By Heather Monte
Dublin is an amazing city to visit for a weekend, to live in for a semester abroad, or even to stop in for a quick layover in the airport. Part of what makes Dublin (and Ireland in general) such a fantastic place to explore is that the Irish are some of the friendliest people in the world. There’s no one better to strike up a conversation with over a Guinness or in the grocery store with than an Irishman. The Irish are kind and friendly and always willing to lend a helping hand. The only thing that can make your experience meeting the country’s citizens even better is if you know a little Irish slang to help you know exactly what they are saying…
Pronounced like “crack”. Probably the most common Irish slang word you will hear—everyone uses it. It can mean anything from a good time to hot gossip. It really can be used for anything, so you pay attention to context clues.
Ex: She was good craic last night.
Ex: What’s the craic?
Shift
Irish slang for make-out/hook up.
Ex: Last night at Coppers she shifted with 6 different guys.
Dublin 4/D4
In Dublin, there are 17 different postal districts that range from Dublin 1 to Dublin 17. These are like the zip codes for the city of Dublin. Dublin 4 is known as a very “posh” area, so if someone looks classy or sophisticated they might be referred to as “Dublin 4” or “D4” regardless of whether or not they are actually from Dublin 4.
Locked
Locked means to be very, very drunk.
Ex: I was so locked last night that I ate 4 McChickens and then passed out on the floor of my kitchen in my heels.
Slàinte isn’t exactly Irish slang, but is a Gaelic word that means “to your health” or “cheers.” You shouldn’t go out in Dublin without knowing what it means!
