Whether you’re planning a trip to Ireland or just a jaunt to your local Irish pub, knowing some Irish slang words and phrases can help you connect to Irish culture. Brush up on your Irish slang with these colorful examples.
Everyday Irish Slang Words and Phrases
The exact meaning and usage of these words and phrases from Ireland may vary from one area to another, so be sure and pay close attention to the context in which they're being used.
all lured - feeling delighted
banjaxed - a multipurpose word that can mean broken, tired or drunk
be wide - be careful
bucketing down - a heavy downpour of rain
chiseler - a young child
ciotóg - left-handed
craic - fun; the latest fun news, gossip or scoop; banter, good conversation
culchie - someone who lives in the countryside
deadly - amazing, awesome
fair play - well done; good job
gas - something or someone that is funny
give it a lash - give it a go
great craic - a very fun time
jacks - the toilet
jammy - lucky
leg it - run or move quickly
minus craic - not fun at all; boring
sangers - sandwiches
savage - outstanding, excellent; brilliant
shattered - tired, exhausted
slagging - making fun of someone; mocking in a light-hearted way
suckin' diesel - going well, moving forward
thanks a million - thanks a lot
up to 90 - extremely busy
wrecked - exhausted, extremely tired; worn out
yoke - an item for which you can't remember the name
yer man - a male person, someone you don't know or you've forgotten their name
Irish Slang Insults
Be sure you fully understand these Irish slang insults before you start adding them to your vocabulary.
acting the maggot - acting foolish, messing around
bollix - someone who is very annoying or foolish
chancer - someone who pretends to be something they’re not
eejit - a person who is not smart or does idiotic things
feck - a mild expletive used instead of the other F word with many variations: fecker, feck off, etc
glunterpeck - an idiot
gobsheen - someone who is irritating or incompetent; not smart
kip - somewhere dirty, messy; a place that is not properly cared for
manky - dirty, unsanitary, unclean
not the full shilling - a stupid or crazy person
one can short of a six-pack - not all there (in the head); not very bright
pox - someone who is a nuisance; a bothersome person
skanger - hoodlum; someone who behaves badly and disrespects authority
scut - a foolish person; someone for whom one has contempt
sleeveen - someone sly, smooth-tongued, untrustworthy or a trickster
thick - not very smart; stupid
wagon - someone who is very mean or obnoxious, usually used for women
Irish Slang Terms of Endearment
If you're Irish or love Irish culture, you might opt to use one of these unique terms of endearment for family members, friends or romantic partners.
- acushla - from the Irish Gaelic cuisle, which means “pulse” or “vein”
- beour - a beautiful woman; one's girlfriend
- dote - an adorable or wonderful person
- fella - a man, can be used for boyfriend
- good woman - affectionate term for a woman
- good girl - affectionate term for a girl
- mot - girlfriend
- mucker - good friend; pal
- oul fella - one's father
- oul dear/oul wan - one's mother
- wean - child
Irish Slang for Drunk
The Irish have lots of slang terms that can be used to indicate that someone is very drunk. The alcohol may run short, but the Irish slang for being drunk certainly never will.
battered
bladdered
blitzed
buckled
fluthered
full as a bingo bus
gone
half-cut
jarred
lamped
langers
legless
off his/her face
on the tear
ossified
pickled
pissed
plastered
polluted
rotten
sloshed
snattered
steamin'
stocious
two sheets to the wind
When in Ireland
Now that you're clear on some of the informal colloquial terms that are popular in Ireland, you're ready to travel to the Emerald Isle. You might also want to learn a bit about the basics of Gaelic before your journey to Ireland. If you’re planning a trip to the U.K., get to know some British slang.