Irish Slang and Phrases That Confuse Americans

Be careful asking for a ride in a taxi when in Ireland. A ride is a racy term for someone hot enough to tangle with; for example, “That waiter is a total ride.” It can also refer to doing the deed.

A gaff is another word for a house. Teenagers can often be heard saying they’ve got a “free gaff,” which means their parents aren’t home and they are having a party.

After a long night out, a group of friends might hit up the local chipper – a fast food shop that sells deep-fried foods like fish and chips.

Widely used for measuring body weight, the stone, equaling 14 pounds, is a unit of measure that dates back hundreds of years and was once common around Northern Europe. The actual weight varied, depending on the town, as the weight was originally associated with a literal stone and no two were identical.

While bold generally means courageous in the U.S., the term takes a more negative connotation in Ireland, where calling someone bold is an accusation of bad behavior.

If you get a cut in Ireland, someone may offer you a plaster to stick on your wound. It’ll look just like a Band-Aid.

A grocery store clerk will ring you up and place your money in the till.

If someone says that dinner was dear, they don’t mean that it was beloved; they mean that it was too costly.

Meaning rotten, disgusting, or just plain horrible, manky can be used to describe anything from the weather to the month-old leftovers in the back of the fridge.

Considering that a langer is a fool or an idiot, it’s not surprising that being langered is being incredibly intoxicated.

Referring to the color of one’s cheeks when they are humiliated, scarlet means embarrassed. You can also be scarlet for a friend if they did something embarrassing and you’re feeling for them.

A catch-all for anything great, savage means something is awesome, amazing, etc.

Craic roughly translates to fun or good times, as in, “Are you up for a bit of craic tonight?” Minus craic, on the other hand, is a popular phrase meaning “no fun.”

Getting the messages means running errands or shopping for groceries, hardware, or other sundries.

While we may say “What’s up?” or “How’s it going?” in the U.S., the Irish equivalent is “What’s the story?”

If someone in Ireland says, “I’m after eating breakfast,” they mean that they have just eaten breakfast.

As the word hole is an expletive for anus in Ireland, the phrase “I will in my hole,” is a snarky way of saying that you refuse to do something.

If someone says they haven’t seen their sister in donkey’s years, they mean they haven’t seen her ages.

Ask a bartender for a pint of the black stuff, and you’ll get a frothy mug of Guinness stout.

Getting a shift means making out or doing what some Americans might call French kissing.

Jammy means incredibly lucky, maybe undeservedly so. If you find an envelope of money on the sidewalk, people may call you a jammy sod.

Ask for chips and you’ll get a serving of thick-cut fried potatoes that are not quite as crispy as American French fries. If what you actually want is potato chips, then ask for crisps.

Minted means wealthy. For example, “Can’t your mum just pay for it? She’s minted!”

A chancer is a risk-taking person who may try to get away with something or fool others in order to get ahead.

Having a bad dose generally means having a severe bout of the flu or a stomach bug.

Sneakers are often called runners in Ireland, but they are also referred to as tackies in certain areas.

From riders departing from the bus to bar patrons receiving their pint from the bartender, you’ll often hear people saying “cheers” in place of “thanks.”

Like a thingamajig, a yoke is an item a person can’t remember the name of.

Class is a word used to compliment someone or something, or express a favorable opinion about it.

“A gas” can refer to a person or a funny situation. It is also used to express amazement or disbelief, as in, “You got struck by lightning? That’s gas!”

The Irish police force is called “An Garda Síochána,” which means “Guardians of the Peace.” It is shortened to garda when people are referring to police officers.

While we may say it’s half past three, Irish folks may just say it’s half three and mean the same thing.

Irish parents may tell their children to go “pop the boot,” meaning to go open the trunk of the car.

Sucking diesel means things are going extraordinarily well, or are getting back on track after an obstacle.

Usually after spending a long night out, if someone says they’re wrecked, they’re exhausted.

While giving out means complaining or going off on a rant, giving out to someone means scolding them or telling them off.

Legging it means heading somewhere quickly, often on foot.

While lash can refer to hard rain, going on the lash means heading out for a round of boozing.

Slagging someone is a way of teasing or poking fun at them that is considered affectionate rather than malicious.

Similar to the term hillbilly, a culchie can refer to a person who is from a rural area and is considered to be unsophisticated; in Dublin, it can mean anybody who isn’t from Dublin.

If you overhear someone say, “Where’s the jacks?” they are referring to the toilet.

Banjaxed can be used to mean someone or something that is ruined, destroyed, tired, or drunk.

Just as Americans may overuse the word “like” as a filler in the middle of sentences or thoughts, the Irish will often end sentences with “like” as a way to accentuate the story.

Quare can mean a range of things, from very, as in, “The kids were quare noisy today,” to terrific, to odd.

Up to 90 can mean flat out busy, as well as incredibly agitated, or having reached your limit.

Deadly can mean fantastic, brilliant, or just plain awesome, as in, “That cake was deadly!”

Someone might say, “Stall the ball,” when they mean, “Hold on a minute.”

Fair play is used as a congratulatory statement, as in, “I heard you passed the bar. Fair play!”