A Lesson In Irish

One morning of one of my cultural classes was dedicated to Irish/Dublin slang. I thought I would impart my new found knowledge on the rest of you. Some of them are rather inappropriate but we actually learned ALL of these in class. As you’ll see, the Irish are rather casual...even in the workplace. 

banjaxed - broken down

chiseller - a young child

couldn’t be arsed - couldn’t be bothered

fair play to you/good on you - well done

header - mentally unstable person

I will in me bollix - I won’t 

jax - toilet

make a bags of something - mess it up

me belly tinks me trote’s been cut - I’m rather hungry

rag order - bad condition

ride - have sex with (remember to ask people for a LIFT to the pub...not a ride!)

scarlet - blushing

shite - rubbish

shorts/wee one - spirits/hard liquor

slagging/taking the piss - teasing

trow a wobbler - have a temper tantrum

work away - go ahead, after you

yer man - that guy

yer one - that girl

yer wha’? - excuse me?!?

yoke - inserted to describe a noun when the actual word has slipped the speaker’s mind

Feck!/Feck off! - An acceptable way to drop the F-bomb

Jaysus! - This one is self explanatory

He’s a chancer - risk taker

Eejit - Idiot...only it’s way more fun to say it the Irish way

jar (Do you fancy going for a jar?) - drink

culchies/boggers - country folk

jackeens - Dubliners

gobshite (I’ve never met a bigger gobshite in my life) - bullshitter

slagging - making fun

I made a holy show of meself last night. - made an ass

It’s jammers - full/packed

That’s gas - fun/funny

Was the film any use? - any good

cuppa - cup of tea

pissed/bollixed - drunk

grand - lovely/great/etc

Yank - American

craic (crack) - fun

craic agus ceol (crack ahgus keeole) - fun and music

slainte (slawncha) - cheers/your health

cead mile failte (kade meela fallcha) - one hundred thousand welcomes

pog ma thoin (pogue ma hone) - kiss my arse

go raibh maith agat (gur rev moh agut) - thanks

In conclusion, don’t make make fun of me when I adopt these terms into my vocabulary. It’s much too hard to use the American versions and then have to explain myself to people.