10 Derry Girls slang phrases you might not know the meaning of

Virgin Radio

20 Apr 2022, 08:58

Our favourite Irish teen sitcom Derry Girls is finally back on our screens for its third and final season and we are loving it.

One of the things we adore about the show is the celebration of Irish culture and, of course, the incredible one-liners from the girls (and James).

To show their appreciation for this, the team at Preply has provided a roundup of classic Irish slang terms that you’ll probably hear on the series and what they mean.

1. All lured

Something about the sound of this phrase makes it seem like a negative thing, like being freaked out or disgusted- but it’s actually quite the opposite.

Being “all lured” means being delighted- much like the feeling we had when we found out Derry Girls was returning to our screens once again.

2. Melter

This is a great one to use if someone is getting on your nerves as ‘melter’ is most commonly used to describe someone who is an idiot or extremely annoying.

3. Wired to the moon

You might use this one if you have been on a particularly crazy night out and need *a lot* of caffeine to get through the next day.

4. Fluthered

The reason you need a lot of caffeine to get “wired to the moon” is probably because you got “fluthered” the night before.

This term is used to describe your behaviour during a night out (aka being seriously intoxicated).

5. How’s she cuttin’?

No, this isn’t about doing arts and crafts.

Forget the standard ‘how are you?’ in Ireland. Instead, you’re much more likely to hear the popular phrase ‘how’s she cuttin?’ or ‘howya?’.

6. The pale

Interestingly, the pale refers to the capital of Ireland- Dublin.

When describing where someone is located, a person from Ireland might say they’re just located outside of the ‘pale’.

7. Gas

Known as one of the most common phrases in the Irish language, ‘gas’ refers to something being funny or amusing.

8. Acting the maggot

If you’re messing around or acting silly in Ireland, you will probably be told you’re “acting the maggot”.

9. Banjaxed

If you come across this word when watching Derry Girls, it simply refers to something being broken.

In other words, if it ain’t ‘banjaxed’, don’t fix it!

10. Dooter

This term refers to going for a wander or a walk somewhere. You might be asked to for a dooter in the park or around the shopping centre.

Derry Girls airs Tuesdays at 9:15 on Channel 4.