Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The post with the themweys

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*Edit note:  I've been notified that it is actually thingwee and NOT themwey...so I stand corrected. Thank you Derryonians (yes I just made that up) for helping ;)*

So, apparently the apocalypse was to happen on Saturday.  I didn't know until Sunday.  Anyway, for all the May 21st survivors out there, I thought I'd use this post to teach you a few Derry, Ireland sayings. Of course some of them aren't specific to Derry and can be heard throughout Ireland and over in the U.K., but I'll throw 'em all in together. Then maybe you'll understand why I'm so confused all the time and why my new thang has been to just smile and nod (since I don't know what the heck is being said around me most of the time). I've posted a few things like this before, but this post is better because there's more in it :). I don't have a great transition here, so we'll just dive right in.

Irish/U.K. sayings/words on left and American meanings on right.

  • What's the craic? (pronounced crack)--What's happening (crack in Ireland crack in the U.S. are two completely different meanings).
  • What about ye?--What's going on
  • Mucker--Friend
  • Bin--Trash can
  • Rubbish--Garbage
  • Lorry--Semi-truck
  • Till--Cash Register (You'll remember my little encounter with this word from this post.)
  • Pants--Underwear (And, who could forget my embarrassing misuse of this one.  Check here.)
  • Trousers--Pants
  • Vest--Tank top
  • Queue--Line
  • Trainers--Sneakers/Tennis shoes
  • Pad--Sidewalk
  • Trolley--Buggy
  • Pram--Stroller
  • Nappy--Diaper
  • Cooker--Stove
  • Yer ma's yer da--Yo Momma or Your Mom (an insult)
  • Red sauce--ketchup
  • Aye--Yes (I've got the hang of this one)
  • Now we're sucking diesel--Now we're getting somewhere
  • Petrol--Gasoline
  • Wind--Gas...as in farts
  • Yes/Alright--Hello
  • Canny--Can't
  • Ano--I know
  • Wan--One
  • Dinner--Lunch
  • Tea/Tay--Dinner
  • Crisps--Chips
  • Chips--Fries
  • Wain--Child
  • Catch yourself on--Get over it
  • Arse/Hole--Ass
  • Class--Very good
  • Flat out--Very busy
  • Knackered--Tired 
  • Cracker--Very good
  • Bake--Face (One of my favs)
  • Baltic--Freezing (As I have been since I got here...Summer where are you?)
  • Gac--Someone who is kind of stupid
  • Cabbage--Same as Gac
  • Yer man/woman--that guy/girl over there (it never ceases to amaze me either when hearing a conversation using this b/c they always know who the other person is talking about.  Not me, I need names.)
  • Fag--Cigarette
  • Off License--Liquor Store
  • Slag--To make fun of
  • Take away--Food to go
  • Ma--Mother
  • Da--Father
  • Ragin'--Angry
  • Wee--Small or tiny (one of my favs)
  • Sweet--Candy
  • Awk--Usually just a word placed in the beginning of a sentence ("Awk, hope you feel better, love.")
  • Hi--Usually a word put in the end of a sentence ("I don't know, hi.")
  • Femway/themwey (don't know how to spell this one)--Usually meant to mean that thing there or thingy. ("Go on and bring me that femway from the table.")  Here is an actual conversation that Barry and I had regarding this word:  Barry:  "Just git the femway with the femway and then that's us sorted."  Me:  (I couldn't say anything because I had no idea what he just said). "What?" 
Okey dokey, that is it for now, muckers.  The list could go on and on, but I'll stop now.  Barry, when you get up in the morning and read this, feel free to add more, hi.  Maybe I'll do a West Virginia slang post next...although I don't understand half of them either and I'm from there. 

3 comments:

  1. It's more like 'Thingwee'. We have some quare sayings hi! Every wan a us has a head lik a marley ;-)

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  2. I love this! I had heard of a few of them before like nappy and of course arse but it was fun to learn a bunch of new words :)

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  3. LOVE. Thanks for posting this, so entertaining! You make me want to go to Ireland more than ever. One day!!!

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