How Niall Horan's "Favorite Americanism" Translates Into Irish Slang: "We Would Say..."
The Voice Coach is also a fan of a pretty cheeky expression.
Niall Horan is a proud Irishman who is more than happy to break down the country's slang for his American friends. The Voice Coach, who's returning for a third time for Season 28, was born in Mullingar, Ireland and holds a special place in his heart for things that remind him of his home, including a cozy bowl of Colcannon made by his granny and some fun phrases.
During an appearance on TODAY in 2023, for instance, Horan revealed that his favorite Irish expression is "Póg mo thóin." What exactly does that translate into? "It means kiss my arse," the singer-songwriter revealed with a laugh.
Having worked on The Voice with proud "Okies" Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton as well as Texan Kelly Clarkson, Chicagoan Chance the Rapper, Ohioan John Legend, and California sweetheart Gwen Stefani, Horan has also surely picked up a few stateside sayings. In fact one of his favorite "Americanisms" actually translates into a popular bit of Irish slang.
RELATED: What Has Niall Horan Been Up to Since His Back-to-Back Victories on The Voice?
How Niall Horan's "favorite Americanism" translates into Irish slang
In a 2019 Vanity Fair video, Horan broke down the meanings of some of Ireland's most used slang phrases, such as "sham," which is used as a greeting. "It's like bud or pal or whatever. You go, 'Alright sham!'" Horan explained. Or "gammy," which Horan revealed he personally uses often. "Gammy kinda means a little bit messed up. Gammy is a word I would use a lot ... I have toes that are all a bit weird and I call them my gammy toes," he said.
And when he was asked to explain "donkey's years," he was thrilled to break it down. "This is a good one. One of my favorite Americanisms is, 'Oh my God, I haven't seen you in like a minute, it's been a minute,'" he said with a stereotypical American accent. "We would say, 'Jeez, it's been donkey's years. It's been donkey's years since I've seen you!'"
RELATED: Niall Horan & Ed Sheeran Sang a One Direction Song Together, and Yes, It's Perfect
"I don't know what that really means," Horan admitted. "I guess donkeys are just old and they've been around for a long time?"
According to the Collins Dictionary, donkey's years is a casual phrase used across the pond that means "for a very long time" and dates back to some time between 1895 and 1900, originally with "ears" in place of "years." Susie Dent, an English author, lexicographer, and etymologist who's also known for her role on Channel 4's Dictionary Corner, tweeted in 2016 that donkey's years "began as a joky [sic] reference to the animal's very long ears."
Niall Horan showed off his knack for accents on The Tonight Show
During a 2019 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Horan revealed he's perfected more than an American accent when Fallon asked him to read Twas the Night Before Christmas. With each line, Horan showcased seven different accents, switching from Scottish to Russian, Spanish, French, U.S Southern, Australian, and even Brooklyn.
RELATED: Watch Thousands Cheer as Niall Horan Drinks a Shot Out of His Shoe
"It was frickin' Santa Claus!" Horan exclaimed as a loud and proud New Yorker, making the entire audience crack up. "With his little round belly, that jiggled when he walked and talked, like a bowl full 'a spaghetti." Watch it above.
