Tories on bikes

So-called due to bicycles being commonly prescribed as an environmentally friendly form of personal transportation.

The only viable alternative for decades has been The Australian Greens, formerly a protest party, but now a progressive middle-class party. It’s a coalition of Tories on bikes, socially conscious baby boomers who live in architect-designed homes, and millennials who haven’t yet graduated from edgy liberalism to socialism.

2018 September 7, Ivan Mitchell, Daniel Lopez, “The Immodest Victorian Socialists”, in Jacobin, retrieved 2021-04-01:

A derogatory name for the Greens is "Tories on bikes"; they also oppose building on green belts around cities, and thus inadvertently encourage car commuting, with its attendant car pollution.

2019, Danny Dorling, Rule Britannia: Brexit and the End of Empire, Biteback Publishing, →ISBN, retrieved 2021-04-01:

But lest we forget the Green Party’s concern for the workers who make these cheap clothes in counties such as Bangladesh, the reality is that when it comes to employees’ rights they are merely Tories on bikes.

2020 September 11, Pat Flanagan, “Green Party out of touch with ordinary people and seem to like punishing poor”, in Irish Mirror, retrieved 2021-04-01:

(politics, derogatory, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand) Members or supporters of a Green Party who are politically conservative.


weeness

(Scotland, Ireland, Northern England, New Zealand) smallness


wodgy

en-adj

wodgy (comparative wodgier, superlative wodgiest)

wodgier (comparative)
wodgiest (superlative)

(colloquial, chiefly UK, Ireland) bulky, solid


Earl of Cork

(Ireland, slang, obsolete, card games) The ace of diamonds.


go on the mitch

en-verb

go on the mitch (third-person singular simple present goes on the mitch, present participle going on the mitch, simple past went on the mitch, past participle gone on the mitch)

goes on the mitch (present singular third-person)
going on the mitch (participle present)
went on the mitch (past)
gone on the mitch (participle past)

(Ireland, idiomatic) to skip school; to play truant


no word of a lie

(chiefly Ireland) No falsehood at all; the absolute truth.


without a word of a lie

(chiefly Ireland) With no falsehood at all; emphasizes that one is telling the absolute truth.


Jerry Lynch

It is now about the foulest specimen extant of that kind of backslum or alley where, a generation back, according to Hood, pigs and Irish were wont to rally. The pigs, except in the form of hocks, "Jerry Lynch" heads, and other portions of bacon, have been removed by Act of Parliament […]

1875, Henry Sampson, A History of Advertising from the Earliest Times, page 392:

(UK, Ireland, slang, obsolete) A pickled pig's head.


staggering bob

(UK, Ireland, obsolete) An animal slaughtered not long before it would have died from disease or accident.


bad scran to someone

(Ireland, archaic) A mild malediction of wishing that someone may have bad food.


cock one's toes

cock one's toes (third-person singular simple present cocks one's toes, present participle cocking one's toes, simple past and past participle cocked one's toes)

cocks one's toes (present singular third-person)
cocking one's toes (participle present)
cocked one's toes (participle past)
cocked one's toes (past)

I'll be well pickled by the time I'm ready to cock my toes!

1951, The Irish Monthly, volume 79, page 191:

Captain Giles: Fianna Fáil would like to see you cock your toes but I hope they will not be able.

1955, Ireland. Oireachtas. Dáil, Díosbóireachtaí Párlaiminte: Tuairisc Oifigiúil, volume 151, page 123:


Grace's card

(Ireland, card games) The six of hearts.


aeroplane mode

en-noun

aeroplane mode (countable and uncountable, plural aeroplane modes)

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Canada, South Africa, Malaysia) Alternative form of airplane mode.


changedale

(Ireland, historical) A system of land tenure in which fields were reallotted when they went out of cultivation.


eidently

en-adv

eidently (comparative more eidently, superlative most eidently)

more eidently (comparative)
most eidently (superlative)

(Scotland, Ireland) Busily, industriously, diligently.


fagless

en-adj

fagless (comparative more fagless, superlative most fagless)

more fagless (comparative)
most fagless (superlative)

She gave him the whole cigarette and he swaggered back to the group, flaunting his trophy to the fagless.

(UK, Ireland, colloquial) Without a cigarette.


all-Ireland

(British, Ireland) The Republic of Ireland and the British Northern Ireland collectively.


as the gull flies

From the fact that whilst gulls fly to their source of food, their flight bypasses obstacles like rivers and terrain. Compare beeline.

It is 240 miles as the gull flies.

(UK, Ireland, idiomatic) In a straight line distance between two locations, as opposed to the road distance or over land distance.


craic killer

From craic (borrowed from Irish craic, itself borrowed from Northern English crack, inherited from Middle English crak (“loud conversation, bragging talk”)) + killer.

der

(Ireland, Northern England) Something or someone that spoils an otherwise enjoyable event.

dampener

something or someone who spoils an enjoyable event


fluthered

en-adj

fluthered (comparative more fluthered, superlative most fluthered)

more fluthered (comparative)
most fluthered (superlative)

c. 19th century, J. M. Crofts (attributed), "The Irish Rover"
There was ol' Mickey Coote
Who played hard on his flute
When the ladies lined up for a set
He was tootin' with skill
For each sparkling quadrille
Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet


Yankland

(slang, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, UK, sometimes derogatory) The United States.


begorry

(Ireland) Alternative spelling of begorra.


compulsory purchase order

en-noun

compulsory purchase order (plural compulsory purchase orders)

The plans also required several Compulsory Purchase Orders to acquire nearby land.

2021 July 28, Peter Plisner, “The race to the Games has begun”, in RAIL, number 936, page 57:

(law, UK, Ireland) An order made, usually for the purchase of land required for a construction project.


arsebiscuit

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang, vulgar) Alternative form of arse biscuit.


arse biscuit

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, vulgar, slang) A piece of dried excrement that remains attached to the hair of the anus.


gneeve

Borrowed from Irish gníomh, from Old Irish gním, from Proto-Celtic *gnīmus, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁-.

(Ireland) A twelfth part of a ploughland / carucate


puckaun

Riley's puckaun again, said Mr. Nolan, I can smell him from here.

1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:


spider's ankles

Origin uncertain; presumably one of the set including cat's pyjamas (which see).

(Ireland, slang) Something that is regarded as outstanding.


international football

international rules football
international rules football#English

Australian rules football
Australian rules football

(Ireland, Australia) Ellipsis of international rules football (“a melded football code that blends Gaelic football with Australian rules football”).


star prisoner

Of the remaining 469 wives 256 were wives of star prisoners, and 213 wives of recidivists.

1965, Pauline Morris, Political and Economic Planning (Think tank), Prisoners and Their Families (page 73)

I was a 'Star-Prisoner', so-called because, as a 'First-Timer', I had to wear a red star on the sleeve of my prison jacket.

2010, Ron S. King, The Cuckoo's Nest, page 214:

First, you're classed as a YP (young prisoner) if you're under 21. If it's your first time in prison, they class you as a star prisoner and that separates you from the ones who have been inside before.

(UK, Ireland) A person in prison for the first time.


statutory instrument

statutory instrument (plural statutory instruments)

delegated legislation
delegated legislation

(UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, law) In some common law jurisdictions, a form of delegated legislation enacted under a power derived from an act of parliament.


face like the back end of a bus

(UK, Ireland, informal, idiomatic) A very ugly face.


away in a hack

Jimmy had said to me earlier 'the trick is to give them what they want' and it doesn't take long to work out that its laughs and tears, and if you can work a nice bust in a tight sweater in the story, you're away in a hack.

(Ireland, informal) Doing well; embarked on a successful course of action.


pot noodle

'Just a pot noodle. Oh - and I found a tin of dog food on the tool shelf.'
Misery hissed through Lister's gritted teeth. 'Well,' he said finally. 'Pretty obvious what gets eaten last. I can't stand pot noodles.'

1990, Rob Grant, Doug Naylor, Better Than Life:


busy as a nailer

So the Colonel went down stairs, and the Ould Fellow worked away as busy as a nailer, shovellin' in the guineas by hundherds and thousands.

1832 Samuel Lover "The Devil's Mill" Legends and Stories of Ireland (Dublin: Wakeman) 2nd ed., p. 139

The result was obvious; the nailer was no longer “as busy as a nailer,” and there was no prospect that he ever would be fully employed.

1888, Pennsylvania Secretary of Internal Affairs, Bureau of Industrial Statistics; Annual Report for 1887 (Harrisburg: E. K. Meyers) "G: The Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers" p. 24

… she would be as busy as a nailer in the Abbey Shop ensuring that Mass cards were ready for those who came, and helping out in any other way she could.

2017 May 30, Noel Dundon, "Appreciation: The Late Eileesh Quirke, Holycross" Tipperary Star (Thurles)

(simile, idiomatic, dated, Ireland) working constantly.


summer holiday

summer holiday (countable and uncountable, plural summer holidays)

(UK, Ireland) A school break in summer between school years and the break in the school academic year.


summer holidays

(UK, Ireland) Alternative form of summer holiday.


outhalf

DAVID HUMPHREYS, who played very well for Ireland A against Scotland a fortnight ago, gets another chance to impress the national selectors when he plays for Ulster at outhalf against New South Wales at Ravenhill next Tuesday night.

2021 January 5, “Ulster's finest get chance to impress”, in The Irish Times:


collective title

collective title (plural collective titles)

(law, UK, Ireland, formerly Hong Kong) A title given to a collection of related acts (or other pieces of legislation) to facilitate citation.

Offences against the State Acts 1939–1998


Leaving Cert

Leaving Certificate
Leaving Certificate#English

(Ireland, slang) Clipping of Leaving Certificate.

As we passed some of the Leaving Certs clustered heavily on the middle corridor, their arms wrapped around their books and Norma Bolton said, 'who's wearing the flyspray?' 'Don't take any notice,' Colette said. 'They're only jealous.

2013 June 6, Martina Evans, Midnight Feast, Bloom Books, →ISBN:

(Ireland, slang) A student in their 6th year of secondary school.


Junior Cert

Junior Certificate
Junior Certificate#English

(Ireland, slang) Clipping of Junior Certificate.

(Ireland, slang) A student in their 3rd year of secondary school.


Intermediate Certificate

Intermediate Certificate (countable and uncountable, plural Intermediate Certificates)

(Ireland, dated) A certificate awarded to Irish students who passed the state examinations at the end of the third or fourth year of a voluntary secondary school or boarding school.

Teastas Idirmheánach

certificate awarded to Irish students who passed the state examinations at the end of the third or fourth year of a voluntary secondary school or boarding school before 1992


Inter Cert

The majority of pupils in both secondary and vocational schools left after the Inter Cert. An Inter Cert was enough to secure a job in the Civil Service. Those who remained until the Leaving Cert were a truly privileged minority.

2018 August 8, Ruth Illingworth, A 1950s Irish Childhood: From Catapults to Communion Medals, The History Press, →ISBN:

Intermediate Certificate
Intermediate Certificate#English

(Ireland, slang) Clipping of Intermediate Certificate.

(Ireland, slang, dated) A student in their 3rd or 4th year of secondary school.


TYs

(Ireland, slang) Students doing a transition year.


arsewash

From arse + wash, possibly based on hogwash or eyewash.

I take it you people are just taking the piss and really aren't as dumb as you convey yourselves. Micro$oft great?!? Arse-wash. And turpentine.

