LATEST ADDITIONS:-

Glead - a unit of measurement for intelligence. Thus if one does 'not have a glead' one is challenged on the common sense front.

Gurn - How could we forget it? To complain (adult); to cry (child).

Skelly - To take a quick glance at something.

Snotter - An unmentionable substance which emanates from the nose during times of cold and flu. Thus: 'The snotters were tripping him, so they were.'

Clabbered - To be covered in dirt - see 'Bogging'

And a few expressions submitted:

Sparking at the heels - To be so 'wired up' one is generating electricity. In other words, you're a gipe.

Just enough sense not to eat himself/herself - An expression used to comment on the intelligence of an individual.




We'll just run through some commonly used expressions in alphabetical order. Ready? Then, we'll begin.

A: Reference to oneself. The most common example of Ballymena-speak by far. Example: "A love dulse so a do."

Amint : A plea for re-assurance often used by children. Example: "A'm a good footballer mammy, amint a?" Derived from the somewhat outdated expression 'Am I not?'

Aw: Exclamation of surprise and nothing to do with US tactics in the Gulf War. Also an indication of perceived cuteness. Example: "Aw-a-aw, what a lovely child." ; or – "Aw naw, the car has broken down.



Binlid – a person who displays all the IQ of the cover on a refuse receptacle. Example: "He hasn't the sense he was born with. What a binlid".

Bloon – A person who displays little or no common sense. Example – "See thon boy? He's a bloon, so he is." A person with a balding pate may also be described as a 'bloonhead' .. if you're fast enough on your feet.

Bake - Face. Derived from beak. Example: If someone aroused your consternation to a dangerously violent level, you might feel inclined to strike them on the bake. Common usage: "A hut him a dig in the bake, so a did."

Baters – The appendages at the end of your legs. Example: "A called thon boy a bloonhead and a had to take to my baters, a'm mad, amint a?" A perfect test phrase for those who wish to progress on this degree level course.

Blarge - Dual meaning. To approach a task haphazardly (i.e. thon bloon took a blarge at the garden an'near killed himself." Or, to overindulge in alcohol. Example: "He's suffering today after that blarge he took last night".

Bloot/Blootered – Drunk/state of drunkenness. Example: "Yer man's a bloot. Everytime time a see him, he's blootered." This expression dates back to the time when meths. was imbibed by the hardened drinkers of the town. Not a lot of people know that. - Far fewer give a fiddler's.

Boke - Regurgitate violently. Also an adjective for something which meets with you personal disfavour. Example: "That meal was boke, so it was."

Chat/Chaterina - A thingimmybob. Superb term which can be used in almost every situation. Chaterina (the full dictionary version) is rarely used now but 'chat' remains commonplace. Example: "Reach me thon chat." The incredible thing is most people in Ballymena will be aware, in the context of the situation, exactly what item you require.

Crater – (noun). This has nothing to do with the moon and is, in fact, a widely used term of sympathy. Example: "Sure it's a pity of that crater."

Cane - An untidy residence or (alt.) a place of ill repute. Example: "Our house is a cane at the minute - there's stuff lying all over the place." or "Thon place is a cane - I wouldn't step through the door."

Cove - A person. Not a geographical feature of the coastline. Normally used when the person's name has been forgotten. Example : "Some cove told me that pub was a cane."

Cat – Often used when expressing an opinion.