Thirteen Irish Phrases You Won’t Hear Anywhere Else

As a nation, we have some VERY interesting phrases that you just won't hear anywhere else. They are completely brilliant and we wouldn't be without them, even if some take a little explaining. Here are just some of the classics. It'll be grand, sure Everything is grand and grand is a great word. It can be used to answer many questions and if you're ever in need of a one-word answer, grand will sort you out. Who's she?! The cat's mother.... This is one from the Irish Mammies. If you were silly enough to use "she" in conversation, you can be sure you'll be asked this.  Yer one, yer man *insert yer where relevant* Ah you know "yer one", probably not the best way to refer to someone but when you're stuck for someone's name, this choice phrase can come in handy.  Were you born in a field? You should never leave a door open in an Irish household. You're almost guaranteed to be asked if you live in a field and you'll be given a look, similar to the below Sheldon stare. Cop yourself on Stop acting the eejit. Basically stop doing whatever it is you're doing. I ate the head off her So, someone got VERY angry, no one ever wants to be on the receiving end of this phrase. What's the craic? A very general saying and is often used as a way of greeting someone. If you use it anywhere other than Ireland, people won't have a clue what you're saying. I was in a hoop If you're feeling under the weather the next day, it might because you were "in a hoop" the night before. There are a lot of other ways to describe this including "langered", "half-cut, and "three sheets to the wind". Acting the maggot Sure, we've all been up to no good at one stage or another. Acting the maggot, or messer, is a phrase that often crops up in conversation. Come here to me This is basically when you want someone to listen. You could just say listen but sure, that would be no craic... Mind yourself If someone isn't feeling or well or heading on an journey, this is one Irish Mammies often say. "Take care" is another popular one, in fact we're starting to sound like our Mammies because we're using these phrases so often. Well... Only in Ireland can the phrase "well" mean so many things. From a very awkward chat-up line to starting a conversation you really don't want to a word used when you can't think of anything to say. A pain in the neck If someone is really annoying you, you might have referred to them as a "pain in the neck". We're not quite sure why the neck is the chosen body part, but we roll with it anyway. *Honorary mention* - Would you come out of the fog?! Similar to would you cop on and included because we love it. Main image via RTÉ