1998 July 24, Damien Joyce, “I Think Microsoft Is Just Dandy! What's All The Fuss About?”, in comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy (Usenet), retrieved 2022-02-20:

What a load of unctuous arsewash! He may well choose to argue that the moon is made of green cheese. If he did my disagreement would hardly indicate a failure to understand his argument - it would indicate that it was a jar of mouldy old cock.

2001 October 14, Mr Q. Z. Diablo, “Does Death deter?”, in alt.activism.death-penalty (Usenet), retrieved 2022-02-20:

General rule is, if me or I works, use them. Try changing the person in the sentence.
Examples.
"They very kindly invited his sister and himself to the inuaguration"
"He himself doesn't like a heavy meal at lunchtime."
Both clearly complete arsewash.

2004 February 18, Alex, “Here's a question”, in alt.babylon5.uk (Usenet), retrieved 2022-02-20:

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, vulgar, slang) Nonsense.


dole merchant

'So long as yer not a dole merchant. I've had dole merchants afore an' they're nowt but trouble.' It took Rosie less than a week to cause trouble. She'd gone to bed early to save money on the electric fire. Where they'd been hibernating[…]

2011 December 15, Ken McCoy, Two Rings For Rosie, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

(Ireland, slang, derogatory) A person who does not contribute to society and who lives off welfare.


dardaol

(Ireland) A kind of beetle, the devil's coach-horse.


The North of Ireland

/ˈðiː nɔɹθ ɒv ˈaɪə(ɹ)lənd/

Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland#English

(Ireland) Alternative form of Northern Ireland.


arrestable offence

arrestable offence (plural arrestable offences)

From arrestable + offence. First defined and introduced in English law by the Criminal Law Act 1967 (c. 58).

(criminal law, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, historical in UK) A criminal offence such that the offender may be arrested without warrant.

Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005


fraughan

fraughans (plural)
fraochan (alternative)
fraghan (alternative)
frawn (alternative)

Borrowed from Irish fraochán (“blueberry, bilberry”).

bor+

Unlike the Wicklow Gold Mines at Mount Croughan, / Where thrives that Lilliputian Tree, the Fraughan.

1824, Rory O'Reilly, Retrospection, Dublin: J. Carrick & Son, page 2:

His bare feet, as they trod the heather and fraughan beneath them , sent a thrill of primitive ecstacy to his expectant mind.

1906, W. M. Letts, “Paudeen in the Woods”, in Temple Bar, volume 1, London: Macmillan & Co., page 553:

Over the centuries and over the seasons, fruit gathering became woven into the fabric of Irish rural life and the fraughan, being the first of the wild berries to ripen, was the occasion for an outing.

2018 May 3, Margaret Hickey, Ireland’s Green Larder: The Definitive History of Irish Food, Unbound, →ISBN, page 38:

Vaccinium myrtillus
Vaccinium myrtillus#Translingual

(Ireland) The bilberry or whortleberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).


Lurgan champagne

(Ireland, slang) Buckfast Tonic Wine, a brand of fortified wine.


smoked salmon socialist

en-noun

smoked salmon socialist (plural smoked salmon socialists)

champagne socialist
champagne socialist#English

(Ireland) Synonym of champagne socialist.


pain in one's arse

(Commonwealth, UK, Ireland, sometimes considered, vulgar) Synonym of pain in the ass.


Knackerville

Travelling Community
Travelling Community

(Ireland, derogatory, offensive, ethnic slur) An area mainly populated by members of the Travelling Community/Gypsies.


birdeen

The birdeens in the green bushes sang for joy when they saw her blue eyes.

1896, William Sharp, The washer of the ford, and other legendary moralities, page 56:


running and racing

I was running and racing earlier trying to get to the meeting on time.

(Ireland) To be in a rush or all over the place


fish-and-chipper

Next morning I phoned McKinley from the kiosk around the corner and made a point of meeting up with him at a nearby fish-and-chipper.

2011 April 25, Gardiner M. Weir, A World of Dreams: Scots-Irish Short Stories and Poems, PublishAmerica, →ISBN:

I could get thirty shillings in the local fish-and-chipper on a Saturday night.

2013 April 10, Zoe Miller, The Compromise, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

And don't forget the smell of the fish-and-chipper on a cold winter's night; sometimes they even smelt better than they tasted!

2015 March 3, Éamonn MacThomáis, Me Jewel and Darlin' Dublin, The O'Brien Press, →ISBN:


oven chip

(UK, Ireland, mostly plural) A frozen chip or fry intended to be cooked at home in an oven.


gobshell

From Irish gob (“mouth”) + seile (“spittle”).

He fetched a phlegm and a gobshell splashed in the bladderwrack.

2001, Jamie O’Neill, At Swim, Two Boys, London: Scribner, Part 2, Chapter 18, p. 531:

(Ireland) A glob of saliva and/or phlegm projected out of a person's mouth.


arsehood

Thanksgiving week in the US, and list traffic slows to a dribble, but the range of topics is impressive: acrophobia, palsy, Feleki's instrument, business cards, Chomsky's politics, homonymity, the 1942 Cocoanut Grove disaster, the language of arsehood.

1992 November 30, BGRI...@ukcc.uky.edu, “Words-L Weekly Digest”, in bit.listserv.words-l (Usenet), retrieved 2022-06-12:

I think I shall just have to reisng myself to arsehood.

2003 May 29, Lodestone, “[I] Pronounceable Passwords”, in alt.fan.pratchett (Usenet), retrieved 2022-06-12:

No need to explain, old chap; the reason is readily apparent. You do it because you are an arse. It seems that your arsehood is widely recognised.

2003 December 9, Adam Kennedy, “Rotting flesh”, in alt.politics.british (Usenet), retrieved 2022-06-12:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) The state or quality of being an arse.


spunktrumpet

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-spunktrumpet.wav

> So why did you buy a GS500, Twatty?
'cos he's a spunktrumpet :)

2009 July 12, Nige, “Changes”, in uk.rec.motorcycles (Usenet), retrieved 2022-06-14:

As many pointed out to him in replies, there is presently a relationship in place! Some of the insults:
...you are one confused bag of mince.
...you boil-in-the-bag rent-a-clown.
...YOU ARSE-CHEEKED BOLLOCK-WAGON
...you incompetent ventriloquist-dummy-faced spunktrumpet
...you reprehensible spam faced tool bag!
...you back stabbing cockwomble!
...You're an absolute wankcrumpet
...you haunted pork mannequin.
...you plonker.
...mate you're a pie
...You gigantic plumb
...Every now and then there is a mix up during circumcisions and they keep the wrong f---ing bit!

2016 July 5, Mack A. Damia, “Brexit Fallout”, in alt.usage.english (Usenet), retrieved 2022-07-16:

>Douchebag!
Spunktrumpet!
This is fun. How's the duck pond?

2019 August 19, GovShill, “[It's Official!] The Right Wing Experiment Has Failed America”, in aus.politics (Usenet), retrieved 2022-07-16:

On 4/6/2020 5:42 PM, Sygmund_F aka FUCKTARD, aka Lying Gerry Binder, aka Sigmund Froyd, aka Walt_M, aka Nurse Ratched, aka waltmitty, aka N=N+1, aka The Joker, aka Foghorn, aka Hurty McButt-Hurt, aka La Cockroach, aka Putin's Bitch, aka Chicken Little, aka Nutsack Ratfuck aka Suckman_Fucktard a communist lying blowhard troll, welfare fraudster fucknut, terrorist sympathizing, dole-bludging, anal retentive limpdick, race-baiting, Net Cop Spider, Wanker Spider, Humourless Git Spider, Control Freak Spider, racist anarchist, cry-bully, village idiot, ass-licking, sperm guzzling, cock snogging, scrotum sucking, bum banging, pig fucking, Fritz admiring, animal fondling, wank cloth, spunk trumpet, thunder cunt, waste-of-rations, spunk bubble horrenda-cunt, terrorist-supporting, spittle-flecked, mean-spirited, bigoted freak, social justice glitter-warrior, fucknugget card carrying member of the Aussie Nazi Party with a GOD complex whined:

2020 April 7, Gerrys Worst Nightmare, “OT - Tinker, Tailor, Mobster, Trump”, in alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (Usenet), retrieved 2022-07-16:

I wonder what names Henderson was called at school. He must have went^([sic]) to some real shithole to learn to behave the way he does. Unless of course he was educated at home, then it all makes sense, he will have gone through full idiot training and came through as a fully fledged spunktrumpet.

2020 May 6, max.it, “All bets are off”, in uk.sport.cricket (Usenet), retrieved 2022-07-16:

(slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, humorous) An obnoxious or contemptible person.


Larkinism

From Larkin + -ism, named after James Larkin.

(Ireland, politics, historical) The syndicalist political philosophy of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, which espoused a mix of industrial unionism and socialist republicanism.


Larkinist

From Larkin + -ist, named after James Larkin.

(Ireland, politics, historical) A proponent of Larkinism.


crawthumping

(Ireland, colloquial) ostentatiously pious


give someone their cards

en-verb

give someone their cards (third-person singular simple present gives someone their cards, present participle giving someone their cards, simple past gave someone their cards, past participle given someone their cards)

gives someone their cards (present singular third-person)
giving someone their cards (participle present)
gave someone their cards (past)
given someone their cards (participle past)
hand someone his cards (alternative)

HEAD WAITER: It’s filthy! Gaston, find out who washed this up and give them their cards immediately!

1969 October 19, J Graham Chapman, John Clees, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, 16:38 from the start, in Monty Python’s Flying Circus (How to Recognise Different Types of Tree from Quite a Long Way Away) (1), episode 3 (TV series), spoken by Head Waiter (Michael Palin):

Her noble husband, in urgent need of an heir, has dispatched her here with instructions to get herself into working order; should this not come to pass, Monica will be given her cards and told to vacate the premises so that Sir John can make alternative arrangements.

1984, Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac, Penguin, published 2016, page 80:

I looked up at him as he turned his back and a few minutes later, the foreman brought me up and reluctantly gave me my cards as the boss, the horrid face of capital, had sacked me for not wearing protective boots.

2016, R. Pollard, Invisible Pleasures, page 90:

(idiomatic, slang, British, Ireland) To dismiss someone from employment; to fire or make redundant.


hand someone their cards

hand someone their cards (third-person singular simple present hands someone their cards, present participle handing someone their cards, simple past and past participle handed someone their cards)

hands someone their cards (present singular third-person)
handing someone their cards (participle present)
handed someone their cards (participle past)
handed someone their cards (past)
give someone his cards (alternative)

To begin with, you were not sacked; it was you who gave notice.[…]Upon which he handed me my cards and my wages.

1950, Miklos Laszlo, And the Snow Falls: A Play in Three Acts, page 29:

Now they say that times are hard and they’ve handed me my cards. They say there’s not the work to go around. And when the whistle blows, the gates will finally close. Tonight they’re going to shut this factory down. Then they’ll tear it d-o-w-n

1985, “Ordinary Man”, in Ordinary Man, performed by Christy Moore, produced by Dónal Lunny:

I was handed my cards yesterday and so today I’m looking for a new job.

2020 October 16, Salmi Khan Anmol, The Oldman’s English Lessons: An English Book, page 1667:


tip it down

tip it down (third-person singular simple present tips it down, present participle tipping it down, simple past and past participle tipped it down)

tips it down (present singular third-person)
tipping it down (participle present)
tipped it down (participle past)
tipped it down (past)
tip down (alternative)

It's tipping it down out there.

