The O'Byrne Files^©
Dublin Slang Dictionary and Phrasebook
Guide on how to Speak English in Dublin for the unsuspecting traveller 

Conversation in Dublin is like a maze, filled with twists and turns, unexpected paths, and mined with surprises to trap the unprepared visitor.  So, in the interests of world peace and harmony, and to help the tourists, this section of the O'Byrne Files^© provides a slang survival guide with lashings of words, piles of sound advice on the use and meaning of a common phrase, and a heaps of answers not found in any book, to loaded questions that will help to get you through any conversation situation in Dublin.  Essential swear words, and traditional curses are of course included as a standard feature, along with some hints about the, colour, customs, suitable openers, and situations for chinwagging in Dublin with true Dubliners.  
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(since January 26^th 2000)

The following is a compendium from many slang sources, and a lifetime of listening and experiences in Dublin

Arrah!, could things be any more aisy? Be the hokey, this stuff is only brillo. Catch yerself on, if youze get through all of the above, youze could find yerself as a right boyo, trick-actin' with massive skills to act the maggot an' bullshit the Dubs on loads of subjects from the weather to the psychology of the Dublin mind. Youze may even find it so aizy that ye feel in your element, ye know, really full of yerself, an' wanna to fire away and off like the hammers to get lashings of Roddy Doyle books under yer oxter from the first half decent huxter ye put yer lamps on, knowin' that ye will in jig time make right sense out of them. Ye may even have cogged enough to spoof yer way into convincing any bossman or spacer that yer a real hard man, not a dosser, or bamboozling the family with yer guff, or bantering with friends who in the heel of the hunt will let on that you are a fierce valuable member of Dub society. Yer bullshit will have ye puttin' on airs, yer friendship sought, an ejits all over the place will think that yer a decent skin who's banter is dead cool. Be warned though, ye may be on the pig's back for now, but manys a cute hoor has pulled a fast one too many with the spoofin' and blather, t'inkin' they're gas altogether, only findin' they have it arseways by actin' the maggot and have ballsed it up somethin' diabolical, with everything endin' in rag order! 

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And for my US visitors:

Sometimes visitors ask what a word means. Usually the problem is that I put together "The O'Byrne Files ©" in the English what I speak, while the visitor with the question uses a completely different kind of English (particularly the ones what use US English). So here is my definitive (for now) list of words that I use differently:

 

The O'Byrne Files English	US English	The O'Byrne Files English	US English
biscuit	cookie	tepid water	coffee
scone	biscuit	republican	terrorist/freedom fighter
lump of dough	scone	green	tree-hugging
fag	cigarette	pavement	sidewalk
kicks with the other foot	fag	lift	elevator
gay	happy	chemists	drug store
mate	buddy	loo	rest room
flat	apartment	complain	sue
brolly	umbrella	chips	fries
cool	cold	crisps	chips
cold	freezing	Tayto	ditto
snow	snow storm	coffee	espresso
soft day	wet	feck	f*ck
drizzle	rain storm	sod	f*ck
rain	flood warning	oops	f*ck
light breeze	wind storm	oh	f*ck
a tad windy	hurricane	jolly	f*cking
tipsy	drunk	very	f*cking
drunk	plastered	really	f*cking
pissed	dead drunk	quite	f*cking
annoyed	pissed	darn	motherf*cking
guy	motherf*cker	eejit	president
bleddy	motherf*cking	right-wing tory monetarist Atttila the Hun type	republican
gobshite	asshole	hooker	small quaint traditional Irish sailing vessel, mainly from the west coast

Why not check out my Dating Dictionary also!

or my Hillwalker's Slang and Jargon Dictionary

or my Computer Jargon Dictionary that has a bit of slang in it  

or My guide to 'new' words not yet in any 'dictionary'
 
Have fun!
If you get to my guide why English is such a difficult language, you'll appreciate why!

Here there is a collection of Irish expressions with their meanings

Click here to recommend this Dublin Slang site  to a friend

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O'Byrne Files^© World 
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The original assessment from Doras!
(While I was hoping to get 4  someday the Doras people decided to down- grade me to 2!)
Should I seek a recount?
N. O'Byrne

Recognition:

November 1999, Yahoo Irish Pick of the month while with MediaNet

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