The structure is a simple verb of uncertain origin, possibly from a combination of "bang" and "shatter" or from "banjax" as nonsense word, but firmly established in Hiberno-English. It is used in Ireland to mean to ruin, destroy, or severely damage something, whether physically, mechanically, or metaphorically. People typically say "I've banjaxed my phone" or "The car is completely banjaxed." The term originated in 20th century Irish slang, and remains common in everyday Irish speech across all ages and classes, often in humorous or emphatic contexts.

What does "to banjax" mean in Irish slang?

to banjax

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It is used in Irish English (Hiberno-English), particularly in Dublin and urban areas, to mean a woman or girl, often implying attractiveness or used as a term for a girlfriend or female partner. People typically say "She's a fine beour" or "I'm meeting my beour later." The term originated in 20th century Irish slang, possibly from Irish Traveller or Dublin inner city speech, and remains common in casual conversation, though it can be considered informal or slightly objectifying.

What does "beour" mean in Irish slang?

beour

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The structure is a simple adjective borrowed from the literal meaning of being obstructed or blocked up, repurposed to describe a state of intoxication. It is used in Irish English (Hiberno-English) to mean drunk or intoxicated, often heavily so. People typically say "He's completely blocked" or "We got blocked at the pub last night." The term originated in 20th century Irish slang, and remains common in casual speech.

What does "blocked" mean in Irish slang?

blocked

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The structure combines "bollox" (a variant of "bollocks," meaning nonsense or testicles) with "-ology" (the study of), forming a humorous, pseudo academic noun for meaningless speech. It is used in Irish English (Hiberno-English) to mean talk or ideas considered meaningless, silly, or deliberately nonsensical, often in politics, business, or pretentious conversation. People typically say "That's pure bolloxology" or "Stop the bolloxology and get to the point."

What does "bolloxology" mean in Irish slang?

bolloxology

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It is used in Ireland, especially in rural and traditional speech, as a term of endearment or to express sympathy for someone, often implying they are pitiable, cute, or harmless. People typically say "Ah, the poor craytur" (about someone suffering) or "He's a harmless craytur." The term originated in Irish English, drawing on the literal meaning of "creature" (a living being) but softened into an affectionate or sympathetic address, and remains common in Irish speech, especially among older generations.

What does "craytur" mean in Irish slang?

craytur

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It is used in Ireland to refer to Croke Park, the largest stadium in Ireland, located in Dublin, which is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and hosts major hurling and Gaelic football finals. People typically say "I'm going to Croker for the final" or "Croker was rocking last night." The term originated in 20th century Irish sports fan slang, and remains common across Ireland in conversation about Gaelic games, concerts, and major events.

What does "Croker" mean in Irish slang?

Croker

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It is used in Ireland, especially in political and business contexts, to describe a shrewd, cunning, or sly person who manipulates situations for their own advantage, often in a way that is irritating but vaguely admired. People typically say "He's a cute hoor altogether" or "Only a cute hoor would get away with that." The term originated in 20th century Irish slang, and remains common in Irish English as a mildly affectionate or grudgingly respectful insult.

What does "cute hoor" mean in Irish slang?

cute hoor

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The structure is a pronunciation spelling of "decent," reflecting the Irish accent, but the meaning has shifted upward to mean excellent, really good, or impressive, stronger than the standard English "decent" (which means merely adequate). It is used in Irish English (Hiberno-English) to describe people, food, events, or things that are genuinely good, generous, or impressive. People typically say "That's dacent of you" (very generous) or "The craic was dacent" (the fun was great).

What does "dacent" mean in Irish slang?

dacent

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In Irish slang, "dolehead" is a derogatory term for someone who relies on unemployment benefits and is seen as avoiding work. The term became common in working-class and political discussions about welfare and unemployment in Ireland and the UK. It is usually used insultingly in informal conversation. The word combines "dole," meaning unemployment benefits, with "head," a slang suffix used to describe a type of person.

What does "dolehead" mean in Irish slang?

dolehead

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It is used in British and Irish English to mean money, cash, or funds, often in informal contexts. People typically say "I need some dosh for the weekend" or "That cost a lot of dosh." The term originated in early 20th century British slang, and remains common in the UK and Ireland, though it is somewhat dated or used humorously compared to "cash" or "money."

