“Pissed” & More Irish Slang Words

If you have recently been keeping up with 2024 film awards, you’d know that Cillian (pronounced as ki-lee-uhn) Murphy won Best Actor for his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer. If you haven’t seen the film, give it a watch so you can learn about the history of this massive World War II project. As Murphy said in his speech, “For better or for worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world. So I would really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.”

Now, J. Robert Oppenheimer was American, but Cillian Murphy is Irish. If you listen to him speak, you hear his captivating Irish accent. It’s magic. When I hear Cillian’s name, I immediately think of Ireland.

I often wonder: what is Cillian’s favorite Irish slang? I don't have the answer to that just yet, but perhaps I'll ask him when we're having tea! In the meantime, I have a list of Irish slang words for you. Maybe you’d find your own favorite on this list.

Common Irish Slang

• craic: having a fun time or a good time
• in bits / fluthered / ossified / steamin / pissed: drunk
• thick: stupid
• arseways: confused or gone wrong
• crack on: to get going
• deadly: brilliant
• tae: tea
• bang on: something that is correct
• banjaxed: broken
• bollocks: nonsense
• gaff: a house
• boyo: another word for boy
• plonker / gowl: a fool or foolish person
• lashing: pouring rain
• rotten: someone or something very bad
• spuds: potatoes
• gander: a quick look
• jacks: toilet
• kip: a nap
• manky: something dirty
• dose: something that is annoying
• fair play: good job or well done
• scoops: a few pints of beer
• tool: an idiot
• what’s the story: "how are you" or "what's up"
• swift one: a quick drink