronounced with a hard G) - Vagina
whats the craic - Any news,or any excitement/fun Ginger (pronounced with a hard G, rhymes with
singer) - ginger minger, i.e. ugly red-haired girl
wind yer neck in - Don't be so cocky/condent; calm
down. [[give her/him one]] - Have sex with her/him

wise up - Stop talking nonsense. hoop - Ones rear end, ie. Hows yer Hoop? - How
is your backside?
yer ma - When referring to another persons mother. howya - How Are You?

your man/your woman - That man/woman I'd bleedin' lash her outta it - Shows ones eagerness
to have sexual relations with a young upstanding fe-
your pollaxed - Very drunk. male.
4 5 MUNSTER SLANG

jam jar - a car sketch/scatter! - Someone coming: teacher, police

etc. used primarily by youths
Jaysus! - Used as an exclamation. Dierent pro-
nunciation of Jesus!" but is regarded as slang slapper - slut
Joe Maxi - Rhyming slang for Taxi. Joe Maxi was stall it - wait; when used with to e.g. "Stall it to X
a popular childrens programme in the late 80s early - come to X
90s
stroke - to rob something i.e. stroked jammer -
Joe - Cannabis. (robbed car)
keeping sketch - To be a look-out for 'authority g- Tim Tiddle - Going to the toilet to urinate e.g. I'm
ures goin for a Tim Tiddle I'm bleedin burstin!"
kip/dive/dump/tip - a place that is unappealing tub - Cheap Larger, popular with the Young
knacker 'tasch - Refers to teenage moustaches with up the du/dued - Pregnant
contain only a few hairs on either side of the mouth.
Insulting to the attempted grower. wacker - An idiot

knob end - Putdown indicating homosexuality or id- wagon - An easy or slutty woman everybodys rid-
iocy. den the wagon

langer - Male Genetalia. Can refer to a person as an whats the story? - How are you? Can be shortened
oensive term. (e.g. You are a langer = You are to Story?" as a question. Rhyming slang is Jack-
acting like a cock) anory. Which cannot be shortened. You can say
Story Jonno?" but would need to ask Whats the
law - Member of the An Garda Sochna (Irish Po- Jackanory?"
lice Force)
wide - Knowledgeable, aware of whats going on
legend - great person (can also be used to describe
a great place or thing; sometimes used as adjective YIPs - Ecstasy pills
e.g. that party was legend)
yoke - Any thing (usually used if the person can't re-
locked/buckled/gargled/scuttered - Drunk member the name of something). Also a slang term
for Ecstasy pills and condoms.
meet/shift/go o with - French kiss
young one - A young girl, usually in her teens but
micky/knob - Penis
when used in the possessive sense refers to some-
mu - Vagina ones daughter.

on the lash - A heavy nights drinking

one - woman 4 Derry Slang
pill head - Someone who enjoys consuming Yips mean lad - I know what you mean
pukin' me ring - To be getting sick very heavily/for monan - shit
a long period of time
pile lad - a lot
roysh - A term used usually in a mocking fashion
of the way D4s/D4 heads say the word right eg. saunter - basically fuck o - Saunter on mate
'yeah roysh'-yeah, right. Originated in stories by
Paul Howard about Ross O'Carroll Kelly. couldn't be arsed, hi - expression of indierence.

shaggy - a word used for a long haired person

sham - A person from a middle class/upper class 5 Munster Slang
background trying to act working class in order to
make themselves appear tougher. bhoy - doesn't always mean anything when used in a
sentence, simply used to cap a sentence o.
Shaned himself - someone who shit themselves
brassed o - annoyed
skanger - is a generally term of abuse for a Dubliner
of a working class background who has a particular bure - A very good looking young woman. eg-"Oh
style of dress. look at her lads shes a bure!"
 5

come er ta me - (Come Here To Me ) means - Excuse savage - Excellent, very good, cool. Aah Savage
me? Man!"
fanny cramp- A expression women get when they sham - Cool person (the Carrick shams).
don't exercise.
sow dog - An unattractive woman or someone who
fuckweed - ~ (Danny Holland) a male with an ex- is unappealing to others
ceptionally large head Origin: Nenagh.
stones - A term used at the end of a sentence to signal
langer - penis or idiot your displeasure at a certain events outcome e.g. I
langered - Intoxicated beyond return scored an own goal, stones.

looder - loser thats the beegees (pronounced be--jeez), ha.

Thats for sure, ha!!- Dixon upon hearing staying
manky - Dirty, awful. alive on the radio. Is now used to show approval
moolah - Money, Cork origin at a certain outcome or event

muppet - Idiot. well boi - Whats up. Commonly used in Sligo

savage - meaning very good or great

septic - in love with oneself - wouldn't pass a mirror 7 Waterford
without looking in it!
We-lllll - Hello, pleasure to met you. 8 References
ya wouldn't kick spuds to ducks - Hello there my
friend, in my opinion you are useless at everything Everyday English and Slang in Ireland
you do in every conceivable way - Tipperary origin
ya wud yeah - (You Would Yeah) means - You
wouldn't dare!

6 Connacht Slang
Bertie - cool, good e.g. Aah Bertie Man!]] - Thats
cool. Castlebar origin
bite the back of me bollox - expression used to tell
someone to go away
bollox - Scrotum. Also used to refer to something or
someone that is distasteful. i.e, I will in me bollox-
I will not, Thats bollox"- Thats not good or
He/She is a bollox - He/She is not a nice person
bu - someone living in country area. (Origin:
Sligo)-(See also Culchie)
collie - duck
dart - An attractive upstanding female
howsa' goin - Galway pronunciation of How is it go-
ing?
let ye - A term used at the end of many sentences as
a form of intent e.g. Lets go to mass let ye
pure stones - A term used at the end of a sentence to
signal your extreme displeasure at a certain events
outcome e.g. I scored two own goals, thats pure
stones. It can also be used to describe someone who
is unappealing, e.g. Jim is pure stones
6 9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

9 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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Appendix:Glossary of Hiberno-English slang and jargon Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix%3AGlossary_of_
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