In the Irish Independent today, there was a story about Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood who was left red faced in the Olympia the other night over an Irish double entendre. The BBC star was telling a story about his 12 year old son, affectionately referring to him as “my lad”, causing much amusement in the stalls. The mistake was highlighted later on in the show when reading out tweets sent to him from audience members - “You do know that “my lad” means your willy in Ireland?”. Hollywood said, “Is this true? I’ve been talking about my lad all day”.
So it got us thinking; what words do we use in Ireland that mean completely different things in other places? The listeners of The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show were straight on the ball – and here are some of the best ones:
Hurling has a completely different meaning in the US from here. Imagine the reaction when I initially said to a few of them that the game of hurling was the best game in the world. "Hurling? A game?" "How do you win?" Paddy Galway
“Your one” and “your man”, meaning that girl or that guy. Hasn't a clue what it meant when I got here from Zimbabwe!
Americans call their arses their fanny, which can be quite confusing over here..
Ian fanny in the USA has a different meaning then over here. It means your bum in America. I nearly passed out in a shop with my wife one day when she asked me if the trousers were baggy, and the shop assistant said you would be amazed how much room your fanny can take up.
Words that mean something else. "How's your Ma?" Joe
Just to clarify, Ian, rooting in Australia is shagging... Cheers! Troy
Hi Ian, in Australia we would go for a ride either in the car or on the bike - different over here! Justin from oz
I'm a butcher Ian and every Xmas, a woman comes into me to order her turkey and she always asks for a big cock!
I'm just taking the "piss" out of you. Doesn't go down well in America. Joe in Dublin
A rake. In other parts of the world it is a garden tool, here it's a large amount - a rake of pints. From beardy
I will yeah! Means 'absolutely not'! Derek in Gorey
Facebook got in on the action too:
Michelle Clarke Worrell (who definitely won the game) says:
Pissed = Angry in US
Pissed = Drunk in Ireland
Locked = Won't open
Locked = Drunk in Ireland
Merry = Happy
Merry = Drunk in Ireland
I could go on ........
Marie Tyndall: Randy. A name in US. Horny in Ireland.
Zelie Birchill: "Massive", should mean large in scale. Instead it's slang for "beautiful" in IRE!
Sinead Leahy: Flip flops= thong. Thong =underwear
Philip Purcell: Sick = great, ride = sex,
Frankie Healy: USA Trunk = boot. Hood = bonnet.
