How to speak '˜Norn Iron' - an A-Z guide
A is for...
‘Aye’ - yes.
‘Ascared’ - a combination of the words afraid and scared - e.g. “I’m ascared of the dark”.
B is for...
‘Blocked’ - intoxicated.
‘Bake’ - mouth - e.g. “shut yer bake” or “look at the bake on yer man”.
C is for...
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘Catch yerself on’ - used by Derry people when they think someone is behaving inappropriately or have said something incredulous.
‘Craic’ - atmosphere, fun.
D is for...
‘Dead on’ - I’m sorry but I don’t believe you.
‘Dander’ - a leisurely walk - e.g. “let’s go for a wee dander”.
E is for...
‘Eejit’ - a foolish person.
F is for...
‘Fegs’ - cigarettes.
‘Fire’ - used to describe the act of throwing something - “he fired a stone at me”.
G is for...
‘Gimme’ - a combination of the words give and me - e.g. “gimme a feg, please”.
‘Gone’ - used to cajole, e.g. “gone go to the shop for me”.
H is for...
‘Happy days’ - fantastic.
‘Hoop’ - a person’s buttocks.
I is for...
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘In de’ - to look favourably upon something/someone - e.g. “He’s really in de you” - “He likes you”.
‘Is that you now?’ - used to ask if a person has finished what they are doing.
J is for...
‘Jammie’ - lucky.
‘Jook’ - have a look at something - e.g. “I’ll can in for a wee jook on my way home”.
K is for...
‘Kick’ - used to threaten someone with violence - “I’ll kick your head in”.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘Kex’ - underwear - e.g. “I’m going on holidays to Portrush and I need to buy some new kex”.
L is for...
‘Lurred’ - pleased with one’s self - “I am all lurred”.
‘Lifted’ - arrested by the police - “did ye hear he got lifted last night”.
M is for...
‘Member’ - do you recall? - e.g. “do you member the time...?”
‘Mate’ - a friend or pal - e.g.
N is for...
‘Naw’ - no.
‘Norn Iron’ - Northern Ireland - e.g. “I hope Norn Iron win tonight’s match”.
O is for...
‘Offie’ - Off-sales, a place that sells alcohol.
‘On yer bike’ - please leave.
P is for...
‘Poke’ - a whipped ice-cream.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘Peelers’ - police - e.g. “quick, run, there’s the peelers”.
Q is for...
‘Quare’ - scale of size - e.g. “yer man has a quare size a head on him”.
R is for...
‘Ragin.com’ - angry - e.g. “yer woman was ragin.com when the peelers lifted her”.
‘Ratten’ - rotten - e.g. “that poke was ratten”.
S is for...
‘So it is’ - a re-affirmation of what one has said e.g. “It’s pure cold outside, so it is”.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘Steady’ - used to describe the status of a romantic relationship - e.g. “I’ve been goin steady for two years”.
T is for...
‘Tellin’ - to make a third party aware of the misdemeanours of a certain person e.g. “I’m tellin me mammy on you”.
‘Till’ - to - e.g. “gone come till the shop with me”.
U is for...
‘Ulster fry’ - the greatest breakfast known to mankind.
V is for...
‘Visitors’ - people who regularly call to your house, often uninvited.
W is for...
‘Wee’ - small e.g. “please enter your wee pin number” and “what’s your wee telephone number?”
X is for...
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘X-Works jeans’ - a popular fashion item worn in Norn Iron in the 1990s.
Y is for...
‘Yip’ - yes.
‘Yousins’ - a group of people - e.g. “I am so lucky to have friends like yousins”.
Z is for...
‘Zip it’ - be quiet.