19th February 2017
Belfast Accent Translation Guide
Belfast burst on to the tourism stage after our peace process gathered momentum in the mid 1990’s. We started to welcome the world to our great city – and the world started to come and enjoy themselves.
Belfast burst on to the tourism stage after our peace process gathered momentum in the mid 1990’s. We started to welcome the world to our great city – and the world started to come and enjoy themselves.
One problem soon became clear – our accent! Belfast City Sightseeing are committed to helping you enjoy your visit so you can print off this guide and stick it in your pocket:
- Ach: A regional word usually placed at the start of a sentence. “Ach go on”, “Ach you know?”
- Aye: Yes
- Bake: Mouth/face. “Shut your bake”, “Look at the bake on her”
- Boke: To get sick
- Buck Eejit: A silly person. ‘See your man, he’s a buck ijit, so he is.’
- Catch yourself on!: An expression, translated as “Get a hold of yourself!”, “Wise up!”
- Craic: Fun / Joy / Laugh
- Da/Ma: Father/Mother. “Yer ma’s yer da.”
- Dear: Expensive
- Fegs: Cigarettes. “Can I have twenty fegs and a can of coke?”
- Fleg: A flag – normally of a country. Best not to mention in some areas.
- Glipe: Normally a tall thin person who has questionable fashion sense. ” Look at what that glipe is wearing!”
- Headbanger: Someone of questionable mental health
- Hoak: Rummage. “That wee man hoaks through the bins”
- Hoop: Your rear end. ” I slipped on that ice and went clean on me hoop ‘
- Is that you?: “Are you finished?”, “Are you ready?”
- Millie / Millbeg: An inner city female youth
- Mucker: Mate, pal. “Alright mucker, fancy a pint?”
- Minger: Ugly, an unattractive person. “You’re such a minger”
- Peeler: A police constable
- Poke: Ice-Cream. “Ma, can I have a poke with sprinkles on?”
- Right: Assertive, usually applied at the start of a sentence. “Right, I’m away home for my tea”
- Rocket: An adventurous person. ” I can’t believe that rocket just did that ”
- Space cadet: See Rocket
- Spide / Smickdog: An inner city male youth
- Spuds: Potatoes. “Get the spuds on love, I’m starvin’”
- Thon: That/Him/Her ” Look at the size of the loaf on thon”
- Wee: Small. Used by every single Northern Irish person. “Have a wee bun”, “Would you like a wee bag?”
- Wick: Stupid, useless. “That new Glentoran kit is wick”
This should be enough to get you started!