O'Byrne Files - Dublin Slang Dictionary and Phrase-book ©

Dublin Phrases

Phrase

Meaning

A little fart of a fella

Small person

A shave, a shampoo and a shite and I'm a new man

I need to freshen up to be ready

A soft day Miserable fucking weather
Are ye headin'? Are you leaving now?
Are ye lookin for a claim? Do you want a fight?
Are you lookin at me or waitin on a bus Do you want a fight?
As fat as a bishop A fat person
As fit as a cello (an improvement on the fiddle) Healthy, OK, well
As ignorant as a bag of arses Un-cultured person
As sure as there's a hole in your arse Confirming the truth behind your story
Ask me arse / bollix Dont ask me that / You'll be waiting a long time for an answer
As scarce as hobby-horse manure Quite scarce
As sick as a small hospital Very ill
As small as a mouse's diddy (breast) Small
As thick as horse-shite in a bottle Very stupid
As useless as a chocolate teapot Useless
Ask yer auld one Universal comeback phrase, can be used as a response to nearly any insult, and is generally accepted as the winning statement.
Away in the head Mad
Be-dah hokey A pretend expression of surprise or can mean that the person hasn't a clue what you are talking about.
Be Jaysus An expression of sheer surprise.
Big long drink of water!   Boring person
Bite the back of me bollix Stop bothering me
Boxin' the fox Robbing an orchard
Cheese on your chin Your fly is open!
Dead fuckin' brill Wonderful (from Nauset3TT@att.net)
Do you want your eye dyed?  Do you want a fight?
Do you want your snot broke? Do you want a fight?
Do you want your teeth in a bag? Do you want a fight?
Don't be actin' the maggot! Stop doing that!, Don't make trouble
Eat the head off Attack verbally
Fair play to you Indicates approval of someone's actions or opinions
Fairly lively With great haste   "Run up to the bar and get me a pint fairly lively"
Fit to be tied Mad, angry.
Gerup (get up) the yard: Exclamation of disbelief
Get on like a house on fire To get on real well with someone
Get outta that garden!! Exclamation of disbelief
Give him a toe in the hole Kick in the arse
Go away outta tha' Dismissive response indicating disbelief (I don't believe you) or distain
Go on out of that (pron. "gwan outta dat") Dismissive response indicating disbelief (I don't believe you) or distain
Goin' around like a constipated greyhound. Down in the dumps, glum
Go home and tell your mother / father to get married. An insult
Grand altogether Same boring state of affairs
Havn't got a baldy I've no chance
Havn't got a snowball's chance in hell I've no chance
He arsed his way through the crowd He pushed his way through the crowd
He was as black as a mourning coach Badly bruised
He/She hadn't a flitter on him/her No clothes
He has a face like the Earl of Hell's arse Ugly person
He/She has an eye like a stinkin' eel He/She watches everything
He / she ran like a hairyman Run fast
He / she thinks he's the cat's pyjamas Conceited person
He / she was fit to be tied Angry, upset
He / she  wouldn't give you the steam off his/ her piss Mean person
He'd lick it off a scabby leg He's fond of drink
He'd drink it out of a hooer's boot. He's fond of drink
He / She'd live in your ear and grow potatoes in the other He / She'd take advantage of you
He'd live in your ear and sublet your ear-drum Mean person
He'd shite in your parlour and charge you for it Mean person
He's a bit of a molly He's an effeminate person
He's gone for his tea  Someone killed or after dying
He's like the barber's cat, full of wind and piss. Someone all talk and no action
He's very handy with his feet. He's a good dancer
He was movin like the clappers. Moving very fast
I knew him when he hadn't an arse to his trousers. I knew him when he was poor
He / She has a face like the back of a bus Ugly person
He / She is very old, but she has all her facilities An old person of sound mind
He / She'd eat you out of house and home Someone with a big appetite
He / She's like a bag of cats He / She's in very bad humour
Head the ball. Used to call or point out a person.  "hey head the ball come over here" or "There's head the ball over there"
How's the form? How are you?
How's the talent? Is there anyone good looking/ interesting about?
How's she cuttin'? How are things? How are you?  Catchphrase stemming from a distant time when Dubs knew about agricultural machinery
How's your hoop ? How u doin ?
Fuck the bastards. To hell with them!
Fuckin' right. O.K.!
Fuk dat An expression of mild displeasure
Get into som'wan Try to get with someone of the opposite sex
Get outta that garden!! : Exclamation of disbelief
Go an' ask the butt end o' me bollix! An impolite refusal
Go home and tell your mother to get married A derogatory comment on the status the recipient of this comment
Going for a McShit: Entering a fast food restaurant with no intention of buying food, you're just going to the bog. If challenged by a pimply staff member, your declaration to them that you'll buy their food afterwards is a McShit With Lies.
Gone for his/her tea Usually used to indicated if someone is in trouble or about to be hurt or killed
Gwan outta dat (Go on out of that) I don't believe you (from toini@webfactory.ie)
Ile give ya me gaff  numba buh if ya buzz me Im gonna buwrst ya! I will provide you with my home telephone number but if you use it, I will beat you up. (from ruaidhrimack@hotmail.com)
Janey Mack (Mac) Used to express surprise, "Janey mack I didn't know that".  Could be a polite way of saying "Jesus Christ"
Jaysus, I'm grand. I am fine.
Jaysus, looks like he had a fire on his face that someone put out with a pair of golf shoes  He's got really bad acne
(from kol26@talk21.com)
Knacker drinking Drinking alcohol in a field
I'm feckin knackered I'm really exhausted
I could eat a baby's arse thru the bars of a cot I'm very hungry
If you went any slower you'd catch up with yourself on the way back A complaint about someone who is slow
I knew him when he hadn't a pot to piss in I knew him before he had anything (wealth)
