So, in another thread Pete Legend asked us, "How's the craic?", which I had to look up. I like it very much! Looking it up, I ran into this example in Urban Dictionary:



"Steamin drunk" and "wrecked today" are just wonderful!

It reminds me of a tea towel a friend of mine has in his bathroom which lists a bunch of slang terms from Australia. I can't remember any of them, but I remember that they, too, were wonderful.

So I was hoping that I could encourage some of our English speaking non-American friends to teach us some more really cool expressions.

Come on, give us some cool slang.

Famously, "i'm just here for the craic" is exactly what NOT to say if you're from Ireland arriving at an American airport.

But OK, to start you off, from a Scottish perspective how about

Awa' an bile yer heid

The ba's on the slates

Blootered

I won't bother translating, as it's obvious what they all mean. Isn't it?

Uh...no.

"Blootered" is crystal clear.

"Beil yer haid" is translatable when transliterated.

But "ba's on the slates"? Can't figure that one out.

I do remember something Australian: getting "lubricated". At least that was in a novel I read. I don't know if Australians actually say it.

Lubricated : some still do, depends on location and age of speaker. It's fallen out of use a bit now. Big in the '70s. You still come across it in descriptions of cricket matches and concerts - "The crowd was well lubricated.."

To be "stiched up" for a job in England is just like being "hooked up" here.

The English football announcer said that the game was on "a knife's edge" meaning it could go either way.

Here's some good examples of Glaswegian patter*, with an English translation beforehand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk0sS4IFGXA

Possibly unsuitable for jessies.

Our politicians frequently have to stickhandle through difficult situations.

John

Ice Hockey?

Yup. It's the hockey equivalent of dribbling in basketball or football (soccer).

John

In this country polititions will give you a "head fake" then go the other way.

'Awa' an bile yer heid', literally 'Go away and boil your head', i.e. an expression of general exasperation or incredulity

'The ba's on the slates', literally "The ball is on the roof', i.e. it's finished, the game is over (because some numpty has kicked it up there and it can't be retrieved)

'Blootered', yes, drunk, although alternatively it could refer to being hit, as in 'the full back blootered the wee winger all over the park'

Like rocking horse $h17.
Uncommon/rare.
This is difficult Stone! Most of the ones I use are a little near the knuckle.
Ray.

It never has made much sense.