“I’m going to slap on me runners and leg it down to the chipper!”
If you are familiar with the above-mentioned sentence, or understood what it meant, you must be a dialect scholar, or Irish. This Irish habit of English customization often confuses Americans and never fail to stump other native English speakers. Here is a list of 8 words used only in Hiberno-English (sometimes referred to as Irish English).
1. Give Out
In Hiberto-English, give out means to complain or scold. You may give out to someone, which means get angry on someone.
2. Smacht
Smacht is a noun, which means discipline, control, or order. You may put smacht on kids, or a sports team.
3. Going to the jacks
Americans and those who are unfamiliar with Irish English often get confused whenever an Irish says, “I am going to the jacks.” In simple words, it means going to the bathroom.
4. Asthore (an Irish word)
Another word that comes from Irish. A stór is a simple term of endearment that literally means treasure.
5. Hames
A word that literally means mess, Irish use Hames in phrases like make a hames of something.
6. Cat
Cat for the people of Ireland is not their cute furry pet. It is an adjective, which means terrible or awful. Anything from bad weather to an annoying neighbor might be described as cat.
7. Thick
For the people of Ireland, thick means angry. Anyone who is angry, stubborn, or belligerent is thick.
8. Jumper
No, this is not used for the one who jumps. For the people of Ireland, it is simply a sweater, which shouldn’t be confused by a jumpsuit.
In a nutshell, it won’t be wrong to say that the Irish way with words is a complicated one. Are you aware of any other popular word used in Hiberno-English? Share in the comments section.