I'll give you a leather medal! That was a really stupid thing to say or do.  That was a totally useless suggestion.  You did your best but it was still hopeless!
I'm only here on a flying visit I've come for a brief visit
I nearly had a canary I had a fright
I will in me hat No, I won't
I will in me arse I won't do it
I wouldn't bother me arse about that That's not worth considering
If bull-shit was music, that fellow'd be a brass band. A good story teller, usually about oneself
If he had half a brain he would be a COMPLETE idiot  An idiot -  complete is used in the sense of emphasis.
If the wind blows you'll be left that way Said to someone with a strange expression on their face
If you want to get along in Dublin,  you've got to wet a few throats Buy the odd drink to get the work done
It gave me the hump I found it boring
It was the rale (real) Ally Daly It was the genuine article
It was like throwin' apples into an orchard It was a stupid thing to do
I've a mouth on me I'm hungry
I've a throat on me  I'm thirsty
Knock someone up Pay a visit to someone's house
Like a blue-arsed fly Running around, hectically busy
Look at the hole on yer one. That young lady has got a rather nice posterior.
May you die roarin' like Doran's ass! A curse
Me stomach/belly thought me throat was cut I was hungry
Miserable article Miserable person
Missed by a gee hair Just missed; can be used to describe a near accident
Mutton dressed up as lamb An aul wan trying to look like a young want.
Off the drink Not drinking for a while;  means you're not drinking for a while. Typically lasts as long as the hangover!
Off your nut Crazy - 'That fella's off his nut'
One wit more and he'd be a half-wit Reference to poor intelligence
On the hop Playing truant from school
On the never never Hire purchase
On the piss A prolonged drinking session
Out o' me chunkeh Drunk, or possibly stoned.
Pucking your ring Being very sick
Pull your socks up Get to work/get busy
Pulling me plumb Doing absolutely nothing
Pullin' me wire  Having a wank
Run your lamps over Look at, check out
Scalped with an Ash Plant Hit with a hurling stick
She nearly had a canary She had a fright
She's no oil-painting She's not pretty
Shite or get off the pot Make your mind up!
Six o' one, half a dozen o' the other Exactly the same
Smell of benji Rotten smell; also at the back of the 41B bus
Snotty nosed little shite Stuck up, posh
Soft aul day, it's a Usually said by old people when referring to a typically Irish day, i.e. a soft rain falling
Sparrow fart Someone or something small
Specky four eyes Anyone who wears glasses
Stop the lights! Really?!
Suckin' diesel Having a good time
'sufferin ducks! expression of amazement
Sure even Des Kelly wouldn't lay her, sure the bleedin tide wouldn't take her out. A way of referring to an unattractive female
That bockedy-arsed oul' bitch! An insult
That fella is as wide as a gate A cute person
That fella'd skin a fart That person will do anything for money
That fella's a right cur That person is a clever individual
That fellow'll be late for his own' funeral A slow person
That fella' would steal the cross off an ass' back  Thief
That one is so mean she puts the butter on the bread with a feather and takes it off again with a razor A mean person
That's an awful mornin'; it looks as if it has been up all night Bad weather
That's what she said on her wedding night A term used when someone wants to turn an innocuous comment into a vulgar one. Example; Joe " I've one here for you "  Pat " That's what she said on her wedding night".
That snotty nosed little shite An insult
The fag on the crag A statue of Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square, Dublin
The floosie in the jacoosie A statue of Anna Livia on O'Connell Street, Dublin
The hags with the bags A statue of two women with shopping bags on Liffey Street, Dublin
The head on him and the price of turnips Who does think he is
The tart with the cart A statue of Molly Malone on Lower Grafton Street, Dublin
There's no use in bein' iggerant (ignorant) unless you can show it. A statement about obvious stupidity
There's only one head bigger than Joe's and that's Bray Head. 
(A hill outside Dublin)
A statement about obvious conceitedness
They're like arse-holes, sure everybody has them Reference to something in plentiful supply
Thick as a brick Stupid
Thick as a plank Stupid
Throwing shapes Showing off / acting tough
To wet a few throats To buy a few drinks
Twistin' hay Starting trouble (usually in a playful way)
Up in the gods Being high up above the action
Up on a post-box An erection
Watch yer house Be careful!
Wet the tea Make a pot or cup of tea
What am I like I've been a bit silly
What are ye at? What are you doing?
What's the crack? How are you? / have you any news?
Whats de story? Whats up?
What's bred in the marrow comes out in the bone: If parents are bad people then their children will turn out to be bad people
Where would yeh be goin' an' no bell on your bike Phrase used to seek explanation for action
Will ye give it over! (said with an emphasis on over) Will you ever stop fooling around
Ya bleedin' mule U (you) fool
Ya bollixya Phrase used to indicate someone is a bollix
Ya legend Compliment on a job well done.
Ye comin' for a pint? Will you be in attendance at the public house this evening to partake in the consumption of alcoholic beverages?
Yer wan w'll be late for his/her own' funeral Tardy, Slow
Yer man would  be a good messenger to send for Death Tardy, Slow
Yoke-eh-me-bob A name that can be given to any object
You have no call to that You have no right to that
You're gas craic ,your mother must have been a cylinder!" :  Gas means funny, Crack (Craic) means fun
Your eyes are bigger than your belly Reference to greed

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Most recent version December, 2006
To be updated from time to time
© N. O'Byrne


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