What's Your Slang? Irish & Otherwise... (Regionalisms, Sayings, Accents, Etc.)

[LinneaS]

Alma- "hinky" has been one of my favorites ever since I heard it in the CSI shows.

 

I'm a Minnesota girl, and around here, one of the biggest regionalisms is "Uff da!" It's a Scandinavian thing, and sort of an all-purpose expression of exasperation/ sympathy. "You betcha" is also big around here. Also, you'll occasionally hear, "My dogs are barking," which translates to, "My feet are tired."

[Alma1]

You're kidding - they used that expression in CSI, huh? I wonder if it was just once you heard it there or did they use it more than once there. (I never would've guessed it could ever be 1 of anyone's favorite expressions. Interesting.) I had read of the dogs barking expression years ago, but have never known anyone who actually used it.

 

"Uff da" is reminding me of a really similar expression I saw just w/in the past 48 hrs or so, but I actually can't remember what it was exactly. Also, I used to know someone who sometimes said "you bet," but he never said "you betcha" - but then he wasn't from Minnesota.

[dvdspence]

Northern Ireland is full of wee sayings and slang ... great website here which gives a nice overview.

 

http://www.inyourpocket.com/northern-ireland/belfast/How-till-spake-Norn-Iron-A-guide-to-local-phrases_70619f

 

We really overuse the word wee, preceding everything from buns to man. "Alright wee man, how's she cuttin'?" being a fine example of a friendly greeting.

 

There is the ever popular "Bout ye" which covers everything from Hello big lad to flirting.

 

Very romantic too, with classic lines such as "Thon hallion, sure she has a face like a Lurgan spade!"

 

And if it all gets too much "Thon eejit does my loaf in, I'm away for a dander before I end up diggin his mince in"

[ELMARTO]

Northern Ireland is full of wee sayings and slang ... great website here which gives a nice overview.

 

http://www.inyourpocket.com/northern-ireland/belfast/How-till-spake-Norn-Iron-A-guide-to-local-phrases_70619f

 

We really overuse the word wee, preceding everything from buns to man. "Alright wee man, how's she cuttin'?" being a fine example of a friendly greeting.

 

There is the ever popular "Bout ye" which covers everything from Hello big lad to flirting.

 

Very romantic too, with classic lines such as "Thon hallion, sure she has a face like a Lurgan spade!"

 

And if it all gets too much "Thon eejit does my loaf in, I'm away for a dander before I end up diggin his mince in"

 

 

Away on you would ye!

[wahine]

Geordie: Shy bairns get nowt

In English: Shy children get nothing

I am 100% southern..never lived north of the Mason Dixon line. It took EVERYTHING to get my husband to go to Chicago to our daughters wedding, his response was ONLY IF I CAN WEAR CONFEDERATE GRAY. AND HE DID. His daughter and his dance was to MOON RIVER, she walked down the AISLE IN HER WEDDING GOWN WITH HIM AS WELL TO MOON RIVER, NOT HERE COMES THE BRIDE---He said if she wont marry in her hometown in the South, we bring the South to her! YEAH, THERE WERE SOME YANKEE COPS GOING WTF IS GOING ON LOL...She married a cop and a Marine so it was thick, he had to learn to surf before my husband would allow them to marry..I have no IDEA my accent was SO SOUTHERN UNTIL I WAS IN DUBLIN AND EVERYONE KEPT SAYING JUST TALK. I COULDNT UNDERSTAND HALF OF WHAT THEY SAID, AND THEY COULDNT UNDERSTAND ME..I have so much southern slang in my everyday vocabulary that even my niece who is Costa Rican (first language Spanish, second English, in addition to 5 Indian dialects spent the past year with me and my brother said WHAT IS MY DAUGHTER SAYING? Her Spanish accent picked up the Southern drawl so its adorable! Most of my words consist of BLESS HER SOUL, (that is not really kind btw-its sarcastic, pick up that Red phone right now! (That is our direct phone to the Lord), I am way too southern according to everyone I know..I am not redneck or gator kinda southern, I HATE THE WOODS, I HATE HUNTING, I HATE FISHING, DONT EAT SEAFOOD, I AM GOING NOWHERE NEAR AN ALLIGATOR, I KNOW EVERY SNAKE THAT IS A THREAT TO ME THOUGH. BASICALLY EVERY OTHER WORD OUTTA ME IS SOUTHERN AND MY SAYINGS ARE JUST SOUTHERN..I DONT REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT I SAY, BUT IT DOES FREAK FOLKS OUT ALL OVER. FIRST WORDS ARE YOU SOUTHERN...YEAH AND THAT'S THE LAST WORD ON IT, SO WATCH YOURSELF...

[wahine]

And my husband is hardcore Southern, the Southern Plantation etc growing up on, and his is mixed with Southern and Cajun. He is an original Cajun family, via Acadia, Nova Scotia and France so his grandmother spoke French, so he is seriously southern with all kinds of French sayings mixed in...biggest one IS LORD HELP US ALL, which is once again, not a really nice thing to say. THERE IS SO MANY SLANG WORDS THAT ARE PART OF MY EVERYDAY LIFE, THAT I DONT EVEN CONSIDER THEM SLANG...LOL. 

[wahine]

No sh*t SHERLOCK!