Slang is a shortened version of the real word or a made up word meaning the same thing, however, the Irish are notorious for their extensive use of slang.
Various authors have written books in an attempt to make sense of how the Irish speak. An example of this would be The Feckin' Book of Irish Slang That's Great Craic for Cute Hoors and Bowsies by Colin Murphy and Donal o'Dea which outlines the most commonly used "slang" in Ireland.
Since the world wide web has grown rapidly over the past couple of decades, websites with similar interests have arrived, websites such as www.irishslang.info which allows locals to submit their own local phrases to give a greater idea of the modern terms being used.
| Slang Term | English Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| big lawd | big lad | IrishSlang.info |
| well horse | hello | irishslang.info |
| How ye | hello, how are you? | irishslang.info |
| bladdered | Drunk | irishslang.info |
| Purdies | Potatoes | irishslang.info |
| Banjaxed | Broken | irishslang.info |
| Bogtrotter | culchie/country person | irishslang.info |
The slang terms used throughout Ireland change from county to county. for example, County Antrim may say "bout ye" while Coun Tyrone may say "well Horse?" both meaning, hello.