The Complete Guide to Irish Slang: 100 Essential Words and Phrases – Your Translation Guide to English Slang Words in Ireland – A Traveler’s Guide

Whether you’re planning a trip to the Emerald Isle or just want to understand Irish films and literature better, knowing Irish slang is essential. Irish English, or Hiberno-English, has been shaped by centuries of cultural exchange between English and Irish (Gaeilge) languages, resulting in a unique and colorful vocabulary. Here’s your comprehensive guide to 100 essential Irish slang words and phrases.

Common Everyday Expressions

1. Craic – Fun, entertainment, good times “What’s the craic?” (How are you? What’s happening?) Note: Pronounced “crack” but unrelated to the drug
2. Grand – Fine, okay, good “How are you?” “Ah sure, I’m grand.” Usage: Can mean anything from ‘barely acceptable’ to ‘wonderful’
3. Eejit – Idiot, fool “Don’t mind him, he’s a pure eejit.” Context: Usually affectionate rather than harsh
4. Gas – Funny, amusing “That film was gas altogether!” Origin: Different from American usage
5. Deadly – Excellent, fantastic “That’s deadly!” (That’s amazing!) Note: Opposite of its literal meaning
6. Fierce – Very, extremely “It’s fierce cold today.” Usage: Used as an intensifier
7. Banjaxed – Broken, ruined “The car’s completely banjaxed.” Common in both rural and urban areas
8. Your man/Your woman – That person “Your man over there in the green shirt.” Note: Doesn’t imply ownership
9. Acting the maggot – Messing around, being silly “Stop acting the maggot and do your homework!” Popular with parents
10. Yoke – Thing (when you can’t remember the proper word) “Pass me that yoke there.” Very versatile term

Greetings and Responses

11. How’s she cuttin’? – How are you? “How’s she cuttin’ today?” Traditional rural greeting
12. Story? – What’s up? “Story, horse? What’s the craic?” Popular in Dublin
13. Well? – Hello “Well, boy? How’s things?” Common in Cork
14. Fair play – Well done “Fair play to you for getting that job.” Expression of approval
15. Sound – Good, reliable, solid “Thanks a million!” “Sound!” Also used as “Sound out”

Descriptions of People

16. Gobshite – An idiot or loudmouth “Don’t mind him, he’s a total gobshite.” Stronger than eejit
17. Amadán – Fool (from Irish) “You’re some amadán!” Traditional Irish word still used
18. Cute hoor – Cleverly deceptive person “He’s a real cute hoor, that one.” Not a compliment
19. Wagon – Unpleasant woman “She’s an awful wagon altogether.” Considered somewhat offensive
20. Messer – Joker, troublemaker “He’s a fierce messer in school.” Can be affectionate or critical

Weather-Related Terms

21. Soft day – Light rain “Ah, it’s a soft day, thank God.” Typical Irish optimism about rain
22. Lashing – Heavy rain “It’s lashing out there!” Very common weather description
23. Baltic – Very cold “It’s absolutely Baltic today!” Used even in mild cold
24. Close – Humid, stuffy “It’s very close today.” Common in summer
25. Wet the tea – Make tea “I’ll wet the tea there now.” Essential Irish hospitality phrase

Dublin Slang

26. Mot – Girlfriend “How’s your mot?” Dublin youth slang
27. Gaff – House “Party at my gaff later.” Very common in Dublin
28. Shifted – Kissed “They shifted at the disco.” Teen/young adult slang
29. Kip – Sleep or dump/mess “This place is a kip.” Can be noun or verb
30. Scarlet – Embarrassed “I’m scarlet for you!” Popular with young Dubliners

Cork Slang

31. Boy – General term of address “Well boy, how’s things?” Used regardless of age
32. Langer – Fool/idiot “Don’t be such a langer!” Quintessential Cork word
33. Gowl – Annoying person “He’s some gowl altogether.” Strong term of disapproval
34. Like – Sentence ending “I’m only saying, like.” Used extensively in Cork
35. Beour – Woman/girl “Who’s that beour?” Cork-specific term

Belfast Terms

36. Bake – Face “Look at the bake on him!” Northern Irish term
37. Craic – Fun/news (different emphasis) “What’s the craic?” Particularly important in Northern Ireland
38. Dead on – Fine/okay “Aye, he’s dead on.” High praise in Belfast
39. Scundered – Embarrassed “I was pure scundered.” Northern Irish specific
40. Bout ye – How are you? “Bout ye, mate?” Common Belfast greeting

Pub Culture

41. Session – Night of drinking “Some session last night!” Can last multiple days
42. Jar – Pint “Fancy a jar?” Common invitation
43. Locked – Very drunk “He was locked by midnight.” One of many drunk terms
44. Round – Everyone’s turn to buy drinks “It’s your round!” Sacred pub protocol
45. Hair of the dog – Morning after drink “Need the hair of the dog.” Hangover cure

Food-Related

46. Tayto – Crisps/chips “Grab us a Tayto sandwich.” National institution
47. Hang – Strong desire for food “I’ve a fierce hang for a Chinese.” Usually food cravings
48. Sambo – Sandwich “Ham sambo for lunch.” Common abbreviation
49. Spuds – Potatoes “What time are the spuds on?” Essential dinner component
50. Minerals – Soft drinks “What minerals do you want?” Non-alcoholic beverages

