SCUNDERED

What’s your favorite word?

I have many, many favourite words which you might already know from my series Wayne’s Word but this word SCUNDERED has to be up there as one of my all time favourites, very well known in Northern Ireland.

If you are scundered, you are embarrassed, fed up, or ABSOLUTELY MORTIFIED by something. It’s one of those wonderfully flexible words that can describe different shades of awkwardness, depending on tone. We can also use this sarcastically or dramatically, making something sound very over the top for the purpose of telling a good story.

For example:

If you trip in front of a crowd, you might say, “I was scundered!” or if your friend tells a cringe story, you might admit, “I am scundered for you.”

It is a uniquely Northern Irish way of expressing that mix of embarrassment and exasperation. Not only does it sound great rolling off the tongue, but it also captures an emotion most of us know far too well.

Something I might say or many from Northern Ireland might say, “Scundered to a hundred” – It’s like turning the embarrassment or annoyance all the way up to maximum!!!