Will you shift my friend?
Thursday was International Kissing Day and if you didn’t get a kiss, don’t blame yourself.
There are so many different phrases for kissing in Ireland and if you didn’t use the right phrase in the right county, you could have been just out of luck or in the wrong place at the wrong time.
How are there so many phrases I hear you ask? Who knows, do people just make up these words and hope that they stick or is there actually some sort of meaning behind them?
We’ll let you decide…
Lob the gob
Fairly straight forward, your gob is your mouth and you want to lob it onto someone.
Go off with/go with
Go with where? Are we going for a walk? What’s happening? So confused.
Meet
Never has the phrase, ‘sure I’ll meet you down at the football pitch’ been so scary.
See
‘I can’t see you, I don’t want to, sorry.’ Am I invisible now or what’s the craic?
Score
He shoots, he scores. Scores on the board all round.
Eat the face
I am very sorry but there will be no cannibalism in this establishment today, thank you.
Feak
This is a very dangerous one. You could say this in Mayo and get a kiss, you could say it in Limerick and get a belt.
Shift
The most famous one. Forever making people from elsewhere confused. ‘Why do you want to move me?’
Maul
For the Rugby enthusiasts, pause, touch, engage.
Tackle
Sounds a bit rough. Again, another sport reference. No two-footed ones or you’ll get your marching orders.
Curt/Court
And, if ye started going out, ye would be courting.
Lumber
Awake from your slumber with a lumber. Sets you up for the day.
Sketch
Don’t be sketching any sketchy characters though.
Skiff
If ye ever had a tiff, sort it out with a skiff.
Stall
Stall the ball, as Kayne West once said ‘come and meet in the bathroom stall (for a stall)’
Pull
Did you pull him? Great success. If you’re good enough, you’ll be pulling like a dog like the O’Donovan Brothers.
Wired
'Wired the head in some yoke' @christydevlin85 @Simon_T4 yous men think of any?
— Gerard Mooney (@gerard_mooney) July 6, 2017
There are no words…
Jag
I’m gagging for a jagging.
Gobsmack
It’s like a surprise lob the gob. You’ll be gobsmacked after a good gobsmack.
Do
‘Will you do my friend? No? Will you do me instead so?’
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
