Understanding Irish Phrases

Here are a few words and phrases that are commonly used here in Cork (possibly Ireland in general), but are not used in the same way in the States so this may prove to be useful to newcomers or visitors. You may notice some words are not unique to Cork or to Ireland, but they are used here in enough frequency that it may be helpful to mention. Some phrases are self-explanatory or even the same the world over, but if it is the main word for something I’ve included it so you know that other words for such things may not be as well used. For the most part, the word or phrase itself is listed, but when I feel context is more helpful that too is included.

ENVIRONMENT
IRISH PHRASE = AMERICAN PHRASE

General Conversation
Brilliant = Rather good.
Call = In-person visit
Craic = Good times, fun company
Com’ere or Come here or Com’ere now = Listen
Come here to me = Listen up
Desperate = Rather bad.
Fair play to you. (or just Fair play.) = Good job.
Give out = Complain, vent, or rant
Grand. = Good, super, fine, or great (usually used in context: It’s grand. or You’re grand. Example would be if you take a phone call while out with a friend and apologize for the interruption and your Irish friend may reassure you that it was ok by saying ‘oh, you’re grand.’)
Half Nine = Nine Thirty (used to denote the half-hour point of time, works for any hour not just nine)
Kip = Nap
Knackered = Extremely tired or worn out
Lay off = Give me a break
Lie in = Sleeping late or morning in relaxing (this can include reading the paper or watching an early match)
Lift = Elevator
Lovely = Lovely (same meaning, but used more often)
Match = Game of sports (such as hurling soccer, or Irish football)
Pictures = Movies or Cinema
Redundancy or Made redundant = Corporate/company lay-offs
Ring = Telephone call
Snaps = Photographs
Row (rhymes with Cow) = Fight
Telly = Television
Wrecked = Very tired

Weather
Torrential Rain = Unrelenting. Falling rapidly and with force, in copious quantities.
Lashing Rain = Diagonal hard rain (think hurricane weather)
Sheets of Rain = Seems like walls of rain coming down.
Heavens Opened = Sudden onset of strong solid flow of rain.
Bucketing Rain = Out in this rain you feel like you’re instantly soaked.
Pissing Rain = Vertical hard rain (not as much wind as Lashing Rain)
Wet Rain = Not necessarily a heavy rain, but one that dampens you and soaks your clothes
Trying to Rain = The clouds have some in them but it’s not quite coming down with consistency.
Sun Shower = Raining while sunny out. Perfect rainbow weather!
Soft day = Cloudy weather with soft mist or drizzle (typical Irish weather)
Grand Soft Day = A humid day with a fine, light drizzle.
Dry Rain = Mist that doesn’t get you wet even though it’s technically raining 

Shopping & Apparel
Are you ok there? = Can I help you?
Buggy = Stroller for baby
Dear = Expensive
Dummy or Soother = Pacifier for baby
Fairy lights = Christmas tree lights
Fiver = Five Euro bill
Jumper = Pullover sweater
Messages = Shopping errands
Odds = Loose change
Off-license = Liquor store (where you can purchase alcohol to bring home)
Queue = Line at checkout or ticket office
Quid = Bucks (cash term)
Rushers or Wellies = Rain boots or Wellington boots
Tackies or Trainers or Runners = Sneakers, running shoes
Tenner = Ten Euro bill

Food
Afters = Dessert
Aubergine = Eggplant
Bap = Roll (often alongside a meal or to describe a sandwich)
Bangers = Sausage
Black pudding = Blood sausage (Clonakilty in Co. Cork is known for this)
Chipper = Fish & chips restaurant (usually tiled with the food wrapped in
paper)
Chips = French fries
Clonakilty pudding = see Black pudding
Courgette = Zucchini
Crisps = Potato chips
Doorstep = Sandwich
Drasheen = Liver sausage (similar to Haggis in its reputation and localization or popularity)
Fry up = Fried Irish breakfast (including but not limited to sausage/pudding, bacon, and/or eggs)
Gorgeous = Delicious.
Mash = Mashed potatoes
Minerals = Soda, pop, soft drinks
Pudding (savory) = Sausage (black pudding is made with blood)Pudding (sweet) = Dessert that bears no resemblance to Jell-O Pudding.
Rashers = Bacon
Spuds = Potatoes
Still water = Bottled water without carbonation
Sweets = Candy
Toastie = Toasted Sandwich
Veg = Vegetables

The Drink & Nightlife
Craic = Fun time, good company, etc…
Fag = Cigarette
Flaming = Drunk
Bevvies = Drinks (usually involving alcohol)
Glass = Half-pint of beer or cider
Local = Corner pub (it would be the nearest pub to your location and the one you likely frequent)
Lock in = A pub locks up and shuts down to appear closed from the outside, but people are still drinking and enjoying the craic inside.
Off-License = Where you may purchase alcohol that you will drink elsewhere.
Offy = Off-License
On the pig’s back = In a mood to celebrate (this is also the name of a popular cheese shop in Cork City’s English Market)
Pint = Twenty ounces of beer or cider (Do NOT use the term Imperial Pint)
Pissed = Drunk
Plastered = Drunk
Poteen = Moonshine (the authentic stuff is illegal and dangerous)

 

Places, Travel & Getting Around
Dodgy = Rough (as in crime)
Return = Round-trip
Ride = VERY intimate meaning, do not use in conversation except with your significant other.
Strand = Beach
Slán Abhaile = Safe travels home (this is on signs when you exit a town or parking garage)
Thanks for the lift. = Thanks for driving me (usually one direction only, pub to home or home to the match).
Thanks for the spin. = Thanks for driving me (usually a trip someplace and back or a scenic drive).

Referring to People
Bold = Brave, Mischievous, or Troublemaking
Culchie(s) = Country bumpkin or hick (Derogatory term Dubliners use for country dweller)
Doxie(s) = A woman who makes her living offering favors to men (not a type of boating shoe)
Jackeen(s) = Dublin city slicker (Derogatory term anyone not from Dublin uses to describe a Dubliner)
Mad = Crazy
On the dole = On social security, unemployment, or welfare
Pioneer = Someone who does not drink alcoholic beverages (it is an established way of life
for some)
Red neck = From the countryside, not Dublin
Tinker(s) = Derogatory term for Traveller
Traveller(s) = Gypsy (Travellers live in communities and migrate in trailers/caravans)
Turf accountant = OTB, off-track betting or bookie

 

 

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