Is fearr Gaeilge briste, ná Béarla clíste.
Broken Irish is better than clever English.
᚛ᚔᚄᚃᚕᚏᚏᚌᚙᚔᚂᚌᚓᚁᚏᚔᚄᚈᚓᚅᚐᚁᚕᚏᚂᚐᚉᚂᚔᚄᚈᚓ᚜
Irish Language Proverbs & Sayings
Traditional Sayings in the Irish Language
Is minic a bhris béal duine a shrón.
Many a time a man's mouth broke his nose.
᚛ᚔᚄᚋᚔᚅᚔᚉᚐᚁᚆᚏᚔᚄᚁᚕᚂᚇᚗᚅᚕᚄᚆᚏᚑᚅ᚜
Níl saoi gan locht.
There is no wise person without fault.
᚛ᚅᚔᚂᚄᚐᚖᚌᚐᚅᚂᚑᚉᚆᚈ᚜
Is ait an mac an saol.
Life is strange.
᚛ᚔᚄᚐᚔᚈᚐᚅᚋᚐᚉᚐᚅᚄᚐᚑᚂ᚜
Ní neart go cur le chéile.
There's strength in unity.
᚛ᚅᚔᚅᚕᚏᚈᚌᚑᚉᚒᚏᚂᚓᚉᚆᚓᚔᚂᚓ᚜
Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin.
There's no fireplace like your own fireplace.
᚛ᚅᚔᚂᚐᚑᚅᚈᚔᚅᚈᚕᚅᚋᚐᚏᚇᚑᚈᚆᚔᚅᚈᚕᚅᚃᚓᚔᚅ᚜
Is treise an dúchas ná an oiliúint.
Nature is stronger than nurture.
᚛ᚔᚄᚈᚏᚓᚔᚄᚕᚅᚇᚒᚉᚆᚐᚄᚅᚐᚐᚅᚖᚂᚔᚗᚅᚈ᚜
Ní thagann ciall roimh aois.
Sense does not come before age.
᚛ᚅᚔᚈᚆᚐᚌᚐᚅᚅᚉᚘᚂᚂᚏᚖᚋᚆᚐᚖᚄ᚜
Tús maith leath na hoibre.
A good start is half the work.
᚛ᚈᚒᚄᚋᚐᚔᚈᚆᚂᚕᚈᚆᚅᚐᚆᚖᚁᚏᚓ᚜
Is anlann maith é an t-ocras.
Hunger is good sauce.
᚛ᚔᚄᚐᚅᚂᚐᚅᚅᚋᚐᚔᚈᚆᚕᚅᚈᚑᚉᚏᚐᚄ᚜
Chomh ciotach le muc i sciamhlann.
As awkward as a pig in a parlour.
᚛ᚉᚆᚑᚋᚆᚉᚔᚑᚈᚐᚉᚆᚂᚓᚋᚒᚉᚔᚄᚉᚘᚋᚆᚂᚐᚅᚅ᚜
Méid coirnéal le mála móin.
As many corners as a bag of turf.
᚛ᚋᚓᚔᚇᚉᚖᚏᚅᚕᚂᚂᚓᚋᚐᚂᚐᚋᚖᚅ᚜
Ná dhíol do chearc ar lá fliuch.
Don’t sell your hen on a wet day.
᚛ᚅᚐᚇᚆᚔᚑᚂᚇᚑᚉᚆᚕᚏᚉᚐᚏᚂᚐᚃᚂᚔᚒᚉᚆ᚜
Modern Colloquialisms
Sayings and modern colloquialisms in Ireland
Craic
Fun, good times, gossip, or news. (“What’s the craic?” means “What’s going on?”)
᚛ᚉᚏᚐᚔᚉ᚜
Grand
Fine, okay, or good. (“Ah, I’m grand.”)
᚛ᚌᚏᚐᚅᚇ᚜
Banjaxed
Broken, ruined, or exhausted. (“The telly’s banjaxed.”)
᚛ᚁᚐᚅᚌᚐᚎᚓᚇ᚜
Stall the ball
Hold on, wait a minute, slow down.
᚛ᚄᚈᚐᚂᚂᚈᚆᚓᚁᚐᚂᚂ᚜
Gas
Funny or amusing. (“She’s gas altogether.”)
᚛ᚌᚐᚄ᚜
Feck
A softer expletive than the English F-word; often used casually.
᚛ᚃᚓᚉᚊ᚜
Yoke
Thing or object when you can’t recall its name. (“Pass me that yoke there.”)
᚛ᚔᚑᚊᚓ᚜
Gobshite
A foolish or annoying person. (“He’s some gobshite.”)
᚛ᚌᚑᚁᚄᚆᚔᚈᚓ᚜
Eejit
Idiot; affectionate term for a silly person.
᚛ᚓᚓᚌᚔᚈ᚜
Yer Man
That guy or fellow. (“Yer man in the shop.”)
᚛ᚔᚓᚏᚋᚐᚅ᚜
Ah Here
Expression of disbelief or mild frustration. (“Ah here, don’t start!”)
᚛ᚐᚆᚆᚓᚏᚓ᚜
G’Way
“Go away!” often meaning “You’re joking!” or disbelief.
᚛ᚌᚒᚒᚐᚔ᚜
Sláinte
“Health” — used as a toast, equivalent to “cheers”.
᚛ᚄᚂᚐᚔᚅᚈᚓ᚜
What’s the craic?
How are things? What’s happening?
᚛ᚒᚒᚆᚐᚈᚄᚈᚆᚓᚉᚏᚐᚔᚉ᚜
Suckin’ diesel
Doing well now; making good progress.
᚛ᚄᚒᚉᚊᚔᚅᚇᚔᚓᚄᚓᚂ᚜
Grand stretch in the evenings
Comment on longer daylight as spring/summer arrives.
᚛ᚌᚏᚐᚅᚇᚄᚈᚏᚓᚈᚉᚆᚔᚅᚈᚆᚓᚓᚃᚓᚅᚔᚅᚌᚄ᚜
Dryshite
A dull or boring person who doesn’t enjoy a laugh.
᚛ᚇᚏᚔᚄᚆᚔᚈᚓ᚜
How’s she cuttin’?
Informal greeting meaning “How are you?”
᚛ᚆᚑᚒᚒᚄᚄᚆᚓᚉᚒᚈᚈᚔᚅ᚜
Cute hoor
A sly or clever person who bends the rules for personal gain.
᚛ᚉᚒᚈᚓᚆᚑᚑᚏ᚜
Plamás
Flattery, smooth-talking, or buttering someone up.
᚛ᚚᚂᚐᚋᚐᚄ᚜
Mé Féiner
Selfish person; literally “myself-er”.
᚛ᚋᚓᚃᚓᚔᚅᚓᚏ᚜
If there was work in the bed, he’d sleep on the floor
Used to describe a lazy person who avoids work at all costs.
᚛ᚔᚃᚈᚆᚓᚏᚓᚒᚒᚐᚄᚒᚒᚑᚏᚊᚔᚅᚈᚆᚓᚁᚓᚇᚆᚓᚇᚄᚂᚓᚓᚚᚑᚅᚈᚆᚓᚃᚂᚑᚑᚏ᚜
Shitehawk
Insult for a mean or unpleasant person.
᚛ᚄᚆᚔᚈᚓᚆᚐᚒᚒᚊ᚜