(impersonal, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, informal) To rain very heavily.


illitisation

en-noun

illitisation (countable and uncountable, plural illitisations)

UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa spelling of illitization.


restructurisation

restructurisation (countable and uncountable, plural restructurisations)

UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa spelling of restructurization.


controlled drug

controlled drug (plural controlled drugs)

controlled substance
controlled substance#English

(UK, Ireland, Singapore) Synonym of controlled substance.


cauldron arse

(UK, Ireland, mining slang, vulgar, obsolete) Synonym of cauldron bottom.


parlatic

en-adj

parlatic (comparative more parlatic, superlative most parlatic)

more parlatic (comparative)
most parlatic (superlative)

(Ireland) Syncopic form of paralytic (“very drunk”).


Senior Counsel

head

Senior Counsel (plural Senior Counsel or Senior Counsels, abbreviation SC)

Senior Counsel (plural)
Senior Counsels (plural)
SC (abbreviation)

The two Senior Counsels, who were very familiar with each other, were addressing one another as ‘Mister’, while I was addressing both by their Christian names.

2013, Peter Quinn, “Becoming a Target”, in The Outsider, Lucan, Dublin: Irish Sports Publishing, →ISBN, page 187:

He’s a deputy director of public prosecutions, one of only three Senior Counsel in his division, with an office on the sixth floor of the Innes Court building on Pritchard Street in downtown Johannesburg.

2016, Alex Eliseev, chapter 28, in Cold Case Confession: Unravelling the Betty Ketani Murder, Johannesburg: Pan Macmillan South Africa, →ISBN, page 149:

(Ireland, Hong Kong, Commonwealth outside of the realm, law) An honorific status officially conferred on senior or meritorious barristers (and occasionally other kinds of lawyer).


roysh

He pours himself another drink, roysh, sits down at the table and puts his head in his hands, so I get up, grab a pack of Kettle Chips and a handful of, like, funsize Mars bars out of the cupboard and stort moseying up to my room.

2003, Paul Howard, “‘Ross is, like, such an arrogant bastard.’ Discuss.”, in The Teenage Dirtbag Years, Dublin: The O’Brien Press, published 2004, →ISBN, page 26:

Ireland are 6-3 up at half-time, but they're playing kack. The next thing, roysh, Didier arrives in. It's, like, bonjours all round at the beginning, roysh, […]

2008, Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, This Champagne Mojito is the Last Thing I Own, Penguin UK, →ISBN:

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(Ireland) Pronunciation spelling of right, used to check agreement at the end of an utterance.


cat's melody

The wife within is sending the curses thick and heavy on me, and the childre's playing the cat's melody to keep her in comfort.

1860 William Carleton "The Three Wishes; An Irish legend" Irish Life and Character; or, Tales and stories of the Irish peasantry p. 333 (London: Henry Lea)

You vegetable cat's melody!
Your Concert Miaulant is
A triumph o' discord shairly

1926, Hugh MacDiarmid, A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle:

'This is completely absurd,' I heard him say, his voice barely audible above the screaming that had now started. 'Believe me, I never —'
Then all we could see was writhing.
And sounds I don't care to try to represent or transcribe: what used to be called the cat's melody.

2016, Adrian Barnes, “Day 4; Accidental Colours”, in Nod, London: Titan, →ISBN:


cat melodeon

Compare cat (“terrible”) and cat's melody. Ciaran Carson suggests the influence of Irish cat marbh or cat mara; literally "dead cat"/"sea cat", figuratively "calamity".

catmalogen (alternative)
cat malogen (alternative)
cat melodium (alternative)

We're fed up of
festivals and funerals
and Munster Finals
with backs that were
cat melodeon.

1997, Michael Coady, “The Longest Puck”, in All Souls, Gallery Press, →ISBN, page 65:

Cllr Danny Collins (Ind) pointed out that half of West Cork doesn’t have phone coverage either, and that the situation with broadband was ‘cat melodeon’.

2016 April 18, “Broadband service is ‘cat melodeon'”, in The Southern Star:

I'm going to do something cat-melodeon wrong and say you did it and everyone will believe me.

2019, Conor Bowman, chapter 11, in Hughie Mittman's Fear of Lawnmowers, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

(Ireland, informal) Terrible, appalling; of very poor quality.

2021 Christy Moore and Wally Page, "Zozimus & Zimmerman"
The lights went down and the crowd went cat melodeon
We were all revved up and ready to engage
Having hitch hiked all the way from Minnesota
Zimmerman was there before us on the stage

(Ireland, informal) Cacophonous; raucous.


dischargeant

Every charge and discharge shall be verified by the affidavit of the chargeant and dischargeant respectively, unless the Court shall otherwise allow.

1904, Great Britain, Statutory Rules and Orders Other Than Those of a Local, Personal, Or Temporary Character, page 557:

(Ireland, law, possibly obsolete) The person who is called on to discharge a charge placed by the chargeant.


dolehead

doleheads (plural)
dole head (alternative)

Paddy was a dolehead who was too lazy to ever work a day in his life.

(Ireland, slang) An unemployed person who has no intention of seeking a job, and survives on government-funded unemployment benefits.


fuidhir

(Ireland, historical) In ancient Ireland, a manual laborer without property.


I will yeah

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-I will yeah.wav

Judge Olann Kelleher asked the accused if he would be willing to do community service in order to avoid a jail term. Arundel replied: "I will yeah."

2022 June 15, Liam Heylin, “Drunk Cork man stood outside family home shouting 'f***ing scumbags'”, in Irish Examiner:

So, what’s the appeal you ask? Is it the privacy? The people? The pints? Honestly, I think it’s a combination of all three… and myriad others. Buttery spuds, Tayto sambos, saying "I will yeah" when you really mean no; those are a few of my favourite things.

2022 August 23, Sarah Finnan, “A love letter to Ireland (from your favourite Hollywood celebs)”, in IMAGE Magazine:


in good bread

You are at present in good bread, but were you out of place, I could expect nothing from such a one as you, but to become a burden to my family.

1754, John Breues, Fortunate Lovers: Or, the Most Successful Arts Used in Honourable Courtship […], page 23:

By these Means I established myself in good Bread, and a numerous Set of good Acquaintance of both Sexes.

1755, Peter Drake, The Memoirs of Capt. Peter Drake: Containing, An Account of many Strange and Surprising Events […], volume 2, page 229:

This mode of life suited me exceedingly: I found myself in good bread, and resolved to go on; but the caprice of my stars never suffered me to be what I wished.

1791, [William Beckford], transl., Popular Tales of the Germans […], volume 2, page 176:

(obsolete, British, Ireland, slang) In a fortunate or favorable position.


shitehead

(chiefly UK, Ireland, vulgar, very uncommon) Alternative form of shithead.


shathead

(UK, Ireland) Alternative form of shithead.


lapcock

(Ireland, archaic) An armful or roll of grass laid down on the sward to dry for hay.


the job is oxo

Catch her in an emotional environment and if the chemicals of attraction are correctly and sensitively pestle mixed, the job is oxo.

2005, Bryan MacMahon, Hero Town, page 131:

I've no idea what they're going on about - it's all mahogany gaspipe to me - but next thing Brendan tips me the nod and a wink and gives me to understand that the job is oxo.

1993, Colbert Kearney, The Consequence, Blackstaff Press, →ISBN, page 277:

(Ireland) Everything is satisfactory; things are fine.


Kerryman joke

(Ireland) A joke poking fun at the people from Kerry in Ireland.


meat sceptre

Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and UK standard spelling of meat scepter.


jinnet

This morning the Bishop of Ross has sent to me for a passport for the Abbot of Lindores, his kinsman, who takes with him a Spanish jinnet, and means to go from Dieppe to England, and so into Scotland.

1863, Great Britain Public Record Office, Calendar of State Papers, Foreign Series, of the Reign of Elizabeth: Preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty’s Public Record Office Volume 14, page 206:

“It was herself sent Jamesy Doyle for the jinnet, Judy; I heerd her tellin’ him to put plenty of straw into the cart.

1870, Robert Curtis, Rory of the Hills: An Irish Tale, page 214:

CHAPTER XLVII. An act to regulate the straying of stock, in certain counties therein named. Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That hereafter when any stray horse, mare, colt, mule, Jack, or jinnet, shall be found on the plantation or land of any citizen of this State […]

1898, Hans Peter Nielsen Gammel, Cadwell Walton Raines, George Preston Finlay, David Edward Simmons, The Laws of Texas 1822-1897, page 685:

A jinnet he had and the White Knight he used to call him. That same jinnet was a born gentleman.

1960, John B. Keane, Sharon’s Grave: A Folk Play in Two Acts, page 27:

We had a jinnet and a cart and a tent. Sometimes the farmers would let us sleep in their sheds when we we’re working on the farms.

1997, Paddy O’Gorman, Paddy’s People, page 70:

(chiefly Ireland) Alternative form of jennet.

Isn’t it disgraceful you? Yes, I said. So why are you laughing, you jinnet.

2011 April 10, Dermot Healy, Long Time, No See, page 107:

She was only codding. Or ‘acting the jinnet’ as his da called it. Man, dear, but your mother’s an awful woman for acting the jinnet,’ he’d say.

2012 July 12, Pat McCabe, The Dead School, page 3:

‘You’re looking very tired - did she keep you awake?’ ‘No, she’s as good as gold.’ ‘Not like him, he’s a crying jinnet.

2013 July 25, Elaine Crowley, The Ways Of Women:

(Ireland, by extension) A stupid person; an ass.


act the jinnet

en-verb

act the jinnet (third-person singular simple present acts the jinnet, present participle acting the jinnet, simple past and past participle acted the jinnet)

acts the jinnet (present singular third-person)
acting the jinnet (participle present)
acted the jinnet (participle past)
acted the jinnet (past)

(Ireland) Alternative form of act the jennet.


machree

From Irish mo chroí (literally “my heart”).


shut one's gob

shut one's gob (third-person singular simple present shuts one's gob, present participle shutting one's gob, simple past and past participle shut one's gob)

shuts one's gob (present singular third-person)
shutting one's gob (participle present)
shut one's gob (participle past)
shut one's gob (past)

Why don't you just shut your gob? I'm tired of listening to you.

(idiomatic, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland) To stop talking; to be quiet.


hard word

[…] but, I don't know how it was, I didn't at all feel comfortable with the priests; for you see I'd rather sport my day figure with the boys and girls upon the green: so I gives Jack the hard word,* and in we went, when, behold you, there was Father Corrigan planted upon the side of a Settle, Mary along with him, […]

1834 [1830], William Carleton, “Shane Fadh's Wedding”, in Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, 3rd edition, Dublin: William Frederick Wakeman, pages 179–180:

My Parsee […] assured me that if only he had the hard word about Linois's whereabouts, he and his associates would make lakh upon lakh of rupees.

(Ireland, Australia) A tip-off, or piece of inside information; a password.


noncery

The nonces abided, trading photographs of their victims like soccer stars. […] They saw themselves as avuncular – and had often introduced one another to children as ‘uncle’; they were generous, and had frequently been apprehended by the police, carrying toys, looking for a child to give them to. […] The nonces abided, plotting certain revolutionary acts that would enable them to advance the cause of noncery. They factored in social hypocrisy, but on the whole still considered that things would have changed by the time they got out, attitudes would have matured. Their ‘liberation’ of certain youthful citizens would be seen as just that: the freeing of tender souls into the warmth and bonhomie of a full relationship with someone older. Much older.

1998, Will Self, Tough, Tough Toys for Tough, Tough Boys, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, pages 217–218:

Reformed paedophile Wishbone Fencefold, who gave up noncery when the practice was outlawed in the early 90s, has claimed that offenders just don’t fancy fat kids.

