Crack The Code: A Fun Guide To Irish Slang

Ah, sure lookit, if you’re not up to your eyeballs in craic and banter, are you even in Ireland?

Now, before you head off like a mad yoke trying to chat up the locals, you’ll want to know your gab from your gaff.

Don’t worry, I’ll have you nattering away like a proper legend in no time.

I was just in Ireland for quite a long holiday. My guides, innkeepers, and the locals gave me the full whack on slang and a gansey-load of examples.

So grab your cuppa, put the feet up, and let’s have a gander at some of the best Irish slang you’ll be needing. If you’re “jammy” (lucky), you’ll find a time and place to use it.

Decoding Common Irish Slang

I’m going to break the slang down into a few fun categories.

Greetings & Farewells

Irish folks love a good chat. Even saying hello can be an art form. And you wouldn’t ever want to just walk by someone without a nod of the head or a proper greeting.

You can say hello the following ways:

Howya?
Howaya?
How’s the craic?
How’s about ye?
How’s it hanging?
How’s she cuttin’?

Insults & Compliments

Ireland is a land where you can be lovingly insulted or “slagged” one minute and showered with praise the next.

The insults can be “deadly.” Ireland is not a PC place when it comes to lingo.

They say it like they see it. I think it’s some of the funniest Irish slang. Check these turn of phrases out:

away in the head (not all there)
bowsie (good for nothing)
brutal (awful, hideous)
constipated greyhound (depressed person)
dry shite (someone with bad language skills)
eejit (complete moron)
ganky (repulsive)
geebag (unpleasant woman)
gobshite (social inept person)
sleeveen or gouger (repulsive person)
shite (poor quality)

So you if you’re pissed off with someone, you might say:

“You ever meet someone who’s just away in the head? You know, not all there? It’s like trying to have a conversation with a dry shite —completely hopeless.

There’s one lad I know, a real gobshite — socially inept and makes everything awkward. You’d think he was a constipated greyhound the way he mopes around, looking like the world’s on his shoulders.”

The Irish also know how to dole out a bit of “blarney” (flattery). Not “blather.” They consider that overly thick flattery or BS.

These are some of affectionate sayings:

dote (sweet person)
sound (kind and reliable)
legend (impressive person)
dead on (agreeable)
pet (deer or sweet person)
good skin (kind and decent person)

Emotions and Exclamations

Irish slang is full of personality, especially when it comes to expressing emotions and feelings.

Whether you’re over the moon with joy, frustrated beyond belief, or just having a bit of craic, there’s a unique phrase to capture the moment.

Here are some of my favorite expressions:

bayjaysus (oh my god!)
janey mack (utter disbelief)
mind yer house (watch your back)
stop the lights (utter disbelief)
come home with one arm as long as the other (unsuccessful venture)
haven’t a baldy (no chance)
feckin’ (f*cking)

Drinking & Socializing

Naturally, the Irish have loads of drinking lingo because of the “heaving” (very busy) pub culture.

“Craic” is quintessential terms for having good times. You can go “on the lash” or “on the batter” (have a drinking session) and end up “knackered” or “off me face.” (drunk).

A right night of drinking and revelry is also called a “piss-up.” And if you drink too much of the “black gold” (Guinness), you might say you’re:

locked
fluthered
knackered
plastered
rough as a bear’s arse
ossified

If you wake up in the morning a bit fluthered, you might moan:

“Ah, Jaysus, I’m in bits this mornin’. My head’s banjaxed and my mouth’s like the bottom of a birdcage. Never drinkin’ again … until next time.”

Weather & Everyday Life

Given the notoriously unpredictable Irish weather, there’s some slang for this too.

It might be a “soft day” with light rain or “spitting.” Or the rain might be “bucketing down” or “lashing.”

For extremely cold weather, the Irish say “It’s bleedin’ Baltic out there.” If the weather is nice, it’s “grand.” If the weather is poorly, it’s “manky.”

If you get caught in Ireland’s notorious sideways rain, like I was in the Gap of Dunloe, you might exclaim:

“Ah, for feck’s sake! This bleedin’ rain is lashin’ sideways! Sure, I’m drowned to the bone! Couldn’t it give me a bleedin’ minute?”

Love & Romance

There’s a lot of Irish slang around romance as well.

For example, women might be called some very nice things:

a fine thing (beautiful)
doorful of a woman (beautiful)
mot (girlfriend)
queer bit of skirt (sexy)
kind bit of arse (beautiful)
snogger (good kisser)
fine half alright (attractive)

Conversely, if she doesn’t appeal, a man might say she looks like a “wagon,” looks “beat down with a shovel” or has a “face like a full skip” or “face like a smacked arse.”

Women, conversely use terms like “fella,” “boya,” “lad,” or “yer man” for their romantic interests.

An Irish woman might say, for example:

“Ah, sure I had some great craic with him last night! We were flirting the whole time, and eventually, I got the shift (sex).

He’s a bit of a dote, to be honest. You know yourself, though, sometimes your man will lob the gob on you out of nowhere!

I wouldn’t say we’re courtin’ or anything, but it’s all good fun. Hopefully, he’s not the type to be legging it when things get a bit serious!”

Alternatively, if she’s pissed with her man, an Irish lass might say:

“He’s such a gobshite, always talking nonsense like he knows everything, but really, he’s just a total eejit. Honestly, he’s a real dose to be around, acting like a spanner half the time.

You can’t trust him either—he’s a proper chancer, always trying to get away with something. Between being a muppet and a tool, I don’t know how he manages. Thick as a plank, he is, and still thinks he’s God’s gift!”

And of course there are all sort of works for nooky — “shag,” “gee,” “get your shift,” “riding,” and “the deed.”

Food

It may come as a surprise to some that Ireland has some amazing food.

Some of the most famous dishes of the Emerald Isle include: Dublin Coddle, Boxty, Irish Stew, soda bread, black pudding, and so on.

So you’ll know what you’re eating, here’s the slang the Irish use for food or “grub”:

tayto – potato chips
sambo – sandwich
spuds – potatoes
bangers and mash – sausages and mashed potatoes)
rasher – slice of bacon
coddle – a traditional Dublin stew made with sausages, bacon, onions, and potatoes
chipper – a takeaway that serves fish and chips
cuppa – cup of tea
boxty – potato pancake

If you’re at a bed and breakfast and want to order a proper Irish breakfast, you might say:

Alright, I’ll have the full fry-up, and don’t skimp on the rashers or bangers, yeah?

Throw in a couple of spuds if you’ve got ‘em, and make sure the black pudding is proper. Oh, and a cuppa tae to wash it down. Sure, might as well go the whole hog.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to Irish slang. You may find these other Ireland travel guides useful:

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