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12 words and phrases that have a totally different meaning in Cork
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
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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.”
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5. Haunted
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What it usually means: A place inhabited by a supernatural presence.
What it means in Cork: Lucky or fortunate.
6. Jag
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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
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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
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What it usually means: ?????
What it means in Cork: A male.
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11. Doing a line
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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.
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Cork cork slang gatting Ireland irish slang