2006 May 8, “Mr Chuffy Investigates… Why obesity is phat”, in Quench, volume 3, number 38, Cardiff University Students’ Union:

He might eventually have as much as fifty per cent of previous erectile function, though it’ll take a while. — Bit naive of him, wasn’t it? Very trusting. Didn’t he whiff set-up? — Nah, cause this bird knew this geezer’s MO. Book a high-class escort girl and a suite at somewhere tasty, like the Ritz or the Savoy; in this case it was the Savoy. […] — Agreed. Sounds like high noncery to me, mate. — Noncery of the highest bleedin order, Hollis booms, as a nearby couple briefly turn round. — Well, I ain’t gonna shut up and play foot soldier for cover-up wankers!

2022, Irvine Welsh, The Long Knives, Random House, →ISBN:

Noncery is not just the domain of the paedophile, but by deﬁnition of the word it is the domain of anyone attempting to deprive the British public of an innocence they can’t get back.

2022 February, Dan Bennett, “E-Girls, Dear Boy, E-Girls; How Streamers Nearly Brought Down British Parliament”, in The Lemon Press, number 51, University of York, page 16:

(UK, Ireland, slang) The behaviour of a sex offender; paedophilia.


armourplast

Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and UK spelling of armorplast.


'kin 'ell

'kin' 'ell (alternative)
kin 'ell (alternative)

‘But that’s not really fair on either of them,’ I say, desperately playing devil’s advocate. Come up with a good answer, Pete, please. / ‘’Kin ’ell, mate, life’s not fair,’ says Pete, getting up.

2002, Simon Brooke, chapter 16, in Upgrading: A Novel, London: Orion Books, →ISBN, page 223:

I remember playing Bradford City and getting booed off at half-time because it was only 1–0. I was thinking, ’Kin ’ell, we’ve played well there – we just haven’t scored enough.

2016 August, Simon Hughes, quoting Neil Mellor, “Neil Mellor, Kirkby Graduate”, in Ring of Fire: Liverpool into the 21st Century: The Players’ Stories, London: Bantam Press, →ISBN, page 143:

‘’Kin ’ell, Tom – ’scuse me French.’ He grinned at Matty. ‘I didn’t know you’d be here. I thought you’d give us lot the ’eave oh.’

2016 November, Mary Gibson, “All in the Family: August–September 1931”, in Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams (The Factory Girls; 4), London: Head of Zeus, published 2017, →ISBN, page 197:

(UK, Ireland, vulgar) Clipping of fucking hell.


scalpeen

(Ireland, historical) An improvised shelter made by laying branches over a ditch or similar.


scullog

(Ireland, historical) A yeoman or petty farmer.


philliloo

They talk, they laugh, they dance, they make a row — / Kick up a philliloo.

1842, Joseph Thomas J. Hewlett, Poetry for the Million, page 31:

And iver since thin, on that day, / They kill him agin that same way, / Wid shticks and wid shtones, / Philliloos and loud groans, / In short, there's the divil to pay.

1874, Joseph Barnard, Among the gods, and other poems, page 101:

Dubious as this charge sounded, it added to the general philliloo.

1968, Helen Lawrenson, Latins are Still Lousy Lovers, page 69:


traheen

(Ireland, archaic) The leg of a stocking whose foot part has worn away.


sleveen

(Ireland, Newfoundland) An untrustworthy or cunning person.


stock pot

In this country, the product - a concentrated stock sold in a four-pack of small tubs, each of which makes three and a half cups of broth - is called Knorr Homestyle Stock. Other names in markets around the world include Knorr Stock Pot, Knorr Marmite de Bouillon and Knorr Bouillon Pur.

2011 September 12, Stuart Elliott, “Unilever Tries to Corner 'Stock' Market”, in NYTimes.com, archived from the original on 2011-09-25:

In order to show customers that the product is presented in a wet format, Coley Porter Bell has added a stock pot shaped cut out to reveal the actual product.[…]Having recently redesigned the core Oxo Cubes packaging to be more modern and iconic, we wanted to take the essence of that work into the new Oxo Stock Pot design.

2015 September 15, Tony Corbin, “New Coley Porter Bell-designed Oxo range unveiled”, in www.packagingnews.co.uk, archived from the original on 2015-09-20:

Continental stock pot - chicken: One unit contains four handy pots, each one making 2 cups of stock.

2017 May 14, Bronwen King, “Is packet stock as good as homemade?”, in stuff.co.nz:

[…] a quick Twitter survey reveals the Michelin-garlanded Marco Pierre White is not alone in his devotion to jellied stock pots, while I prefer organic cubes (won't someone think of the chickens?).

2017 October 9, Felicity Cloake, “Can't be bothered to make stock? Here are the ways to keep cooking simple”, in TheGuardian.com, archived from the original on 2017-10-09:

(cooking, British, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand) A mass-produced plastic container of a standard size and shape containing a gelatinous bouillon.


arse-up

(UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, slang, vulgar) A mistake or blunder; a cock-up.


bostoon

bostoons (plural)
bosthoon (alternative)


ledgebag

Dinner isn't for three hours. If you're Someone's Cousin (see here) you can probably drink right through and become the ledgebag with his tie around his head for Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' but not everyone can manage that.

If ever there was proof of what a total ledgebag I am, I fucking step foot into a bog for the first time in my life and find a fucking bog body.

2017, Blindboy Boatclub, The Gospel According to Blindboy in 15 Short Stories:

(Ireland, slang) Synonym of lege (“a legend; a person held in high regard”).


ice lol

[…]the others are rooting through the freezer in hot pursuit of the ice-lols.

2019 February 16, Donncha O'Callaghan, “Six Nations: England may be onto something with this 'tempo percentage' lark”, in TimesOnline:

(British, Ireland, Commonwealth, colloquial) Clipping of ice lolly.


Mr Freeze

In Britain from the name of the British freeze pop brand Mr Freeze, created in 1966 and since produced by a series of British and Irish companieshttps://www.talkingretail.com/products-news/chilled/mr-freeze-reports-good-march-sales-18-05-2012/ (currently Calypso Soft Drinks Ltd)https://www.talkingretail.com/products-news/frozen/mr-freeze-unveils-limited-edition-bulk-box-15-05-2014/. In Canada from the Canadian Mr Freeze brand that was acquired by their local rival Kisko in 2005https://kiskofreezies.com/pages/about-us#:~:text=Kisko%20freezies%20initially%20founded%20in,Kingston%2C%20Jamaica%20by%20the%20Josephs%20family.

Brand names also came up with many naming the treat based on the product sold in their region. US users claimed that the sweet treat aught(sic.) to be referred to as an Otter Pop, a popular brand across the pond. Meanwhile UK users were more in favour of the Mr Freeze, found in many a corner shop while Welsh customers said the correct name was in fact a Tip Top.

2018 June 25, Martha Cliff, “Ice pops... or freezies? Debate over the CORRECT name for classic summer treat goes ciral on Twitter - so what do YOU call them?”, in MailOnline, archived from the original on 2021-10-09:

(UK, Ireland, Canada) A frozen snack consisting of flavored ice or juice in a tube; a freeze pop, irrespective of brand.


nellie

CHORUS:Be the holy man above tonight did ye ever see the likes. Sally Doran sitting there upon her great big nellie bike. It was at twelve o'clock at night, I got an awful fright. But it was only Sally Doran on her great big nellie bike.

2009 March 20, “Sally Doran's Nellie Bike” (track 12), in The Mobile Phone, performed by Richie Kavanagh:

(Ireland) Clipping of high nellie, a type of roadster bicycle.


ready for the off

From the notion that horses, greyhounds and racegoers that are ready for the off (beginning) of a race are ready for the action that subsequently follows.

Tullamore ready for the off(title)

2010 July 27, Caitriona Murphy, “Tullamore ready for the off”, in independent.ie, archived from the original on 2023-04-24:

Bradford West byelection almost ready for the off(title)

2012 March 12, Martin Wainwright, “Bradford West byelection almost ready for the off”, in TheGuardian, archived from the original on 2015-10-12:

"My thoughts exactly I said, so I am going to get ready for the off", now getting ready for the off meant taking off your pads and your whites (trousers) removing your jockstrap and box, pitting your trousers back on, packing your bag, and you were ready to go.

2013 June 25, Basil Jay, Sliding Down the Bannisters of Life, page 67:

Both aircraft began to lean forward against the brakes, like greyhounds ready for the 'off'.

2017, Richard Pike, Phantom Boys Volume 2:

(UK, Ireland) Ready for action; set to go; good to go.


cheesy chips

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-cheesy chips.wav

(cooking, British, Ireland, Commonwealth) Alternative form of cheese fries.


fair fucks

"I got the job!"
"Fair fucks to ya."

(Ireland, vulgar) Well done; congrats; nice one.


work away

work away (third-person singular simple present works away, present participle working away, simple past and past participle worked away)

works away (present singular third-person)
working away (participle present)
worked away (participle past)
worked away (past)

(intransitive, idiomatic, Ireland) Synonym of fire away.


sightloss

Mister Samuels if ye feel that you have sightloss then it is in yer own interest to register it in respect of the physical criteria required for full-function job registration.

1994, James Kelman, How Late It Was How Late:

NCBI works to provide the practical, emotional and social support so that people with sightloss can reach their full potential, says Chris White.

2019 August 30, Chris White, “Striving to give people with sight loss an even playing field”, in The Irish Examiner:

Maybe her sightloss had sharpened her other senses, but they heard now what the woman had caught– the faint rumble of a truck or van, the modulated whine of someone dropping down the gears to meet the slope.

2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 446:

(Scotland, Ireland) Loss of sight; partial or total blindness.


honour box

Commonwealth and Ireland standard spelling of honor box.


honour jar

Commonwealth and Ireland standard spelling of honor jar.


honour bar

Commonwealth and Ireland standard spelling of honor bar.


Gardai

en-noun

Gardai pl (normally plural, singular Garda)

Garda (singular)
Gardaí (alternative)
Gardas (alternative)

From Irish Gardaí (“the Guardians”), plural of Garda, q.v.

(chiefly Ireland) Synonym of police generally.


two twos

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-two twos.wav

In early use attested in Irish contexts and works by Irish authors; likely spread to the Caribbean by Irish indentured servants who migrated to the West Indies (see Irish Caribbean on WikipediaWikipedia). Then spread further by Jamaican immigrants to Canada and the United Kingdom.

two-twos (alternative)
twotwos (alternative)

Never mind appearances; it's performance and accomplishment we're going for, and within two twos we shall have done two-thirds of the feat.

1911 September, T. Scott Anderson, “Fox, Grouse, and Salmon”, in The Badminton Magazine, volume 33, number 194, page 325:

The slight contretemps claimed her attention but in two twos she set that little matter to rights.

1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 13: Nausicaa]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 347:

They begin to work on the song, and One Foot so good that in two twos he fix up a tune. So Razor Blade pick up a empty bottle and a piece of stick, and One Foot start beating the table, and is so they getting on, singing this new calypso that they invent.

1960, Samuel Selvon, “Calypsonian”, in Andrew Salkey, editor, West Indian Stories, London: Faber and Faber, page 113:

At last, the taxi comes. It's a decrepit Jowett driven presumably by Joe, who must be at least sixty. In no time he has stowed bags and suitcases into the boot and the back of the car. If the little 'un sits on Lily's knee, they'll be off in two twos.

2016, Helen Dunmore, Exposure, London: Hutchinson, →ISBN, page 264:

(originally Ireland, now chiefly Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago) A very short time; a jiffy.


happy days

Imagine having five servants upstairs. Oh happy days.

