Ireland has some great slang words. Read on to discover a few you’ll only ever hear culchies using.
Ireland may be small, but its inhabitants are talented in the slang words they use in their daily vocabulary.
Culchies are no exception, with each county and rural area having their own few terms unique to its location.
If you’re a culchie and visit the next town over, you might even have to ask for a translation for some words. We’ve decided to translate ten slang words that only culchies use.
10. Middlin’ −“Ah sure, I’m only middlin.”
Middlin’ is a word used when someone asks how you are. It’s a word that can be used if you’re not exactly feeling good and yet not feeling that bad. ‘Middlin’ is a word to describe when you feel somewhere between the two.
9. Scut − “He’s an oul’ scut of a lad.”
Scut is a word used as a description for a generally unpleasant person. If someone asks what you think of a particular person, but you don’t have much praise to say about them, you can refer to them as a scut.
They probably won’t be too pleased if they overhear you saying this about them, though.
8. Mineral − “Oh, I’d love a mineral.”
Many older rural people use this word when discussing fizzy drinks. We’re not exactly sure why, but it’s definitely one of the slang words that only culchies use.
Still, some culchies will smile when they hear this, as it’s typically what their grandparents referred to as a fizzy drink. Bless.
7. Messages − “I’m going out to pick up the messages.”
Another one that is more commonly used by elder culchies. If you hear someone say they’re going out to pick up a few messages, it means they are going to the shops to pick up a few bits.
If you’re going out to pick up the messages, will you make sure and pick up a few tea bags while you’re at it?
6. Gowling −“Ah, sure, I’m only gowling.”
One of the slang words that only culchies use is “gowling”. Gowling is a word used to describe when someone is messing or joking.
This word is commonly used in areas of Limerick and Waterford. It can also be shortened to “gowl” to describe an annoying person.
You can find out more about slang words with this article on 25 Irish slang words you need to know.
5. Puss − “Wipe that puss off your face.”
A puss is a word used to describe someone’s face looks like when they’re upset and sulking. Its been commonly used in Ireland since the 1800s. We’re unsure of the etymology of this one, but it’s one of the slang words that only culchies use.
4. Hames − “He’s making a hames of that.”
When someone is doing something incorrectly, they are making a hames of it. It’s generally used if someone is doing something so badly, they’re making a mess. Another version of this sentiment would be, “He’s making a dog’s dinner out of that”.
3. Whisht − “Will you whisht til I hear what Joe Duffy is saying.”
Whisht is one of the most common slang words that only culchies use. It’s what a country person says when they want someone to be quiet. Usually, so they can hear something on the radio, or they just want someone to shut up.
2. Quare − “This pint is quare good.”
Quare is commonly used by culchies as a substitute for the word “very”. It can also be used to describe a peculiar or unconventional person; “Look at that quare lad over there”.
Sure we’re all a bit quare in our own way, aren’t we?
1. Ginnet − “Ah g’way ya ginnet.”
“Ah, g’way ya ginnet” means “Ah, go away, you fool”. A ginnet is a somewhat playful insult. Playful in that not many people know what it means, so it is pretty unassuming.
In fact, the word is a slang phrase for a mule. Note that the ‘g’ is used softly, so phonetically the word is “jin-it”. This is a much rarer word, but we like it and want to return it to popular vocabulary.
