For foreigners, the Irish accent can be quite difficult to understand, and it doesn’t help when a few random words and phrases are added too, which really don’t make any sense. But they make sense to the Irish, of course. Got some free time on your hands? Learn a little bit of Irish slang and common phrases below.
Acting the maggot
Meaning: Fooling/messing around
Example: ‘Stop acting the maggot’
Black stuff
Meaning: Guinness (Irish beer)
Example: ‘I’m choking for a pint of the black stuff!’
Craic (Pronounced ‘Crack’)
Meaning: News/gossip OR fun/laughter
Example: ‘What’s the craic?’ OR ‘The party was great craic’
Deadly
Meaning: (Not to be confused with literal meaning) Great/Fantastic
Example: ‘What a deadly meal that was’
Eejit
Meaning: Idiot
Example: ‘That lad is a right eejit’
Fella
Meaning: Partner/Boyfriend/Husband
Example: ‘Her fella is so handsome!’
Gaff
Meaning: House
Example: ‘I’ve a free gaff tonight’
Hames
Meaning: A mess
Example: ‘I was an absolute hames on Sunday morning’
Jo maxi
Meaning: Taxi
Example: ‘Jump in the jo maxi’
Kip
Meaning: A nap
Example: ‘I’m going for a quick kip before we head out’
Lashing
Meaning: Heavily raining
Example: ‘It’s absolutely lashing outside!’
Manky
Meaning: Dirty/filthy
Example: ‘That floor needs a mop, it’s manky’
Nip
Meaning: Nude/naked
Example: ‘I drove by a beach the other day, everybody was in the nip!’
On the tear
Meaning: Going out drinking
Example: ‘We’re going on the tear at the weekend’
Pictures
Meaning: Cinema
Example: ‘Do ye fancy going to the pictures?’
Quality
Meaning: Very good
Example: ‘How was your dinner?’ ‘Quality!’
Right
Meaning: Very/real
Example: ‘I was right tired today’
Saunter
Meaning: Stroll/Walk
Example: ‘I’m going for a wee saunter down the street’
Translation: ‘I’m going for a little walk down the street’
Tricks
Meaning: Commonly used as a greeting
Example: ‘How’s tricks?’
Translation: ‘How’s things?’/’How’s you?’
Up to 90
Meaning: Very busy
Example: ‘I’ve been up to 90 all day today in work!’
Translation: ‘I’ve been very busy in work all day today!’
Whist
Meaning: Be quiet
Example: ‘Would you whist!’
Yoke
Meaning: A general phrase for a ‘thing’
Example: ‘What’s that yoke there?’
Find this slang glossary useful? Check out our Scottish slang glossary here, you might find some similarities!