2016, Mattie Turnbull, Days of Apprehension and Adventure, page 106:

The current Secretary of State likes to see statistics. We have lots of statistics. Happy days!

2023 June 28, Anthony Smith talks to Paul Clifton, “The industry has to go back to basics”, in RAIL, number 986, page 40:

(British, Ireland) An exclamation which expresses satisfaction.


dicky up

en-verb

dicky up (third-person singular simple present dickies up, present participle dickying up, simple past and past participle dickied up)

dickies up (present singular third-person)
dickying up (participle present)
dickied up (participle past)
dickied up (past)

The way they dicky up the corpse in the fancy funeral parlours today, with cosmetics and other tricks of the trade, and dressed in the best clothes, one would think they were trying to tell you what Our Lord said about the little daughter of Jairus, 'She is not dead but sleeping.'

1998, Criostoir O'Flynn, There Is an Isle: A Limerick Boyhood, Boulder, C.O.: Mercier Press; Irish American Book Company, →ISBN, page 206:

I go to Edges. Pick up a tin of white outdoor paint. Last one in the shop. 'First Holy Communions,' the man says, by way of explanation. 'People dickying up their properties.'

2014, Ciara Geraghty, Now That I've Found You, London: Hodder, →ISBN, page 131:

(UK, Ireland, slang) To adorn, dress up, spruce up.


dickied up

en-adj

dickied up (comparative more dickied up, superlative most dickied up)

more dickied up (comparative)
most dickied up (superlative)

Anyhow, there we are, all sitting like stuffed ducks in the front seat—Una and Agnes and Rose and Mother and me—you know—and mother dickied up in her good black shawl and everything— […]

1964, Brian Friel, Philadelphia, Here I Come! (play), New York, N.Y.: The Noonday Press, published 1965, page 59:

Four cars turned off the main street and parked in the square in the last few minutes. Faces of misery on the people in them. Maybe they've all a funeral to go to. They were all dickied up to the nines, but no colour nor smiles.

2015, Donal Ryan, A Slanting of the Sun: Stories, Hanover, N.H.: Steerforth Press, →ISBN, page 153:

We are probably more comfortable in a recession, when we have less money to worry about getting all dickied up like a dog's dinner. (A friend in New York calls my look "rumpled street urchin". It's true. I have lost many a battle with a bargain bin.)

2016 September 27, Quentin Fottrell, “Why you should never judge a man in an ill-fitting cardigan”, in The Irish Times, Dublin: Irish Times Trust, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-08-08:

(UK, Ireland, slang) Dressed up, decked out.


unshired

The young giant, Hugh Maguire, may have been to the Castle to complain of Miler’s hounds, for he had already written a complaint of such doings on the part of that mighty southern pluralist, who went about in armour like a man of war, and had his life-guard like the chief of an unshired country.

1897, Standish O’Grady, The Flight of the Eagle, pages 82–3:

Connacht, and Ulster apart from the two ancient counties, were still unshired, still outside the normal action of the Dublin administration.

1940, T. W. Moody, “The Irish Parliament under Elizabeth and James I: A General Survey”, in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, volume 45, →JSTOR, page 44:

The last years of Rufus’s reign were critical in the assertion of Anglo-Norman, and specifically royal, control over the unshired area of what we know as England north of the Ribble in the west and the Tees in the east.

2000, R. R. Davies, The First English Empire: Power and Identities in the British Isles, 1093–1343, →ISBN, page 5:

(UK, Ireland) Not shired, not constituted into counties; (by extension) ungoverned.


duskus

duskiss (alternative)
duskess (alternative)
duskies (alternative)
duskis (alternative)

But he didn't stir at all, / I thought he was sleepin' for spite. / I worked on till duskus / Then I said you can stay the night

2001, Vincent Woods, “The Lives and Miracles of Christy McGaddy”, in Biddy Jenkinson, editor, Poetry Ireland Review, Dublin: Poetry Ireland Ltd., →ISBN, page 48:

(Ireland) The time of the evening just before it is fully dark; dusk.


monster meeting

en-noun

monster meeting (plural monster meetings)

Monster meetings were held throughout the country, at which O’Connell addressed vast multitudes, stimulating exertion, inspiring enthusiasm, kindling hope.

1896, “The Repeal Movement”, in Richard Barry O’Brien, editor, Ireland, page 310:

The Monster meetings were signally characterised by an utter absence of both drink and disorder.

1921, Seumas MacManus, The Story of the Irish Race: A Popular History of Ireland, page 580:

They summoned for 10 April 1848 a monster meeting which should march from Kennington Common to the House of Commons and present a petition said to contain five million signatures.

1966, Owen Chadwick, The Victorian Church, volume 1, page 350:

(UK, Ireland, archaic or historical) A mass public demonstration, especially one of those held in Ireland in 1843–45 demanding the repeal of the union with Great Britain.


TFI

Transport for Ireland
w:Transport for Ireland

(Ireland) Initialism of Transport for Ireland.


NSU

National Surveillance Unit
w:National Surveillance Unit

(Ireland) Initialism of National Surveillance Unit.


CSB

Crime and Security Branch
w:Garda Crime and Security Branch

(Ireland) Initialism of Crime and Security Branch.


Nordie

Hopefully we've come a long way from the idea that if you have a Nordie accent in a film, people think you're about to pull a balaclava down over your face, but the reality is that, for me, growing up, that's the majority of what I saw on the screen.

2023 August 5, Paul Whitington, quoting Jamie Dornan, “There's so much untruth out there about the conflict”, in Irish Independent Magazine, page 8:

(informal, Ireland) Someone from Northern Ireland.


Emergency

Sense 2 referred to the conflict between the British and Malaysians against communist guerillas, because London-based insurers would not pay out in instances of civil wars.

Indeed, Northern Ireland held a substantial U.S. military presence for much of the war; American soldiers were by no means uncommon on the streets of some Irish towns and cities during the Emergency.

2017, John Gibney, “Two Irelands”, in A Short History of Ireland, 1500–2000, New Haven: Yale University Press, →ISBN:

(historical, Ireland) World War II as experienced in Ireland.

Darurat Malaya

20th century guerilla war between the British and Malaysians against communist militants


HIQA

w:Health Information and Quality Authority

(Ireland) Acronym of Health Information and Quality Authority, a healthcare watchdog in Ireland.


suck diesel

en-verb

suck diesel (third-person singular simple present sucks diesel, present participle sucking diesel, simple past and past participle sucked diesel)

sucks diesel (present singular third-person)
sucking diesel (participle present)
sucked diesel (participle past)
sucked diesel (past)

(Ireland, slang) To succeed; to do well.


OPW

Office of Public Works
w:Office of Public Works

(Ireland) Initialism of Office of Public Works.


ESRI

w:Economic and Social Research Institute

(Ireland) Initialism of Economic and Social Research Institute.


Defence Forces

(military, Ireland) The armed forces of the Republic of Ireland.


howandever

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-howandever.wav

how-and-ever (alternative)
howanever (alternative)

Such was his terror, howandever, of the Captain, that he was afeard either to go for the money himself, or to send for it by another.

1860 November, William Carleton, “The Rapparee. A Historical Sketch. Chapter V.”, in Duffy's Hibernian Magazine, volume 1, number 5, Dublin, London: James Duffy, →OCLC, page 197:

So howandever, as I was saying, the old dog seeing the tin was empty starts mousing around by Joe and me. I'd train him by kindness, so I would, if he was my dog. Give him a rousing fine kick now and again where it wouldn't blind him.

1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 12: Cyclops]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 298:

Howandever, at the selfsame time, there was a gang of fellas from the valley of kings follying the very same pointy star. And didn't that pointy star point them king-fellas in the direction of Mary's cowstable.

2012, Honor Molloy, Smarty Girl: Dublin Savage, Boston, M.A.: Gemma, →ISBN, page 43:

(Ireland, dialectal, conjunctive) However, nevertheless, anyway.


fecky

en-adj

fecky (comparative feckier or more fecky, superlative feckiest or most fecky)

feckier (comparative)
more fecky (comparative)
feckiest (superlative)
most fecky (superlative)

(Ireland) fucky (messed up, awful, horrible)


bejasus

(Ireland) Alternative spelling of bejesus.


dodgy box

Either dodgy (“[legally] dubious”) + box (“device”) or dodge (“avoid [paying]”) + -y + box, playing on Digibox.

com

Almost one in five Irish cable television customers has an illegal decoder to unscramble channels that they are not paying for, according to industry estimates.

2009 January 18, Jan Battles, “One in five cable customers has a ‘dodgy box’”, in The Sunday Times, Dublin:

Earlier this week, eBay announced it was removing pre-loaded dodgy boxes, meaning those with Kodi Android software already on them.

2017 April 26, Gordon Hunt, “Are dodgy boxes illegal? The EU has its say”, in Silicon Republic, Dublin:

The Untouchables showed up on our dodgy box during the week, right on that scene where Al Capone is attending a performance of the opera Pagliacci.

2017 June 30, Ian O'Riordan, “Pat Hickey interview avoids the hard questions”, in The Irish Times, Dublin, page 6 Sports:

I paid for Via play to ensure I got a quality reliable stream and the stream on Amazon is awful. I'm getting a better stream on my dodgy box.

2023 April 30, hail_hail, Kerrydale Street:

(UK, Ireland, informal) A device providing unauthorized access to encrypted television or streaming services.


misthrust

en-verb

misthrust (third-person singular simple present misthrusts, present participle misthrusting, simple past and past participle misthrusted)

misthrusts (present singular third-person)
misthrusting (participle present)
misthrusted (participle past)
misthrusted (past)

Pronunciation spelling for an Irish accent

Poor Pat don't know as much as strangers do, I misthrust, Misther Scully.

1866, Nelly Dillon, Anne I. Robertson, The Story of Nelly Dillon, page 227:

I didn't misthrust him then, miss; but when I heard a while ago that ye were mad intirely wid me for bein' so late, it sthruck me that the old vagabone was playin' some game.

1885, Margaret Hungerford, A Maiden All Forlorn and Toher Stories., page 284:

Mebbe it's the thruth you're afther findin' out; but I misthrust, and it's meself will never fergive her if she breaks the heart of the best by in the counthry.

1897, Maud Wilder Goodwin, Flint: His Faults, His Friendships and His Fortunes, page 68:

(Ireland, dialectal) Pronunciation spelling of mistrust.


coriander seed

(UK, Ireland) A dried fruit of the coriander plant, used as a spice.


storeen

storeens (plural)
stoirin (alternative)
storin (alternative)


Shannon stopover

en-noun

Shannon stopover (plural Shannon stopovers)

(Ireland, aviation, historical) A compulsory stopover at Shannon Airport that was imposed on airline flights from North America which intended to visit another airport in the Republic of Ireland (such as Dublin), which applied to all flights from 1986 to 1993, then half of all flights until its abolition in 2007.


malavogue

en-verb

malavogue (third-person singular simple present malavogues, present participle malavoguing, simple past and past participle malavogued)

malavogues (present singular third-person)
malavoguing (participle present)
malavogued (participle past)
malavogued (past)

(Ireland, dated, colloquial) To punish or trounce.


traneen

[…] a man who did not care a traneen whether he drank with you as a friend, or fought with you as a foe.

1844, William Carleton, Traits and stories of the Irish peasantry (page 206)

(Ireland) The least amount; a whit or jot.


tosspottery

(UK, Ireland, slang) Behavior characteristic of a tosspot.


tossery

(UK, Ireland, slang, rare) The obnoxious behavior of a tosser.