What does "dosh" mean in Irish slang?

dosh

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In Irish slang, "to feck" can mean to steal or take something without permission, especially in casual or humorous contexts. The term became widely associated with Irish speech through television, comedy, and everyday informal language, particularly from expressions popularized in Ireland. It is often used jokingly or less harshly than stronger swear words. It is considered a softened variation of a stronger English profanity.

What does "to feck" mean in Irish slang?

to feck

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In Irish slang, "fierce" is used to mean very good, excellent, or outstanding, and can also intensify adjectives in everyday speech. The usage became common in regional Irish English, especially in rural areas, where "fierce" developed a positive or emphatic meaning beyond its standard English definition. It is typically used in casual conversation to praise something strongly.

What does "fierce" mean in Irish slang?

fierce

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In Irish slang, "to flute around" means to waste time, idle, or avoid doing something productive. The expression became common in informal Irish speech, especially in everyday conversations criticizing laziness or distraction in a lighthearted way. It is usually used casually rather than seriously.

What does "to flute around" mean in Irish slang?

to flute around

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In Irish slang, "fluted" means drunk or intoxicated. The term became part of informal Irish speech through everyday pub culture and casual conversations about drinking. It is usually used humorously or casually to describe someone who has had too much alcohol. Structurally, the word is formed from "flute" with the added "-ed" ending to describe a state or condition.

What does "fluted" mean in Irish slang?

fluted

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In Irish slang, "to footer" means to waste time, fuss around, or stay busy without getting anything useful done. The term became common in everyday Irish and Scottish speech, especially when describing someone being unnecessarily slow, distracted, or unproductive. It is usually used casually and often in a mildly critical or humorous way.

What does "to footer" mean in Irish slang?

to footer

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In Irish slang, "game ball" is an expression used to show approval, excitement, or respect for someone, similar to saying "fair play" or "good on you." It became common in informal Irish-English speech, especially in social settings like sports, pubs, and everyday conversation where quick praise or encouragement is given. The phrase is used casually to react positively to someone's actions or attitude.

What does "game ball" mean in Irish slang?

game ball

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It is used as a derogatory term for an irritating, obnoxious, or disagreeable person, typically a woman . People might say "Don't mind her, she's a right geebag" or use it as a general term of abuse in arguments, such as "You're a gee-bag of the highest order" . The term originated in late 20th or early 21st century Irish slang, gaining wider recognition through the popular Irish crime drama "Love/Hate"

What does "geebag" mean in Irish slang?

geebag

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It is used in Irish English (Hiberno-English) to mean putting in a lot of effort or energy, often in sports, work, or any physical task. People typically say "Give it socks now" or "He gave it socks in the last ten minutes." The term originated in 20th century Irish and British slang, and remains common in casual speech, especially in sports commentary and encouragement.

What does "to give it socks" mean in Irish slang?

to [give] it socks

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The structure combines "gob" (Irish slang for mouth) with "daw" (a variant of "daw" meaning a jackdaw, a bird known for chattering), forming a compound noun for a loud, foolish person. It is used in Irish English (Hiberno-English) to describe a foolish, silly, or pretentious person, often someone who talks nonsense or acts stupidly. People typically say "He's a right gobdaw" or "Don't be such a gobdaw."

What does "gobdaw" mean in Irish slang?

gobdaw

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In Irish slang, "gombeen" refers to a corrupt, dishonest, or opportunistic person, especially someone involved in local politics or petty financial manipulation. The term became widely used in 19th and early 20th century Ireland, particularly during periods of rural debt and "gombeenism," where moneylenders and small-time power brokers exploited vulnerable communities. It is typically used in political or moral criticism rather than casual insult, describing someone seen as self-serving or underhanded.

What does "gombeen" mean in Irish slang?

gombeen

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In Irish slang, "gouger" refers to a thug, lout, or rough, aggressive person, often someone associated with violence or antisocial behaviour. The term became part of informal Irish and British working-class speech in the 19th and 20th centuries, typically used to describe someone physically intimidating or prone to trouble. It is mainly used in casual or derogatory contexts rather than formal language.

What does "gouger" mean in Irish slang?

gouger

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In Irish slang, "hames" means a mess, confusion, or a badly handled situation, often used in the phrase "make a hames of it," meaning to ruin or botch something. It became common in Irish English through everyday rural and working-class speech, where it was used to describe tasks or situations that went wrong due to poor handling or disorder. It is used informally in both mild criticism and humorous self-criticism. The word is not a modern coinage or word blend, but an older dialect term that developed in Irish usage over time.

