Uniquely Irish

**paul_oshea** · 11/01/2010, 9:58 AM

Originally Posted by thischarmingman

This.

Never used to notice it that much but my girlfriend is from Athlone and finds it amazing how often we say it at home in relation to everything. She likes it and thinks it makes everything sound friendlier but it's almost got to the stage in my family where people say things like, "She had a wee stroke," "He got his wee degree," "He had to get a wee operation." People take the p!ss at work when I say it too.

Am i the only one to laugh at the last few sentences here?!

**paul_oshea** · 11/01/2010, 10:09 AM

A yoke, thing, what do ye call it, can mean anything.

I think i became more aware of the irish sayings etc when i first went to america 8 years ago. I was with a mate after a night out, good night, chatting up yanks and feeding them all sorts anyway when we were going home, i sat in the front of the cab, which doesn't really happen for a start in america, and turned to my mate in the back and said, fcuken deadly, that was fcuken deadly. Cab driver stops and says, "Hey man i dont want any trouble", i was like what?! my mate behind me copped straight away and is ****ing himself. ANyway i didnt know what was going on but everytime id say thats deadly in situations people would look at me funny, so eventually my mate told me. Deadly obviously means lethal

Yanks thought i meant all sorts, but still not quite sure if the cab driver later reported me to the police

At home, when asking how someone is or the subject of an email will just be "well". NOthing else. People over here are like "well what". They also think its quite rude. The tans get mixed up with craic as well, they always put a preopistion before it which just sounds terrible. Hearing a lot more english say feck now as well which is funny.

Bull thick or bullin is another one the yanks used to love me saying. they hadn't a clue what i was saying though. Ah theres loads i just cant think of anymore now

going home home is another. Boasting about being locked or being very messy is a very irish thing as well, ive realised you dont go on about that in front of certain nationalities.

Looking the other way, i used to love the yanks especially teh women saying "hey can i take a ride with you guys". How they could never realise what they were saying was beyond me. IT still is.

I always thought "to give out" was the same as the irish on a promise, but to have already done it i.e. to put out. Get the ride

**pineapple stu** · 11/01/2010, 10:14 AM

Anything on Father Ted.

**Acornvilla** · 11/01/2010, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Anything on Father Ted.

even if c4 made it

**pineapple stu** · 11/01/2010, 10:32 AM

Yep, true. But the characters and some of the dialogue is brilliant. Would love to know what foreigners make of it.

**Acornvilla** · 11/01/2010, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Yep, true. But the characters and some of the dialogue is brilliant. Would love to know what foreigners make of it.

probably wouldnt understand it at all? aussies might? odnt think americans would.. i'm sure brits love it thou

**Norm** · 11/01/2010, 11:33 AM

A Whatjamacallit...
A Yokeymabob..
A Thingymajig..

**brendy_�ire** · 11/01/2010, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by dahamsta

That bugs me, and I do it myself; we've replaced "excuse me" with "sorry" for some strange reason.

It's very Irish though, very catholic guilt: it's my fault you're in my way.

Got this mentioned to me the other day there. Used 'sorry' to a waitress in a restaurant, instead of 'excuse me'. My English friend was a bit puzzled by it, and I can see why.
Maybe it is the guilt thing. I felt bad asking the waitress for vinegar, even though that's her job, and she obviously expects customers to ask for stuff, so she's not going to mind.

Same person also picked up on our lack of using 'yes' and 'no'.
"Are you working tomorrow?" "I am".
"Is it snowing?" "It is and all."

Just noticed there that adding "and all" may be another Irish thing. I'd definitely use it a fair bit, "He's away and all". "I've ate and all."

**paul_oshea** · 11/01/2010, 12:39 PM

Fair bit. definitely IRish.

The irony of it all, you say whats common and then use a common irish expression to to express something being said an average amount of times D

the words Fair and Bit, mean opposite things even the words taken seperately dont make sense

**Paulie** · 11/01/2010, 1:15 PM

I don't know if it's uniquely Irish, although I think it is, but I tend to use the expression "safe home" a lot. There was an Aussie friend of mine that lived here for a few years and that was one of her favourites.

**paul_oshea** · 11/01/2010, 2:12 PM

Paulie, ive heard that in yankieville a lot to be honest.

**tetsujin1979** · 11/01/2010, 2:36 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

i sat in the front of the cab, which doesn't really happen for a start in america, and turned to my mate in the back and said, fcuken deadly, that was fcuken deadly. Cab driver stops and says, "Hey man i dont want any trouble", i was like what?! my mate behind me copped straight away and is ****ing himself.

Surprised he didn't call you on the swearing more than anything else, different places in the States respond differently to it. Friend of mine was asked to stop swearing in the lobby of a hotel by a yank.
Think all he said was "this place is f*cking excellent!"

**Magicme** · 11/01/2010, 2:43 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Surprised he didn't call you on the swearing more than anything else, different places in the States respond differently to it. Friend of mine was asked to stop swearing in the lobby of a hotel by a yank.
Think all he said was "this place is f*cking excellent!"

Yeah they are not so fond of the swearing which is unfortunate for my dad who spends a lot of time in Florida and would shock a sailor with his language.

**pineapple stu** · 11/01/2010, 2:43 PM

Irish people (by which I mean me) swear a **** load, by the way. I always notice it when I'm abroad. Particularly in England, cos of the lack of a language barrier.

**osarusan** · 11/01/2010, 2:47 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Irish people (by which I mean me) swear a **** load, by the way. I always notice it when I'm abroad. Particularly in England, cos of the lack of a language barrier.

A New Zealander I worked with in Japan said I cursed more than anybody else she'd ever heard in her life. It was a proud moment for me.

**Schumi** · 11/01/2010, 2:54 PM

Originally Posted by brendy_�ire

Same person also picked up on our lack of using 'yes' and 'no'.
"Are you working tomorrow?" "I am".

Originally Posted by Paulie

I don't know if it's uniquely Irish, although I think it is, but I tend to use the expression "safe home" a lot. There was an Aussie friend of mine that lived here for a few years and that was one of her favourites.

They're direct translations from Irish I'd say.

**John83** · 11/01/2010, 3:13 PM

Originally Posted by Schumi

They're direct translations from Irish I'd say.

Yep. I apologise for any spelling errors in the Irish, but:

Yes ~ t� s� = it is.
Goodbye ~ Sl�n abhaile = safe home.

Amusingly, goodbye derives from "God be with ye", which literally translates as "Dia dhuit", which means hello. No wonder we're linguistically confused.

**osarusan** · 11/01/2010, 3:15 PM

How could I forget "I'm only after dinner", also a direct translation from Irish which doesn't have any perfect aspect.

**Pauro 76** · 11/01/2010, 3:23 PM

'I'm meeting with herself tonight' is something I'd say a bit. But people over in UK seem to think that's quite rude.. so change it to 'her good self' just in case.