Modern Irish Slang

51. Savage – Excellent “That’s savage altogether!” Popular with younger generation
52. Pure – Very (intensifier) “That’s pure class.” Used extensively
53. Brutal – Terrible “The weather’s brutal.” Opposite of its UK meaning
54. Solid – Reliable/good “He’s a solid lad.” High praise
55. Random – Strange person “Some random at the bar.” Modern usage

Family Terms

56. Da – Father “Me da’s at work.” Common across Ireland
57. Mam – Mother “Ask your mam.” Standard term
58. Oul Pair – Parents “The oul pair are away.” Affectionate term
59. Young Fella – Boy/son “How’s the young fella?” Used for males of any age
60. Young One – Girl “The young one next door.” Female equivalent

Travel and Directions

61. Yonder – Over there “It’s just yonder.” Vague directions
62. Beyond – Far away “She lives beyond in Cork.” Relative distance
63. Cross the road – Any distance “Just cross the road there.” Could mean miles
64. Over the road – Nearby “The shop’s over the road.” Not necessarily literal
65. Down the country – Anywhere outside Dublin “She’s from down the country.” Dublin-centric term

Work and Money

66. Quid – Euro “Lend us a few quid.” Carried over from pounds
67. Bob – Money “Haven’t got a bob.” Old but still used
68. Dear – Expensive “That’s a bit dear.” Common complaint
69. Penny – Money generally “Haven’t got a penny.” Despite euro usage
70. Sound out – Trustworthy “He’s sound out for the loan.” Financial reliability

Expressions of Dismay

71. Jesus, Mary and Joseph – Expression of surprise “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, would you look at that!” Common exclamation
72. For the love of God – Exasperation “For the love of God, would you stop!” Universal usage
73. Sweet suffering Jesus – Frustration “Sweet suffering Jesus, what now?” Dramatic emphasis
74. Mother of God – Surprise “Mother of God, look at the state of you!” Common reaction
75. Holy show – Embarrassing situation “You’re making a holy show of yourself.” Public embarrassment

Modern Technology Terms

76. Give us a bell – Call me “Give us a bell later.” Still used for mobile calls
77. Text – WhatsApp message “Send us a text.” Any message type
78. The socials – Social media “Are you on the socials?” Modern usage
79. Snap – Any photo “Take a snap there.” Not just Snapchat
80. Internet there – Wifi “Have you internet there?” Common request

Traditional Sayings

81. May the road rise to meet you – Goodbye blessing Used in formal situations Traditional farewell
82. What’s for you won’t pass you – Destiny Comforting philosophy Common wisdom
83. Away with the fairies – Distracted/daydreaming “He’s away with the fairies today.” Old but common
84. On me tod – Alone (Tod Sloan = alone) “I was on me tod all day.” Rhyming slang
85. Bad cess to you – Mild curse “Bad cess to you and yours!” Traditional curse

Regional Variations

86. Quare (Southeast) – Very “That’s quare good!” Wexford/Waterford area
87. Deadly (Dublin) – Excellent “That’s deadly!” Different meaning elsewhere
88. Score (West) – Twenty units “A score of sheep.” Rural usage
89. Mucker (North) – Friend “Alright mucker?” Belfast area
90. Handlin’ (North) – Expression of disbelief “Handlin’ ye!” Northern phrase

Modern Youth Slang

91. Sesh – Party/session “Going on a sesh.” Student culture
92. Buzz – Fun/excitement “What a buzz!” Youth usage
93. Rapid – Excellent “That’s rapid!” Dublin youth
94. Legend – Great person “You’re a legend!” High praise
95. Gas ticket – Funny person “She’s a gas ticket altogether.” Modern usage

Emphatic Expressions

96. At all at all – Whatsoever “No bother at all at all.” Common emphasis
97. So it is – Confirmation “That’s right so it is.” Sentence ending
98. Sure look – Conversation filler “Sure look, these things happen.” Universal usage
99. Now – Immediately “I’ll do it now.” Could mean any time
100. Altogether – Completely “That’s mad altogether.” Emphasis word

Regional Variations

Irish slang can vary significantly by region. Dublin, Cork, Belfast, and Galway each have their own unique expressions and pronunciations. This guide focuses on the most widely used terms across Ireland.

Modern Evolution

While many traditional Irish slang terms remain popular, new expressions continue to emerge, especially in urban areas. Modern Irish slang often blends traditional phrases with contemporary references.

Tips for Using Irish Slang

1. Context is crucial – many terms can have multiple meanings
2. Regional variations matter – what works in Dublin might not work in Cork
3. Tone and delivery are important – Irish people often use understatement
4. Some terms might be considered offensive in certain contexts

Conclusion

Irish slang is more than just a collection of funny words – it’s a window into Irish culture, history, and way of thinking. These expressions reflect Ireland’s unique humor, storytelling tradition, and ability to find joy in everyday situations.

Whether you’re visiting Ireland, chatting with Irish friends, or just trying to understand Irish media better, knowing these terms will help you appreciate the richness of Irish English and culture.