Shift, snog, meet – What different parts of Ireland call a kiss these days

By Katy Thornton.

What's your go-to term for someone kissing?

In honour of Love Island returning to our screens, and Dublin gal Catherine racing ahead as a fan and villa favourite, Domino's did a little survey on what Irish people call a kiss these days. We're nothing if not imaginative, after all, so we'll get you up to date on the lingo, no matter what part of Ireland you happen to find yourself in. Overwhelmingly the Irish prefer calling it ‘the shift’, with the phrase proving to be particularly attractive in Mayo and Wexford where 62% and 61% respectively are "shifting" more than anyone else. Cork (38%), Galway (58%) and Longford (80%) are all fans of the terms shift too, while "snogging" tends to be more popular up north. Dubliners' are into the phrase "meet" while Kilkenny (11%), Laois (9%), and Wicklow (14%) keep it classic with the simple "kissing" term. Limerick people prefer the more descriptive "ateing the face" off each other (14%) and look, each to their own.   As for complimenting potential partners, Irish people use terms such as "gorge" (10%) and "lush" (7%), although people in Laois' favourite term of endearment is "savage" with the majority (36%) opting for this phrase.

The capital is divided on the topic; Dublin’s North-siders prefer to call 10/10s a "ride" (35%) while South-siders go for "fine thing" (28%).  However, all Dubliners agree that saying "lush" and "lethal" gives them the ick. 

 So there you have it. No matter where you are in Ireland, you're clued up on what they call kissing, or which terms of endearment they're into (and more importantly which they're not). 

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