Some Lesser-Known Irish Phrases

It's surprising how much flies under the radar when it comes to national differences. (Such differences as remain, I must gloomily add.) Whenever we discuss, for instance, Irishisms (or Irish idioms), it tends to be the same few that come to mind. Everybody knows "eejit" and "craic", and these are indeed used all the time in everyday life.

But there are many others that are so less-remarked that, frequently enough, I don't even realize they are Irishisms until this comes to my attention, for whatever reason.

I've been collecting these for a few months. Finding myself using one in a comment I left on the most recent post on the Some Definite Service blog, it occurred to me to share them. So here goes.

You’re some flower (or "you're some boy"): You're a piece of work! (Usually said in a tone of reluctant admiration.)

O'Reilly, the builder with the blarney from Fawlty Towers

Sent from Billy to Jack: Sent from pillar to post. "Your customer service department has sent me from Billy to Jack." Somewhat dated and rare, but I used it myself for a long time before I realized it was purely Irish.

You’re a star: You're a mensch, you're a brick. Very, very common, to the extent that it's the title of an Irish talent show on TV.

Tell me this and tell me no more: Rather old-fashioned, and now used more ironically than otherwise. Usually used in the context of something one has puzzled over for a long time, or finds baffling. I think it's more a Dublin usage than a general Irish usage, though I might be wrong. I can only "hear" it in an old Dublin accent.

Get out of that garden: Similar to Kenneth Williams's "stop messing abaht!". Used more ironically and self-consciously in my experience. Very much a Dublin usage.

You’re very good: "Thank you, you're very kind." This is probably said millions of times all over Ireland every day. It's so common I was surprised when I realized it was an Irishism.

At all at all: An emphatic ending to a statement. "He doesn't know what he's doing at all at all." Generally used for humorous effect, and even affecting a "culchie" or rural accent. I used to find this very irritating, rather randomly. The dropped comma is crucial; there's no pause.

Goodbye goodbye goodbye: This is almost the standard way to end a phone-call in Ireland. It's a form of insurance against not responding to somebody else's final "goodybe": to simply keep repeating the word until you hang up. Generally just three, though. I've observed this is especially common among women, but it's widely used by men, too.

He's a total looper: He's nuts.

In the ha’penny place: Doesn't hold a candle to. "I'm only in the ha'penny place to you when it comes to mischief." Used in the movie Michael Collins: "

No bother to you! You could accomplish that easily. Generally a compliment or an encouragement. "You should go up and sing a song. Go on, no bother to you!".