Bulkies

[…] the newly-elected constables, who were popularly known, down to the year 1837, as the "Bulkies."

1891, Irish Builder and Engineer, volume 33, page 122:

In his study of the Belfast Town Police (nicknamed "the Bulkies"), Brian Griffin has argued that the force's sectarian reputation was more a matter of appearance […] than behavior.

2023, Sean Farrell, Thomas Drew and the Making of Victorian Belfast, page 253:


scorpy

en-adj

scorpy (not generally comparable, comparative scorpier, superlative scorpiest)

scorpier (comparative)
scorpiest (superlative)

You're a scorpy cunt, anyway.

2021, Peter McKenna, 16:58 from the start, in Kin, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Nikita Murphy (Yasmin Seky):

(Ireland, slang, derogatory) Bad-tempered; hotheaded.


what's the story

From What's the story with you?, possibly through Irish cad é an scéal (lit. "What's the story") (possible backtranslation).

what's the story, bud (alternative)
story, bud (alternative)
story (alternative)

*Any non-Irish person should be aware that it is not necessary to take the question literally i.e. one shouldn't start to explain your life story when greeted with 'What's the story?' rather they should respond in kind e.g. Greeting: 'What's the story?' Response: 'What's the story?' There are several variations on the theme, the most popular being 'What's the story, bud?' or the pithy : 'Story, bud?' or the pithier still 'Story?'

2012, Colin Murphy, Donal O'Dea, “18 - Saying 'What's the story?'”, in More Stuff Irish People Love, 2017 edition, The O'Brien Press Ltd, →ISBN:

(idiomatic, Ireland, Dublin) A greeting; How are you?, What's up?


what's the story, bud

what's the story (alternative)
story, bud (alternative)
story (alternative)

Alternative form of what's the story (“how are you?”)

(idiomatic, Ireland, Dublin) Used as a greeting; How are you?, What's up?


story, bud

what's the story (alternative)
what's the story, bud (alternative)
story (alternative)

Alternative form of what's the story, bud (“how are you?”)


catch oneself on

"Big Pat's still wearing his hair like two floppy ears on a dog. He's amazing: wouldn't you think his wife or someone would tell him to catch himself on."

2011, Colin Neill, Turas: A Story of Strangers in a Strange Land, page 68:

(Ireland, colloquial, chiefly imperative) To stop being silly; to behave in the proper, expected way; to recover sensibility.


candy-arse

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, sometimes vulgar, often humorous, somewhat endearing, slang) Alternative spelling of candy-ass.


yer one

(Ireland, slang) Referring to an unknown or unnamed individual.


half-arse

half-arse (comparative more half-arse, superlative most half-arse)

more half-arse (comparative)
most half-arse (superlative)

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang, sometimes considered, vulgar) Alternative spelling of half-ass.


coola boola

Reduplication of cool, influenced by Irish English ruaille buaille (“commotion”), from Irish ruaille buaille.

Relax! Everything's coola boola.

(predicative, Ireland, slang) Cool; all right; fine.


coola boola

(Ireland, slang) Cool; okay; no problem.


good man

(UK, Ireland) Used as a positive response of affirmation towards a male subordinate.


have a sixpenny bit up one's backside

en-verb

have<has,,had> a sixpenny bit up one's backside

have a sixpenny bit up one's backside (third-person singular simple present has a sixpenny bit up one's backside, present participle having a sixpenny bit up one's backside, simple past and past participle had a sixpenny bit up one's backside)

has a sixpenny bit up one's backside (present singular third-person)
having a sixpenny bit up one's backside (participle present)
had a sixpenny bit up one's backside (participle past)
had a sixpenny bit up one's backside (past)

‘Eddie told me what you done […] Come in here earlier on like he’d got a sixpenny-bit up his backside.’

1980, Ted Lewis, GBH, Sphere Books, →ISBN, page 174:

(slang, dated, Ireland) To be over the moon, to be very happy.


batshite

en-adj

batshite (comparative more batshite, superlative most batshite)

more batshite (comparative)
most batshite (superlative)

[…] going totally batshite after these mean killer bikers who sort of nonchalantly kill his family, and then he chases them all across the Australian outback with a big black car […]

2011, Sean Beaudoin, You Killed Wesley Payne:

(UK, Ireland) Alternative form of batshit.


get one's hole

en-verb

get one's hole (third-person singular simple present gets one's hole, present participle getting one's hole, simple past and past participle got one's hole)

gets one's hole (present singular third-person)
getting one's hole (participle present)
got one's hole (participle past)
got one's hole (past)

(Ireland, vulgar, slang, of a man) To have casual sex.


know fine well

know fine well (third-person singular simple present knows fine well, present participle knowing fine well, simple past knew fine well, past participle known fine well)

knows fine well (present singular third-person)
knowing fine well (participle present)
knew fine well (past)
known fine well (participle past)

(Scotland, Ireland, informal) To know something perfectly well, to be very aware of something.


one-size nappy

en-noun

one-size nappy (plural one-size nappies)

one-size nappies (plural)
one size nappy (alternative)

Judith's sought-after product is natural nappies made from 100 per cent cotton flannelette eight layers thick. Machine washable, the one-size nappies snugly fit baby from birth up to two years.

1990 August 2, “Nappy ever after”, in Hinckley and South Leicestershire Herald and Journal, page 7:

A one-size nappy is designed to fit from birth to potty training and is adjusted to the size required at any one time. This type of nappy can be a very cost-effective system.

2003, Annabel Karmel, Complete First Year Planner, Ebury Publishing, →ISBN, page 76:

NappyShak cloth nappies come in five bright geometric designs. They have two rise poppers and five each waist and hip poppers, to adjust the one-size nappy to fit your baby, and a double gusset to further improve fit and prevent leaks.

2023 June 27, Zoe Pickburn, “Best reusable and eco-friendly nappies that are better for the planet”, in Evening Standard:

(Commonwealth, Ireland) Synonym of one-size diaper.


birth-to-potty nappy

birth-to-potty nappy (plural birth-to-potty nappies)

birth-to-potty nappies (plural)
birth to potty nappy (alternative)

From the notion that the nappy is intended to last from around the baby's birth until they are potty-trained.

According to our test panel, the best nappy is the Itti Bitti Tutto, with an average score of 7.8/10. It's a one-size, birth-to-potty nappy that adjusts to fit from newborn to large toddler, with a "poo fence" internal gusset to prevent leaks.

2010 December 5, Jen Kelly, “Top cloth nappies”, in Sunday Herald Sun, page 108:

If you're looking for a birth to potty nappy for night time use, though, one to look at is Motherease One Size nappies. They're a two part system, where the nappy is one size, adjustable, but the outer wrap is sized, so you would need wraps in different sizes as baby grows.

2015 March 23, michbright, “Cloth nappies advice please!!”, in MoneySavingExpert.com:

There are lots of other good cloth nappy options, including Tots Bots Bamboozle, Little Lamb and Sandys, and I've had positive experiences with all of them, but I appreciate Alison’s simple birth-to-potty nappy with flexible fastening to enable a bespoke fit, whereas other brands offer multiple sizes.

2024 January 22, Nicola Cutcher, “The 11 best reusable nappies of 2024, tried and tested – from cloth nappies to reusable swim nappies”, in The Daily Telegraph:

(Commonwealth, Ireland, uncommon) Synonym of one-size diaper (“a type of cloth diaper which can be adjusted and lengthened to match the baby's growth, thus allowing the diaper to be worn from around birth (by a newborn) to potty-training age”).


flat nappy

They can be safely bleached, soaked, washed and dried for years. They need to be folded and pinned in place correctly to get the best fit and avoid leaks, and then are best covered with pilchers (soft overpants) or waterproof pants to protect outer clothing. Although this takes a bit of practice to get right, flat nappies can work well, and can be particularly useful at night for older babies.

2008, Daniel Allen, Cheryl Benn, Sue Pullon, Margot Schwass, The New Zealand Pregnancy Book, Bridget Williams Books, →ISBN, page 174:

Some flat nappies come with Y-shaped fasteners as well. Terry squares are old-school nappies that are basically cotton towels that are folded around your baby's bottom and fastened with a large safety pin or plastic grip.

2015, Zion Lights, The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting, New Internationalist, →ISBN, unnumbered page:

There are also separate nappy and cover systems including flats (a traditional style of nappy), prefolds (a flat nappy with an absorbent panel in the center) and fitted (where the folding has been done for you). Adding a cover to each of these options makes them waterproof.

2021 April 29, Freya Lucas, “Guidance for services wanting to explore environmentally friendly nappies”, in The Sector:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, uncommon) Synonym of flat diaper (“a makeshift cloth diaper folded from a large piece of square or rectangular absorbent fabric, such as terry (coarse cotton), which is held in place by a diaper pin or other fastener”).


shaped nappy

The shaped nappy needs no folding and is fastened by two adhesive 'touch tabs'. When soiled the wadding should be flushed down the lavatory, the two layers rinsed and disposed of with the household refuse.

1978, Equipment for the Disabled, volume 5, Oxford Regional Health Authority, page 11:

Terry nappies come in two types, the traditional square nappy and the newer shaped nappy. The square nappies tend to be more widely available.

1999, Daphne Metland, editor, Complete Book of Baby Care, HarperCollins, National Childbirth Trust Publishing, →ISBN, page 58:

The Real Nappy Campaign's advisory brochure lists the different kinds of reusable nappies available on the market as shaped nappies, all-in-one nappies, and flat nappies, with covers and liners mentioned separately.

2018, Lydia Martens, Childhood and Markets: Infants, Parents and the Business of Child Caring (Studies in Childhood and Youth), Springer, →ISBN, page 163:

(Commonwealth, Ireland) Synonym of fitted diaper.


nappy flat

(Commonwealth, Ireland) The fabric from which a flat nappy is folded; a prefold or fold.


birth-to-potty

birth-to-potties (plural)
birth to potty (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-birth-to-potty.wav

They are a birth to potty and therefore pretty bulky and being cotton terry they do have a tendancy to go scrunchy in the wash.

2006 December 8, Annette, “Peeweez Recylcled Fitted Review”, in Cloth Nappy Tree:

So, as a product, there's nothing I can really say against this one. I wouldn't say it's a world apart from some of those I've already tried but it certainly does combine some of the better features, and it is slimmer than the birth-to-potties on young babies.

2009 April 27, Kate Atkinson, “Road Testing the Real Easy”, in Bucks Free Press:

Over and beyond 6 months or 18 lbs whichever comes first - we have Tots Bots Easyfits (11- each came for £2), Wonderoos (7) and Dudeybabas and Little Blooms Birth to Potties (8) and Lollipop Bamboos for the night (10 of these- for a total of 9.99 off ebay).

2015 August 20, Focusfocus, “Cloth nappies advice please!!”, in Mumsnet:

birth-to-potty nappy
birth-to-potty nappy#English

(chiefly Commonwealth, Ireland, colloquial, rare) Clipping of birth-to-potty nappy (“a type of cloth nappy which can be adjusted and lengthened to match the baby's growth, thus allowing the nappy to be worn from around birth (by a newborn) to potty-training age”)


Everyone has to start somewhere bro, they wouldn't of intimidated you when they first started. Just makes them class A 🛎🔚's

If you're one of the people out there starting to panic buy items like toilet roll again, you my friend are a 🛎🔚

James Daly, minister for massive foreheads and stupid comments.. 🛎🔚 ⤵

(British, Ireland, Internet slang, vulgar, euphemistic) Alternative form of bell-end (“a stupid or contemptible person.”).


nappy pants

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nappy pants.wav

(Commonwealth, Ireland) Synonym of diaper pants (“a one-piece diaper which is worn (pulled up) like underwear; training pants”).


night nappy

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-night nappy.wav

For safety's sake you may want to keep the night nappy on for a week or two but it is wise to be disciplined about responding promptly to a call for a potty in the morning.

