# Need some Irish, Scottish and Austrailian Slang **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 4, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566 "2004-10-04T23:35:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/21 "2004-10-07T22:15:37Z")
Can “eirog” be used as a Irish term for a tomboy? ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/22 "2004-10-07T22:32:28Z")
Well, if it can, it wasn’t common in Cork in the early '90s, that’s all I can say. In fact, I never came across the term ever. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/23 "2004-10-07T23:51:16Z")
What are Irish, Scottish and Austrailain terms of endearment? ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/24 "2004-10-08T01:25:48Z")
For Ireland, anyway, I’ve heard “ceadsearc”, which to my ears sounds like “kadeshack”, and I guess means something like “sweetie”. I’ve also heard “a ghra”, which sounds like “ah graw”, and means “my love”, I think. I’m not sure if most Irish folk would use those much in common parlance, though. What exposure I got to terms like these came during of impromptu lessons over beers, mostly at my prompting. I’d slip the words into letters I sent back home, which is why I remember them at all. Mostly the Irish I knew called friends “lads” or “mates”, and sweethearts would be “darling”, maybe, or, well, “sweetheart”; nothing you couldn’t hear in many other predominantly English-speaking countries. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/25 "2004-10-08T06:20:13Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > I’m not sure if most Irish folk would use those much in common parlance, though. Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/26 "2004-10-08T12:04:48Z")
> [@Dr. Starfish](#): > > Can the Scottish term “Bonnie fechter” be used as a term for a female? I suppose, but it’s primarily a male term. This phrase is also Scots, it’s not slang and not that commonly used. > [@Dr. Starfish](#): > > What about terms for good women, amazons, troublemakers, attractive women/females, physically fit women/girls? Going to tell us what exactly this is all for? Inquiring minds are beginning to wonder. ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/27 "2004-10-08T12:14:17Z")
Never ever heard anyone use the word “fechter”. How about “gallus besom”? (pronounced “gallus bizzum”) [This page](http://www.clanshop.co.uk/docs/dialect.html) gives definitions of each: **gallus** : self-confident, daring; cheeky **besom** : obstreperous girl or woman; female upstart (And incidentally “Gallus besom” is what Muriel Gray called her TV production company.) ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/28 "2004-10-08T13:42:29Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > Going to tell us what exactly this is all for? Inquiring minds are beginning to wonder. Here’s a thought. What if someone were setting up a p\*rn site, and wanted to know some unusual keywords that would get it noticed by search engines? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/29 "2004-10-12T22:26:37Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > Scots terms; a nedette. A female ned. A “wee hairy”. > > These are derogatory terms for a ‘tough girl’, usually of the “unrefined” type, rather than descriptions of a tomboy. Can’t think of any for tomboy. > > This isn’t right. Stoater means ‘excellent’ or ‘powerful’. A Stoater would therefore be more of a powerfully attractive woman, usually of below average height. Hence; “she was a wee stoater”. What are they? What makes them derogatory? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/30 "2004-10-12T22:30:53Z")
What does “Chuzzwozza” and “Thomperson” mean in Austrialian slang? Does anyone know any Scottish, Irish and Austrialian terms of endearment? Terms for a saucy, lively or sprightly girl/woman? Terms for an attractive girl/woman? Terms for a first-rater? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/31 "2004-10-12T23:36:47Z")
Hey **Mavericker** , still working on Tuffy and Bull, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/32 "2004-10-13T02:30:06Z")
> [@Dr. Starfish](#): > > What does “Chuzzwozza” and “Thomperson” mean in Austrialian slang? I have no idea. I have never heard either term. And please note the correct spelling of _Australian_. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/33 "2004-10-13T12:26:19Z")
> [@Dr. Starfish](#): > > What are they? What makes them derogatory? “Ned” stands for “Non-educated delinquent”. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/34 "2004-10-13T13:17:58Z")
> [@jinty](#): > > “Ned” stands for “Non-educated delinquent”. Does it? Someone Scottish told me it was a contraction of _Ne’er do well_. Was he having me on? The ned! ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/35 "2004-10-13T18:19:06Z")
_Chuzzwozza_ is actually from that famous Australian icon _The Simpsons_! It is from the “Boot” episode where the family comes to Australia and Bart’s pet bullfrog escapes and there is a subsequent bullfrog plague: **Aussie (with outrageous accent):** Theeeese bluddy things are iverywheere. What are they? **Marge Simpson:** Bullfrogs. **Aussie** Thet’s an odd naime! I’da called 'em CHUZZWOZZAS. It’s just a word that sounds vaguely Australian. I found it quite funny, but AFAIK it was dreamed up by the Simpsons writers and has never been an Australian slang word. Another one was Lisa saying, “I’m off to see the Wolombolo Dirt Monument!” Never heard of Thomperson or Tomperson either, unless it was done for “tomboy” back in the 80s when everybody thought it was cute to say “person-person” for mailman etc. Slightly off-topic, but I actually _have_ heard _Thomperson_. Pronounced _tom-p’uh-son_, it is proof reader and reporter newspaper speak for the surname _Thompson_. It tells the listener the spelling of the surname has a ‘p’ in it, without having to slow down and say “That’s Thompson with a ‘p’” . It’s kinda verbal shorthand. The names Phillips and Philips get the same treatment, being called _phillips_ and _PHIGHlips_ respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/36 "2004-10-13T18:47:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Terms for an attractive girl/woman? She’d probably be described as “fit as f\*ck”. Girls can also be referred to as dolls. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/37 "2004-10-13T22:42:50Z")
Moved this one to MPSIMS, as it seems too loopy for GQ. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/38 "2004-10-13T22:55:42Z")
> [@curly chick](#): > > Does it? > Someone Scottish told me it was a contraction of _Ne’er do well_. > Was he having me on? The ned! I agree with your cynicism. ‘Ned’ almost certainly just originates from, well, ‘ned’. Trying to ‘explain’ words in terms of acronyms is just silly. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/39 "2004-10-30T04:02:51Z")
Does anyone know any Irish, Scottish and Austrailian slang terms for “upstart”, “malapert”, “maven” or “pollyanna”? What about “warrior” or “amazon”? ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566/40 "2004-10-30T15:22:32Z")
[You’ve asked something similar before…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=279193), but now that this has been moved, I can ask: What _are_ you writing? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-some-irish-scottish-and-austrailian-slang/267566.md?page=3)