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12 words and phrases that have a totally different meaning in Cork

“You’re the bop off her!”

ROY KEANE, glorious countryside, that time the Queen visited – Corkonians have a lot to be proud of.

And that’s before you delve into their distinct turn of phrase.

For example…

1. Gawk

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What is usually means: To look or stare at.

What is means in Cork: To vomit. Example: “I had a sneaky gawk.”

2. Mint

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What is usually means: A place where coins are produced; a refreshing herb; a peppermint sweet

What is means in Cork: Cool or great.

3. Gat

Gun Technology AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

What is usually means: A gun.

Per Jay-Z, “I’ve got the rap patrol on the gat patrol”

What it means in Cork: To have a drink. ‘Gatting’ refers to ‘going for a drink’.

4. Hatchet

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What is usually means: A small axe.

What is means in Cork: Brilliant. As in, “It was hatchet craic.”

5. Haunted

New Jersey Haunted House AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

What it usually means: A place inhabited by a supernatural presence.

What it means in Cork: Lucky or fortunate.

6. Jag

JAG Wikipedia Wikipedia

What it usually means: A long-running US legal drama that ran form 1995 – 2005.; maybe an abbreviation of Jaguar? (“Nice Jag, man.”)

What it means in Cork: A date.

7. Jointed

Edwin Edwards Gerald Herbert Gerald Herbert

What it usually means: The point at which two things are joined up, opposite to disjointed.

What it means in Cork: Busy, packed, heaving.

8. Bazzer

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What is usually means: Nothing really. Possibly a fun nickname for someone named Barry?

What it means in Cork:  A haircut.

9. Bop off

What it usually means: A not very intense dance-off.

What it means in Cork: To look like or be the image of somebody.

“You’re the bop off her!”

10. Feen

2013 TIFF - Parkland Premiere AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

What it usually means: ?????

What it means in Cork: A male.

11. Doing a line

A person snorting cocaine PA Archive / Press Association Images PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

What is usually means: To snort cocaine

What it means in Cork: To go out with somebody.

“John and Mary have been doing a line for years.”

12. Flah

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What it usually means: That a person is unable to spell “fleadh”.

What it means in Cork: Sexual intercourse or to have sexual intercourse. 

It can also be used to describe an attractive person. “What a flah.”

Thanks to Eamonn O’Neill, Jessie Doherty, Emma Power and Tamara Tooher for their assistance with this piece. 

11 reasons why Cork might actually be better than Dublin >

12 words and phrases that have a totally different meaning in the Midlands >

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