1989, Angela Phillips, Until They Are Five, Pandora Press, →ISBN, page 142:

Even if toilet trained during the day, many children will need a night nappy until around three or four years of age.

2006, Susan Dignan, Lyndal Taylor, Parenting with Care, Pascal Press, →ISBN, page 29:

You don't want to be up all night changing nappies, so make sure you've got some powerful night nappies in your arsenal. The nappies included in this set from TotsBots will keep your baby dry for up to 12 hours, and even have a smart waterproof tummy area.

2023 January 6, Isabel Deibe, “Best reusable nappies of 2023 - top washables for all budgets”, in Good to Know:

nighttime diaper
nighttime diaper#English

(Commonwealth, Ireland) Synonym of nighttime diaper.


nighttime nappy

nighttime nappy (plural nighttime nappies)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nighttime nappy.wav

[…] different sizes used over a period of time, including the larger, more expensive, night-time nappies.

1986 June 10, Midwives Chronicle & Nursing Notes, volume 99, Royal College of Midwives, page 120:

No parent should insist a child stops wearing a nighttime nappy at a moment decided by them. Let your child lead you. The end result is the same, but much less traumatic for your child.

2011, Miriam Stoppard, Trusted Advice: You and Your Toddler, Dorling Kindersley Publishing, →ISBN, page 21:

Nighttime nappies: These two-part reusable nappies are designed for overnight use. In addition to their absorbent insert and separate waterproof cover, they typically have multiple layers of fabric or removable inserts and boosters to help keep your baby dry all night

2025 January 17, Lucy Cotterill, “Best reusable nappies for babies and toddlers in 2025”, in Women's Health:


overnight nappy

overnight nappy (plural overnight nappies)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-overnight nappy.wav

He'd been taking her every couple of hours since they moved out here, and she seemed to know what to do. Worked pretty effectively. With their new routine, he'd only had to change the occasional overnight nappy.

2008, Allan Guthrie, Savage Night, Polygon, →ISBN, page 233:

When your babies show signs of being tired, change their nappy and swaddle them in a 100 per cent cotton wrap. Use a barrier cream on their bottom if it is red or for the overnight nappy.

2013, Jan Murray, Twins & More: How Parents Manage & Survive The First Years, Xlibris AU, →ISBN, page 215:

Having a good wash routine is particularly important with overnight nappies. Overnight nappies are usually the first nappies to show flaws in your wash routine. They're exposed to large amounts of urine for long stretches of time.

2021 April 12, “Night nappies: using cloth nappies at night”, in Summer Sweets Baby:


sleep nappy

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-sleep nappy.wav

For example, a child told to take off her sleep nappy and put on her pants, and not to play with some soap, was still walking around in her nappy and playing with the soap one hour later.

2007 July 10, Priscilla Alderson, Liz Brooke, Report of Review of St Stephen's Children's Centre, Newham: services for children aged up to 3 years^(https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10003364/1/Alderson2007ReportOfReview(Report).pdf), Social Science Research Unit, page 14:

If you put your child to sleep without a nappy and he urinated in his bed, don't worry about it. You may want to ask yourself whether it is worth using a sleep nappy at this stage. It is best to approach bladder control during the day before working on 'dry nights'.

2013, Kathryn Mewes, The 3 Day Nanny: Simple Three-day Solutions for Sleeping, Eating, Potty Training & Behaviour Challenges, Vermilion, →ISBN, page 248:

She was dry during the day and we just popped on the pull-on sleep nappies at night. We realised that we were making this situation unnecessarily stressful for Beatrice and it wasn't actually bothering her that she wore nappies [a]t night.

2017, Lucie Quest, Beaos Diabetes: A Parentos Journey, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 16:

(Commonwealth, Ireland, informal, uncommon) Synonym of nighttime diaper.


nappy pin

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nappy pin.wav

In the bag keep two spare nappies, liners (if the nappies are not disposable), one spare babystretch, bib, bonnet, two nappy pins, an extra woolly cardigan, a rattle ...

1980, John Cobb, Babyshock: A Mother's First Five Years, Hutchinson, →ISBN, page 130:

Terry nappies are fastened with one or two nappy pins. These are large safety-type pins and have a safety cap that prevents the pin opening accidentally. Plastic pants are used with terry nappies.

2004, Marian Beaver, Babies and Young Children, Nelson Thornes, →ISBN, page 296:

Old-school mums used to attach a nappy pin to their bra so they could remember which breast was due to use next. Modern mums can download these apps to keep track of feeds and routines.

2020 May 1, Ella Walsh, “Boobs, bottles and keeping track of feeds: 10 awesome apps”, in Kidspot, News Corp Australia:

(Commonwealth, Ireland) Synonym of diaper pin.


nappy fastener

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nappy fastener.wav

Place your baby's bottom in the middle and do up with nappy safety fasteners. Always place nappy fasteners horizontally, never vertically, because if for some reason they did come undone, they will not dig into your baby's tummy when he moves around.

2011, Louise Heren, Susan McMillan, Nanny in a Book: The Common-Sense Guide to Childcare, Ebury Publishing, →ISBN, page 30:

Understandably impressed with her cool and super easy invention – the Queensland mum proudly shared it on Kmart Hacks & Décor. "Kmart snappy from the baby section...You're welcome," she posted alongside a pic of her towel being held up with a nappy fastener.

2020 August 10, Leesa Smith, “Mum's $3 Kmart hack to stop your towel from falling down”, in KidSpot:

We didn't test flat nappies. They are cloth squares, usually fixed in place with a three-pronged plastic nappy fastener, and then covered with a separate waterproof wrap. These are the most similar to traditional reusable terry-squares.

2023 June 27, Zoe Pickburn, “Best reusable and eco-friendly nappies that are better for the planet”, in Evening Standard:

(Commonwealth, Ireland) A plastic, slightly elastic, reusable nappy pin.


OS nappy

I liked them enough to buy a set of Version Three Bumgenius OS nappies for DS. What a mistake..he outgrew them at 5 months old !!! So I had to buy some MEOS and wraps for day time use and Quick Flip nappies for night, both of which have a bit of growing space for my baby boy.

2009 February 26, Babieseverywhere, “Truth About BumGenius - Calling All Mums Who Use Them”, in Mumsnet:

I have never used a one size WN but have always found OS nappies too bulky and a poor fit on small babies. I prefer them once they get the ... miiddle^([sic]) rise settings.

2013 March 16, Shaunie, “Re: Wee notions experts”, in Cloth Nappy Tree:

Of course if your baby is a newborn or a preemie, sized nappies like Mini Piriuki will be the perfect choice because most OS nappies just fit from but from 8lb.

2014 January 29, “What is one size cloth nappies?”, in Piriuki Blog:

(Commonwealth, Ireland, slang, rare) Abbreviation of one-size nappy.


latte levy

Starbucks is the first UK coffee chain to introduce a national “latte levy” - a 5p charge on single-use paper coffee cups - in a bid to reduce the overuse and waste of 2.5bn disposable cups every year.

2018 July 10, Rebecca Smithers, “Starbucks introduces 'latte levy' of 5p on single-use paper cups”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 2024-04-29:

The so-called latte levy aims to incentivise the use of recycled and reusable alternatives to single-use disposable packaging.

2022 July 22, “Disposable cup levy to be introduced in Ireland”, in BBC, archived from the original on 2024-04-29:

Research commissioned by the Irish Paper Packaging Circularity Alliance (IPPCA) calculates that the 20 cent tax, dubbed the latte levy, could cause 4,244 job losses in coffee shops as customers respond by cutting consumption.

2023 July 17, Barry O'Halloran, “Latte levy will hit thousands of jobs and may close businesses, industry says”, in The Irish Times, archived from the original on 2023-07-17:

(Ireland, UK) A proposed tax on disposable coffee cups or paper cups in general, with the purpose of reducing waste.


nearly never won the race

(Ireland) Near enough is not good enough.


take your oil

(Ireland, slang) Accept the situation and stop complaining.


ruaille buaille

roolya-boolya (alternative)
roolyeh-boolyeh (alternative)

(Ireland, informal) Commotion; rowdiness; uproar; hubbub.


botty bandit

(UK, Ireland, slang, derogatory) Synonym of arse bandit (“a gay man”).


pandy bat

pandy bats (plural)
pandy-bat (alternative)
pandybat (alternative)

pandy + bat
Perhaps also a pun on the Latin pendebat "you paid".

The soutane sleeve swished again as the pandybat was lifted and a loud crashing sound and a fierce maddening tingling burning pain made his hand shrink together […]

1916 December 29, James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, New York, N.Y.: B[enjamin] W. Huebsch, →OCLC:

1930 Irish Province News, 5th Year No 3 (Irish Province of the Society of Jesus) "Obituary: Fr James Daly"
All this punctuated, driven home, by loud-resounding strokes of the pandy-bat, not administered one after another quickly, but at regular intervals.

1957 Irish Province News, 32nd Year No 3 (Irish Province of the Society of Jesus) "Obituary: Fr Esmonde White (1875-1957)"
While Prefect of Studies in Belvedere Junior House, he combined gentleness with severity in such perfect measure that a past pupil recalls: “He hit very hard with the pandy bat but obviously felt every bit as miserable about it as the unfortunate victim!”

The strap seemed preferable to the cane and the pandybat.

1991 March 3, Gregory Allen, “Letters: Christian Brothers”, in The Irish Times, page 11:

Round about here it would seem to me to have become necessary to make some general statement about the Irish Christian Brothers. ... I have heard them blamed for many things. ... Blamed for the pandy-bat, as it was called in Dublin, or the leather as we called it in the North.

1991, Benedict Kiely, Drink to the Bird: a Memoir, London: Methuen, →ISBN, page 69:

The procedure was that you knocked on the door and were called in, presented the docket, watched the pandy bat (some were slim, some fat) being removed from a drawer or inside the soutane. You took your punishment on either hand, thanked the priest and withdrew. ... The pandybat was a sort of sjambok slick as a spatula that imparted sudden deadening pain, felt in the head as in either hand, turn and turn about, pain travelling through the nervous system.

1995, Aidan Higgins, Donkey's Years: Memories of a Life as Story Told, London: Secker & Warburg, →ISBN, pages 140-141:

Crowded round a small table are seven figures: a schoolmaster holding what looks like a wooden spoon — it is probably a pandy bat, a stick kept for the sole purpose of hitting children — over the half-open palm of a mop-haired boy, who is wiping a tear away from his eye as he waits for the next blow.

2005, Fred Sedgwick, How to Teach with a Hangover: a Practical Guide to Overcoming Classroom Crises, London, New York: Continuum, →ISBN, page 92:

Corporal punishment was administered by use of a thick leather strap called a ‘pandy bat’.

2010 Martin Tierney, Reflections of a Dublin priest (Dublin : Columba Press) →ISBN p. 19

Boys were beaten with a strap device referred to as “cockers, which you got on the bare bum” and also with a paddle-type device called a “pandybat” used to strike boys on the hands.

