Freshers-Freshmen.
“Are
you going out for a pre?”- Alcohol is expensive in the U.K.,
and so to cut down on costs students will go out and buy a bottle of wine or a
keg or something cheaply in the marketplace, go to someone’s house, and drink
half of the bottle. Once this is accomplished, they go to the bar and can get
hammered quite easily with only one or two drinks.
“What
about ye?”-How are you?
“Away
in the head”-Crazy.
Poke-ice
cream.
“Does
my head in”-it’s annoying.
Eejit-an
idiot.
Bog-bathroom.
(Loo is British and not used here
colloquially.)
Snog,
snogging-kissing.
“Any
craic?”-Pronounced “crack.” Used to ask if there’s any fun
going on, or any gossip.
“It’s
mighty!”-Used in response to “Any craic” if there is
something fun going on.
“It’s
ninety.”-Used in response to “any craic” if nothing fun is
going on.
“Eight
past”-The key word here is actually “past”. It’s used to
keep time, so eight past means 8:30, nine past would be 9:30, and so on…
Norn Ireland-an abbreviation for "Northern Ireland." My dad has been abbreviating it as "No. Ireland" this whole time, which I find hilarious.
"Shut yer bake!"-Shut up!
"That's mingin',"-That's horrible!
"Are ya foundered?"-Are you cold?
"Wee dander"-a short walk.
"Meatwagon"-I may have the word wrong, but Jenny and Chelsea told me that this is slang for the box-shaped jeeps that the Irish police officers use. They look as if they can withstand flood, apocalypse, and murder, because they're practically mini-tanks. The name originates from the fact that the car looks like a meat box. Apparently.
Chavs-a type of person. Like we have the word "white trash" to represent unsavoury characters, a chav is a person who lives beyond their means, dresses in tight neon clothes, and tans themselves orange.
Gutted-Deeply unhappy. "I'm gutted." I am upset, unhappy.
Juice carton-Juice box.
Well spotted!-British slang for, well...you've got good eyesight, there. Coolio.
Keen-this isn't really slang. It was just used today by a Brit and I couldn't see an American saying it, so into the slang dictinary it goes.
Bangkor-Bangkor is actually a physical location; it's like people in Carleton saying making fun of people in Grosse Ile. It's where the rich people live. It's synonymous with posh.
Holy Lands-most Americans automatically think of Jerusalem when they hear this, but there are actually a bunch of streets named after the Middle East in a sketchy part of Belfast. You don't want to go there after dark.
Curt-kissing. (Maybe more??)
You're a gig-This either means you're good craic, or you're gay.
Slaggon-making fun of someone.
Banther-joke insults. (May be spelled 'banter'.
Fadge--British slang for a woman's vagina.
Feck-the F bomb.
Camp-gay.
Words We are Not Allowed to Use in Belfast
Chick-as in, calling a girl a chick.
Movie threatre-It's called a Cinema here.
Cops-They're just called police. Or, the Five-Ohs.
Major-It's what you're studying! Or, as some say, "What are you doing?"
Minor-because nobody here has a minor in college.
Juice box-it's juice carton, or carton of juice.
Capische?-For the record, I did NOT say this one. My Creative Writing teacher said it, and everyone stared at him. I laughed really, really hard.
Ballpark Figure-I said this to my friend Tuesday in class once, and she snorted. She knew what it meant, but it ticked her to hear me say it, I guess.
Well, paint me blue and call me babe.-I really, really confused the girl I said this to. Which was good, because that's what I was going for.
Pronunciation
Norn Ireland-an abbreviation for "Northern Ireland." My dad has been abbreviating it as "No. Ireland" this whole time, which I find hilarious.
"Shut yer bake!"-Shut up!
"That's mingin',"-That's horrible!
"Are ya foundered?"-Are you cold?
"Wee dander"-a short walk.
"Meatwagon"-I may have the word wrong, but Jenny and Chelsea told me that this is slang for the box-shaped jeeps that the Irish police officers use. They look as if they can withstand flood, apocalypse, and murder, because they're practically mini-tanks. The name originates from the fact that the car looks like a meat box. Apparently.
Chavs-a type of person. Like we have the word "white trash" to represent unsavoury characters, a chav is a person who lives beyond their means, dresses in tight neon clothes, and tans themselves orange.
Gutted-Deeply unhappy. "I'm gutted." I am upset, unhappy.
Juice carton-Juice box.
Well spotted!-British slang for, well...you've got good eyesight, there. Coolio.
Keen-this isn't really slang. It was just used today by a Brit and I couldn't see an American saying it, so into the slang dictinary it goes.
Bangkor-Bangkor is actually a physical location; it's like people in Carleton saying making fun of people in Grosse Ile. It's where the rich people live. It's synonymous with posh.
Holy Lands-most Americans automatically think of Jerusalem when they hear this, but there are actually a bunch of streets named after the Middle East in a sketchy part of Belfast. You don't want to go there after dark.
Curt-kissing. (Maybe more??)
You're a gig-This either means you're good craic, or you're gay.
Slaggon-making fun of someone.
Banther-joke insults. (May be spelled 'banter'.
Fadge--British slang for a woman's vagina.
Feck-the F bomb.
Camp-gay.
Words We are Not Allowed to Use in Belfast
Chick-as in, calling a girl a chick.
Movie threatre-It's called a Cinema here.
Cops-They're just called police. Or, the Five-Ohs.
Major-It's what you're studying! Or, as some say, "What are you doing?"
Minor-because nobody here has a minor in college.
Juice box-it's juice carton, or carton of juice.
Capische?-For the record, I did NOT say this one. My Creative Writing teacher said it, and everyone stared at him. I laughed really, really hard.
Ballpark Figure-I said this to my friend Tuesday in class once, and she snorted. She knew what it meant, but it ticked her to hear me say it, I guess.
Well, paint me blue and call me babe.-I really, really confused the girl I said this to. Which was good, because that's what I was going for.
Pronunciation
Mirror--murrur
Car-kiar
Ireland-Oireland (Eireland)
Shower-shure
Aluminum-alluumineeum.
Scone-sk-on. Heavy on the "k".
Scone-sk-on. Heavy on the "k".
Alan Croft is a Belfast born deep sea scaffolder who moved to London to learn the English language and make his fortune by selling surgical wrestling boots to under privileged Mongolian immigrants. His love affair with England ended when he was given the cold shoulder by the Queen handing out tea and toast during renovation work at Windsor castle. Disillusioned following an unsuccessful 13 years of trying to teach the people of Reading, Berkshire to speak with a Belfast accent he packed up his digital alarm clock radio and headed to Canada.
ReplyDeleteHe now resides in Toronto and is president of the “Oi watch it club.” He spends his days writing and circumnavigating things. You can read it at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belfast-Laughter-1957-1977-Alan-Croft/dp/1634134095
Alan Croft is a Belfast born deep sea scaffolder who moved to London to learn the English language and make his fortune by selling surgical wrestling boots to under privileged Mongolian immigrants. His love affair with England ended when he was given the cold shoulder by the Queen handing out tea and toast during renovation work at Windsor castle. Disillusioned following an unsuccessful 13 years of trying to teach the people of Reading, Berkshire to speak with a Belfast accent he packed up his digital alarm clock radio and headed to Canada.
ReplyDeleteHe now resides in Toronto and is president of the “Oi watch it club.” He spends his days writing and circumnavigating things. You can read it at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belfast-Laughter-1957-1977-Alan-Croft/dp/1634134095