Irish slang - Gas

old Irish man laughingSo you speak English. Why not travel to the land of saints and scholars where English has been lyrically embellished since the dark ages; a week or two in Ireland and I won’t even need a translation dictionary!

A few weeks of hearing your language dancing gracefully and coherantly across the Irish tongue might be more challenging than you think! Ireland may be a predominately english-speaking nation, but the thing that tickled my ears the most when I first moved here and that tends to confuse our stateside guests is some of the slang. So, below is the thirteenth in a series I’m publishing on some common Irish slang that used to confuse us when we first arrived.

Gas - A person or thing that is astonishing or entertaining.

You know, like the Rolling Stone’s song, “It’s a gas, gas gas”. While it’s not unheard of to hear someone use this word in the states to mean “entertaining,” it is pretty old-timey. Here in Ireland this word is used frequently when someone is amazed, (“You really work as an astronaught? That’s gas!”). But mostly it’s used in conjunction with the slang term craíc to indicate that the craíc was at an almost mind-blowingly good level.

That’s right, when you’ve been in Ireland long enough, you too can speak the phrase “gas craíc and not think of flatulence.

I should ammend this entry by reminding folks that, unlike the states, the petroleum product you put in your car’s fuel tank is not called “gasoline” here. See last week’s slang posting here.


By Seán | Permalink

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Comments

Meghan | March 13th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
top comment

I am so glad someone else notices this. I moved to Meath in 2005 and noticed this strange gasping phenomenon immediately. The funny thing about it was that it was usually the nicest people that did it. Why were all the nice people all afflicted with this strange, uncontrolable gasping problem. My Irish husband didn’t know what I was talking about. (he’s not a gasper) I have shown him your post to prove I am not imagining things. I feel vindicated! Thanks.

Irish slang - Master Post - About Ireland | August 3rd, 2007 at 2:07 pm
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[…] Yoke Sorry Shift Collect A ride Fanny Schmozzle Chance the arm How’s things T vs TH Deadly Doctor’s surgery chancer muppet Ignorant Feck Lovely Hurling Your one Your man Punter Bye bye bye Gas Petrol Bollocks It went down a bomb You know yourself Jennet Prosperous New Year Happy Christmas homely The head wag The Jack’s The gasping Craíc Tags: About Ireland, celtic slang, English in ireland, Irish English, irish phrases, Irish slang, irish terms, slang in ireland, translation […]

Elizabeth | March 13th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
top comment

It more means ‘hilarious’
Was the comedy good last night?
Yeah, it was gas. (hilarious)

Or is he funny?
Oh he’s gas!!! (really funny)

like… if someone said to me ‘You’re an astronaut, that’s gas’ I’d probably be insulted because I’d think they weren’t taking me seriously!!



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