2021 March 6, Conor Lally, Simon Carswell, “Former Clongowes pupil says Fr Joe Marmion ‘screened’ him for abuse”, in The Irish Times, page 6:

Corporal punishment was used by both for disciplinary purposes; the pandy bat by the Jesuits, and the leather strap by the Brothers.

2024 June 3, Gerry McArdle, “Celebrating James Joyce and those fearful Jesuits”, in The Irish Times:

(chiefly Ireland, historical) (originally) a stout leather strap reinforced internally with whalebone or even lead, and used at Jesuit schools to inflict corporal punishment on pupils by striking the palm; (latterly, sometimes) more loosely applied to any punishment bat


bog-brained

en-adj

bog-brained (comparative more bog-brained, superlative most bog-brained)

more bog-brained (comparative)
most bog-brained (superlative)

To tar a chap of intelligence, wit and insight (and a cobbler-togetherer of exceedingly good popular musical tunes to boot) with the same mucky brush as the likes of Half Man Half Biscuit (who have just reformed. I think the question here is 'why, exactly?') will mark you out for life as a cauliflower-eared, bog-brained dolt, so there.

1990, Chris Fish, “The Jazz Butcher”, in Far Out And Fishy, number 4:

But try telling these bog-brained murphies.

1997 March 5, Chris Morris, “Decline”, in Brass Eye:

It gives me an edge over all of yees around here, allows me see yees for the inbred, underbred, bog-brained shower yees are.

1998, Marina Carr, By the Bog of Cats, Faber & Faber, →ISBN:


fucking oath

(Commonwealth, UK, Ireland, colloquial, vulgar) Alternative form of bloody oath.


swift half

Near-synonym: swiftie

(chiefly UK, Ireland, informal) An alcoholic drink, usually half the usual amount (e.g. a half-pint of beer), that is intended to be consumed quickly.


grey club-rush

en-noun

grey club-rush (countable and uncountable, plural grey club-rushes)

The only other identifiable plant macrofossil present was a nutlet of club-rush that was morphologically most similar to grey club-rush (Schoenoplectus cf tabernaemontani). This form of club-rush is most often found near the sea, although it also grows in marshes and dune-slacks.

2017 January 9, Dan Garner, Hillforts of the Cheshire Ridge, Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, →ISBN, page 253:

(chiefly UK, Ireland) Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, a species of bulrush.


bunk out

en-verb

bunk out (third-person singular simple present bunks out, present participle bunking out, simple past and past participle bunked out)

bunks out (present singular third-person)
bunking out (participle present)
bunked out (participle past)
bunked out (past)


chalk it down

chalk it down (third-person singular simple present chalks it down, present participle chalking it down, simple past and past participle chalked it down)

chalks it down (present singular third-person)
chalking it down (participle present)
chalked it down (participle past)
chalked it down (past)

(slang, Ireland, intransitive) To agree enthusiastically.


flute around

flute around (third-person singular simple present flutes around, present participle fluting around, simple past and past participle fluted around)

flutes around (present singular third-person)
fluting around (participle present)
fluted around (participle past)
fluted around (past)

(slang, intransitive, Ireland) To waste time.


gut for

gut for (third-person singular simple present guts for, present participle gutting for, simple past and past participle gutted for)

guts for (present singular third-person)
gutting for (participle present)
gutted for (participle past)
gutted for (past)

(slang, Ireland) To want (something) desperately.


gentry bush

(Ireland, folklore) A thorny bush, especially a hawthorn.


herry up

herry up (third-person singular simple present herries up, present participle herrying up, simple past and past participle herried up)

herries up (present singular third-person)
herrying up (participle present)
herried up (participle past)
herried up (past)

(Northern England, Ireland) Pronunciation spelling of hurry up.


LTD.

limited liability company
limited liability company#English

(British, Canada, Ireland) Abbreviation of limited liability company.


what colour is your Bugatti

what color is your Bugatti
what color is your Bugatti#English

Commonwealth and Ireland standard spelling of what color is your Bugatti.


shitcock

He's losing support because even the shitcocks who were worshipping his prune nuts earlier in the race are now waking up and seeing the skewed reality of this wretched brown-eye's shtick. Then again, there are still some shitcocks doing a jig for this tyrannosaurus dick.

2014, Rob Rimes, Scalping Jackals, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 59:

"You stuck-up, self-centered shitcock! You think all I'm good for's fucking things up? You want me to beat people down on your schedule? Is it okay when you order me to?"

2015 December 15, Owen B. Greenwald, Too Much Action #5 (Big Bet), ABDO, →ISBN, page 94:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang, derogatory, vulgar) Term of abuse.


SPHE

(Ireland, education) Initialism of social, personal and health education.


godmum

(UK, Ireland, Canada, New England, South Africa, India, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, informal) Godmother.


godmummy

godmummies (plural)
godmommy (alternative)

(UK, Ireland, Canada, New England, South Africa, India, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, colloquial, usually childish, less common) Godmother.


afreard

A blend derived from Middle English afered and affrayed.


baw-ways

He did it baw-ways


berril

He gave it a bit of a berril; Put a berril on them.

(Ireland) A twist or spin given in throwing an object.


lamp along

lamp along (third-person singular simple present lamps along, present participle lamping along, simple past and past participle lamped along)

lamps along (present singular third-person)
lamping along (participle present)
lamped along (participle past)
lamped along (past)


blob-wore

(Ireland) A seaweed with egg-shaped floats.


bockedy

A bockedy leg. That chair is very bockedy.


bocky

A bocky stick, a bocky leg.


meet me at McDonald's

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-meet me at McDonald's.wav

A secondary school in Norfolk has banned pupils from donning a popular haircut known as the "Meet me at McDonald's". The trendy, 80s-inspired hairstyle typically features short sides with a floppy, tousled mop of hair on top.

2018 February 22, Olivia Petter, “'Meet me at McDonald's' haircut banned in Norfolk school”, in The Independent:

In 2018, "Meet me at McDonald's" isn't an invitation; bizarrely, it's the name some young people have given a fashionable haircut that involves a closely shaven back and sides with an unruly mop on top.

[2019 August 13, Gyles Brandreth, Have You Eaten Grandma?: Or, the Life-Saving Importance of Correct Punctuation, Grammar, and Good English, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 6:

(UK, Ireland, humorous) The broccoli haircut.


piece of shite

(chiefly UK, Ireland, vulgar, very uncommon) Alternative form of piece of shit


shiteface

(chiefly UK, Ireland, vulgar, very uncommon) Alternative form of shitface


candy-arsed

en-adjective

candy-arsed (comparative more candy-arsed, superlative most candy-arsed)

more candy-arsed (comparative)
most candy-arsed (superlative)

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, often humorous, somewhat endearing, slang, sometimes vulgar) Alternative spelling of candy-assed


beat someone's arse

en-verb

beat someone's arse (third-person singular simple present beats someone's arse, present participle beating someone's arse, simple past beat someone's arse, past participle beaten someone's arse)

beats someone's arse (present singular third-person)
beating someone's arse (participle present)
beat someone's arse (past)
beaten someone's arse (participle past)

beat someone's ass
beat someone's ass#English

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, idiomatic, sometimes considered, vulgar) Alternative form of beat someone's ass


chat shite

chat shite (third-person singular simple present chats shite, present participle chatting shite, simple past and past participle chatted shite)

chats shite (present singular third-person)
chatting shite (participle present)
chatted shite (participle past)
chatted shite (past)

(chiefly UK, Ireland, vulgar, slang, very uncommon) Alternative form of chat shit.


cheap-arse

en-adj

cheap-arse (comparative more cheap-arse, superlative most cheap-arse)

more cheap-arse (comparative)
most cheap-arse (superlative)

(UK, Ireland, slang) Alternative form of cheapass.


arsemuncher

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, humorous, slang, sometimes vulgar) Alternative form of assmuncher


poundies

From pound (“to beat or strike”), referring to the mashing of the potatoes.

(Ireland) Synonym of champ (“dish based on mashed potato”).


more by token

(Scotland, Ireland) Especially, still more, the more so.


face like a smacked arse

en-noun

face like a smacked arse (plural faces like smacked arses)

(chiefly Ireland, Northern England, mildly vulgar, slang) The face of someone who looks depressed.


swimming nappy

swimming nappy (plural swimming nappies)

From swimming + nappy, because the nappy is made for swimming.

We suggest that you pack a swimming bag for your baby and restock it after each lesson. As well as a swimsuit, towel and swimming nappies, don't forget to take sunblock, ear drops, a change of clothes and a snack for your child.

2005, Rob McKay, Kathy McKay, Learn to Swim, DK, →ISBN, page 26:

You can't start too young, so I'm told. Which is why the minute the four-month jabs are out of the way, my wee girl is being bundled into a swimming nappy for the commencement of a term of classes. And the pool is a winner. She loves it. Possibly to drink more than to swim in, but no matter.

2011, Cari Rosen, The Secret Diary of a New Mum (aged 43 1/4), Ebury Publishing, →ISBN, page 94:

As with all loves, the early ones are the ones that stick particularly in my mind. […] The pool by my dad's house near Glasgow – name omitted to protect its dignity – from which we all once had to evacuate due to an unfortunate incident involving a small child and the lack of a swimming nappy.

2021 April 2, Charlotte Ivers, “Keep your wild swimming – I lost my heart to municipal swimming pools”, in New Statesman:

(Commonwealth, Ireland, rare) Synonym of swim diaper.


nappy service

(Commonwealth, Ireland) Synonym of diaper service (“a commercial service that supplies clean cloth diapers to parents and collects soiled ones for laundering (washing) and reuse”).


pool nappy

From pool + nappy, because the nappy is made to be worn in a swimming pool.

Many parents might baulk at the idea of teaching babies as young as three months to swim. Apart from the hassles of pool nappies, cold change rooms and chlorine in little ones' eyes, it might seem counterintuitive, as well as highly stressful for parents and babies, to teach bubs to swim before they can even crawl.

2024, Chris Baker, Swimming Sydney: A Tale of 52 Swims, NewSouth, →ISBN, unnumbered page:


cow's grass

(Ireland, historical) A farmer's measurement for the size of a field, equal to the amount of land that could produce enough grass to feed a cow.


phillilew

(Ireland, archaic) A commotion or uproar.


toffee-nose

(chiefly UK, Ireland, derogatory) A snobbish or condescending individual.


noncing

(UK, Ireland, derogatory, prison slang) The act of having sexual intercourse with someone under the age of sixteen.


terry nappy

Named after the terry towelling fabric from which these flat nappies were most commonly made.

Special Purchase of Infants; good quality Terry Nappies; in a useful size

1940 November 14, “Blackler's Money-Saving Bargains”, in Liverpool Echo (Advertisement), Babies' Napkins, page 5:

Many people are put off by the idea of using pins. There are excellent ecological alternatives to using a terry nappy with plastic pants. One is a fitted cotton or wool cover which holds the nappy in place without pins.

1989, Karen Christensen, Home Ecology, British edition, HarperCollins Publishers, →ISBN, page 333:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, chiefly historical) A cloth nappy folded from a large piece of square or rectangular absorbent fabric which is held in place by a nappy pin or other fastener, especially one made from terry (coarse cotton); a flat nappy.


nappy library

From nappy + library (“an institution that lends out its goods for use by the public or a community”).

compound

(Commonwealth, Ireland) A service that rents out cloth nappies.


nappy pod

(Commonwealth, Ireland) Synonym of diaper pod (“a cube-shaped diaper bag, typically waterproof (a wet bag), intended for storing clean cloth diapers and other cloth products, like diaper inserts”).