Located in the southwest of Ireland, the Kingdom of Kerry is home to beautiful nature, authentic Irish culture, and plenty of hilarious slang phrases that will make no sense to anyone other than a local.
A beautiful spot on the southwest coast of Ireland known for its stunning beaches, majestic mountain ranges, and vibrant cultural scene, the Kingdom County offers plenty of reasons to visit.
When you’re there, however, you might take some time to work out what exactly the locals are trying to say to you – and that’s not just in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) areas.
Between their thick Irish accents and unique slang phrases, it can sometimes be hard to work out exactly what someone might be trying to tell you.
So, we’re here to help you a little by sharing 20 mad Kerry phrases that make absolutely no sense to English speakers.
20. Stick up your ass – being stuck up
Kicking off our list of Kerry phrases that make no sense to English speakers is when it’s said that someone has a ‘stick up their ass‘.
This hilarious phrase often refers to someone as being stuck up or full of themselves.
19. Yer wan – that guy/girl
A friendly, affectionate term used to refer to someone whose name you probably can’t remember. Anyone can be ‘yer wan’.
18. Shup – a Kerry version of ‘shut up’
The Irish have a habit of shortening their words, and one example is combining the term ‘shut up’ into one quick four-letter word.
17. The shams – the lads
Someone from Kerry might ask, ‘How’s the shams?‘ meaning, ‘How are the lads?‘.
16. Whist / Fwisht Awhile – shut up
You might be told to ‘Howl yer whist‘, which means shut up or stop talking.
15. Mor-E-Yah – an interjection to add emphasis
This is one of those Kerry phrases we can’t offer an accurate translation of. In short, it’s pretty much an interjection to add emphasis or exaggeration to a sentence.
14. Come here to me, and I’ll tell you something for nothing – I have some gossip to share
If someone has some juicy gossip they want to share with you, they might say, ‘Come here to me, and I’ll tell you something for nothing‘.
13. Cratúir – a term of affection
Pronounced almost like ‘crater’, cratúir is undoubtedly one of our favourite Kerry phrases. You’ll often hear this one used to refer to a person or pet as a term of affection.
12. Scuttered – drunk
There are plenty of Irish slang phrases for indicating that someone is drunk. For us, ‘scuttered’ is one of the best examples from County Kerry.
11. Some man for one man – a wonderful Kerry compliment
It is reserved for a person who is seen as better than most, a top lad, someone really great. It’s a great compliment when you’re described as ‘some man for one man‘.
10. There is a kick in him/her – someone who thinks they’re better than everyone
Reaching the halfway point on our list of Kerry phrases that make no sense to English speakers, when someone says, ‘There is a kick in him or her‘, they mean that the person is full of himself or herself.
9. Yerra – a word for every situation, really
A phrase that is pretty much said for the sake of saying it, ‘yerra‘ doesn’t mean anything. Rather, it just acts as a filler.
8. Bo-vil – when you forget the words while singing but mumble along anyway
If you go to an Irish trad session and forget the words but attempt to cover them up by mumbling or mouthing words that sound somewhat like what you’re hearing, you’re guilty of a ‘bo-vil‘.
7. Chrisht lads! – an expression of exasperation
The Irish like to let you know when you’ve said something to shock them, and you’ll likely hear a phrase like ‘Chrisht lads!‘ when you’ve told someone something they didn’t expect.
6. Mullocker – a big, lumbering, awkward player
‘Mullocker‘ often describes an opposing player in a Gaelic football match as a big, lumbering, awkward player.
5. Shaa-ring – that beautiful first stretch in the morning
When you wake up in the morning and take that first stretch of your entire body to wake yourself up, that’s a ‘shaa-ring‘. Don’t forget the subtle roll of the ‘r’.
4. Dilly dally – to take your time
When you want someone to hurry up, you can tell them to stop ‘dilly-dallying‘.
3. Varee – to get a notion to do something out of character
Another one of the most popular Kerry phrases you’ll hear when travelling the county, ‘varee’, refers to getting the idea to do something outside of your typical character.
2. Te-spock – to carry out said ‘varee’
Then, when you want to bring the ‘varee’ to life and do the thing you had the notion to do, it becomes ‘te-spock’.
1. Mighty – a word to describe everything
Topping our list of mad Kerry phrases that make no sense to English speakers is the frequent use of the word ‘mighty’.
Almost meaning ‘strong’ or ‘impressive’, mighty can describe anything, from a person to a strong gust of wind.