What does "hames" mean in Irish slang?

hames

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In Irish slang, "I will yeah" is used sarcastically to mean the opposite of its literal wording, effectively meaning "I will not" or "not likely." It became common in modern Irish conversational English as part of ironic or humorous speech patterns, especially in casual disagreement. It is typically used in response to a request or suggestion where the speaker is clearly refusing but does so in a playful or dismissive way. The phrase is not a fixed grammatical structure but an ironic inversion of standard agreement, relying on tone to signal the contradiction.

What does "I will yeah" mean in Irish slang?

I will yeah

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In Irish slang, "knacked" means extremely tired, worn out, or completely exhausted, usually after physical effort, long work, or intense activity such as sport. It is commonly used in informal Irish English in everyday conversation to describe a strong level of fatigue, where a person has little or no energy left. The term became widespread through casual spoken usage in Ireland and is still regularly heard in modern speech, especially among younger speakers and in working or social contexts.

What does "knacked" mean in Irish slang?

knacked

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In Irish slang, "langered" means extremely drunk, often to the point of being heavily intoxicated and visibly affected. It became common in modern Irish informal speech, especially in social drinking contexts such as pubs, parties, and nights out, where it is used to describe someone who has clearly overconsumed alcohol. The term is typically used casually and can be humorous or slightly critical depending on tone.

What does "langered" mean in Irish slang?

langered

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In Irish slang, "morto" means extremely embarrassed or something that causes strong embarrassment. It is commonly used in everyday Irish teenage and young adult speech, especially in social situations where someone does or says something awkward, cringeworthy, or socially uncomfortable. The term is widely used in informal contexts like school, friendship groups, and social media, where it expresses second-hand embarrassment or personal humiliation. It is a shortened form of "mortified," adapted into a casual slang adjective rather than a formal grammatical word.

What does "morto" mean in Irish slang?

morto

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In Irish slang, "moth" means a girlfriend or female romantic partner, usually used in informal or playful speech. It appears mainly in modern colloquial Irish English and is typically used among younger speakers in casual conversation or joking contexts. The term is not widely formalized and is not standard English; it functions purely as slang for a relationship label.

What does "moth" mean in Irish slang?

moth

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In Irish slang, "nixer" refers to a side job or unofficial work done for cash outside of regular employment. It is commonly used in Ireland in everyday speech, especially in working-class contexts where informal or undeclared work is discussed. The term became widely used in 20th-century Irish English, particularly in relation to "cash-in-hand" labour such as building, repairs, or small jobs done privately. It is used casually and can be neutral or slightly critical depending on context, often implying work done outside formal tax or employment systems.

What does "nixer" mean in Irish slang?

nixer

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In Irish slang, "sambo" means a sandwich, typically used in casual speech when referring to a quick or simple meal. It became common in modern Irish English through informal shortening and playful alteration of the word "sandwich," especially in everyday working-class and student contexts. It is used mainly in relaxed settings such as lunch breaks, shops, or home conversation. The term is an informal clipped form of "sandwich," with the ending altered for ease of pronunciation and slang effect.

What does "sambo" mean in Irish slang?

sambo

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In Irish slang, "yer one" refers to an unnamed or unspecified female person, usually someone the speaker does not know or does not want to name. It is commonly used in casual Irish English in storytelling, gossip, or everyday conversation when referring to someone indirectly. The expression became widespread alongside "yer man," used for males, as a standard way of avoiding names in informal speech. "Yer" comes from "your," but in this usage it does not indicate possession; it simply acts as a vague reference meaning "that person."

What does "yer one" mean in Irish slang?

yer one

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In Irish slang, "legend" refers to a person who is cool, kind, or especially helpful, often used as praise for someone who has done a favour or acted in a generous or impressive way. It became common in modern Irish conversational English as part of informal, friendly speech, especially in social settings, workplaces, and everyday interactions where quick appreciation is expressed. The term is used broadly for both men and women, though it is often directed at men in practice.

What does "legend" mean in Irish slang?

legend

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Here you will find slang from Irish English, showcasing regional expressions, accents, and cultural terms commonly used in Ireland.

Irish English Slang Terms