Irishisms

As St. Patty’s, er — Paddy’s — Day approaches, we’ve created this handy guide to Irishisms so you at least can sound Irish while doing decidedly unIrish things, like drinking green beer and pinching people wearing the wrong color.

Away and boil yer heed = “go and boil your head” leave me alone, or, I don’t believe you.

Banjaxed = broken beyond repair. Also can be used to describe somebody close to unconsciousness due to the effects of intoxicants.

Bin lid = dufus

Bog = toilet, or ‘very’ when used as a negative “it’s bog awful”

Chipper/chippie = place that sells fish and chips (not crisps)

Crisps = chips

Deadly = amazing

Dead on = decent person or excellent. Also, can be used sarcastically.

Fanny = not one’s posterior, rather it is one’s lady garden. Also, someone who’s a bit of a bin lid.

Fag = cigarette

Gas = fun

Hack of ye = look at the (negative) condition you’re in

Jacks/Jax = toilet

Muppet = see bin lid

Move house = sell property and relocate self elsewhere. Building remains where it is. 

Plaster = Band-Aid

Plastered = drunk

Pram = stroller

Pure = ‘very’ when used in a positive connotation

Raging = angry

Ride = to have sex, or someone who is drop-dead gorgeous

Runners/trainers = sneakers (what y’all using them for, huh? Creeps…)

Saint Paddy’s Day = Saint “Patty’s” Day

Saunter = go for a walk, or a forceful invitation to boil your head: “Away on saunter on [before you get your head kicked-in].”

Savage = brilliant, “It was pure savage.”

Scaldy = awful person

Session = to drink all day long OR get a bunch of likeminded musicians together to play at a pub/event

Slag/slag off = talk trash about

Stone = 14 pounds

Take the piss = be sarcastic or tell a yarn

Till = cash register

Trolley = the thing you push around a supermarket

Wedding vegetables = the collection of dangly things between a man’s legs

What’s the craic? = how are you? What’s going on? Anything exciting? Got gossip?

What’s the story? = what’s up?

Wrecked = tired

Yarn = tall tale

Yoke = thing/object: “see yon yoke?”