Ireland’s largest inland county, known for its rolling hills, breathtaking landscapes, and unique variety of slang, County Tipperary should be added to your bucket list.
It’s a long, long way to Tipperary. So, if you’re committing to making the journey to this epic Irish county, you should brush up on some local slang to use while you’re there.
A rural inland county bordering eight other counties, Tipperary finds itself in the true heartland of Ireland. Known for stunning landscapes, ancient sites, and friendly locals, there’s plenty of reason to visit.
So, if you want to make your life easier during your trip to Tipp, read on to discover our top 20 mad Tipperary slang phrases that only make sense to locals.
20. Figary – to do something in haste
Kicking off our list of mad Tipperary slang phrases that only make sense to locals is ‘figary’. This word means something along the lines of ‘to do something on a whim’.
19. Guff – backchat
‘Guff’ is a hilarious word you’ll often hear used in Tipperary. It means something like ‘nonsense’, ‘foolish talk’, or ‘backchat’.
18. Cock of the walk – someone who thinks a lot of themselves
If you want to say that someone loves themselves or thinks they’re the greatest thing to grace the planet, you might say that they think they’re the ‘cock of the walk’.
17. Pig iron – trying something, knowing that it probably won’t work
Coming from the association of a sow nursing a litter of piglets, ‘pig iron’ was given to the unusable iron left when iron ore was first smelted.
Over the years, this evolved to mean ‘trying something new, knowing that it probably won’t work’.
16. Dry boys – men who often drink in the pub
Implying that they’re always thirsty for alcohol, ‘dry boys’ is a common Tipperary slang phrase to describe those men who can always be found drinking in the county’s great pubs.
15. A face like a sow’s arse – a grumpy face
If you want to say someone is looking particularly grumpy, you might say that they’ve got ‘a face like a sow’s arse’.
14. Crateur – a term of affection
In various counties across the country, the word ‘crateur’ is often used as a term of affection. You might even hear it prefaced with ‘wee’.
13. As sure as God made apples – a way to say you’re sure about something/being honest
If you want to say you’re 100% sure about something’s factuality, you might say you’re ‘as sure as God-made apples’.
12. Gawk – being nosy
You might have a ‘gawk’ at something on your way past, especially if you’re the nosy type.
11. Fair pure right class – very good
Commonly heard at a GAA match, the phrase ‘fair pure right class’ describes something that was unreal or very good.
10. Thick as a ditch – very stupid
Mucky, dirty, and full of mud, ditches are full of pretty thick and disgusting sludge.
So, one of our favourite Tipperary slang phrases you’ll often hear is ‘thick as a ditch’, which means ‘very stupid’.
9. Pure fried – annoyed or frustrated by something
If you want to say something (or someone) has annoyed or upset you, you might say they’ve got your head ‘pure fried’.
8. D’ould lad an’ d’ould wan – a way to refer to your parents
An informal way of referring to your mum and dad, people from Tipperary might call their dad ‘d’ould lad’ and their mum ‘d’ould wan’.
7. Feckarsing – acting the fool
We all know someone who likes to act a bit like an eejit. In Tipperary, this person might be referred to as ‘feckarsing’.
6. Devil a bit – absolutely nothing
If you ask a Tipperary person what they got up to last night, instead of responding with something like ‘not much’ or ‘nothing’, they might say ‘devil a bit’.
5. For the shneer – for a laugh/fun
We don’t always need a reason for doing something; sometimes it’s just ‘for the shneer’. It’s another way of saying you want to do something ‘for the craic‘.
4. Well, boi – a typical Tipperary greeting
Instead of a simple ‘hello’, a true Tipperary local might greet you by saying, ‘Well, boi’. It’s a simple way of saying, ‘Hi, how’s it going?’.
3. T’wasn’t off the stones he licked it – inherited behaviour
One of the most hilarious Tipperary slang phrases that only make sense to locals is this one, which essentially means, ‘Well, he didn’t get it from licking it off a stone, so he must have got it from his parents’.
We hope that made some sense.
2. Gombeen – someone acting the eejit
Another hugely popular phrase for describing someone acting the eejit is ‘gombeen’, which you’ll commonly hear in Tipperary.
1. Give us a gander – let me have a look
Topping the list of mad Tipperary phrases you’ll often hear when you visit the county is ‘give us a gander’. If someone says this to you, they basically mean, ‘Let me have a look’.
