When asked "What language do they speak in Scotland?" the reply is usually "English of course". But people visiting find that there is still a rich vocabulary of old Scots words in everyday use. Parliamo Glesca - literally translated means 'Shall we speak Glaswegian?'....Read on and add some words to your vocabulary - if you dare!

Let's take a look at one of Scotland's favourite things to do - drinking!!

BLOOTERED:~ Someone who is very drunk as in "He came hame frae the pub absolutely blootered." But the word can also mean "a wild kick" as in "He blootered the ball over the cross-bar"


SWALLY:~ (Rhymes with Sally) Obviously derived from "swallow" it is usually used in relation to drinking alcohol as in "Let's have a swally at the pub after the fitba'"


BEVVY:~ Derived from the word "beverage", any alchoholic drink is a bevvy and a heavy drinking session is a "heavy bevvy."


BUCKET:~ Anyone who "takes a good bucket" consumes a large but undefined amount of alcohol.


GUTTERED:~ Extremely drunk, probably derived from those who ended up in the gutter at the side of the pavement. Similarly, someone who is PARALYTIC is unable to move as a result of too much alcohol!


STEAMIN':~ Yes indeedy - you're right! This means very drunk! And someone who is "STOTTIN" is someone who is so drunk that they cannot walk without staggering as in "He comes home stottin every Saturday night"


Okay now onto FOOD.


PARTAN BREE:~ Partan is a crab and partan bree is crab soup.


POKEY HAT:~ An ice cream cone!


A NINETY NINE:~ A pokey hat with a chocolate flake in it!


REFRESHMENT:~ That's not a Scots word I hear you gasp? Well yes it is, in the context of "Will ye no huv a wee refreshment" It's a euphemistic way of saying "Will you not have a small alcoholic drink?"


BRIED:~ Pronounced "breed" this is "bread" in plain English. Another item with bread is a "Jeely piece" which is bread and jam.


CHAPPIT OR CHAMPIT:~ means the same as mashed - as in chappit neeps (mashed turnip) the only accompaniment to haggis.


BUTTERIE OR ROWIE:~ a bread roll made of a high fat, croissant-like dough. Popular in the north-east and can be referred to as an "Aberdeen Morning Roll". Delicious warm with even more butter!!


DUNDEE CAKE:~ a rich fruit cake decorated with almonds.


ARBROATH SMOKIE:~ a haddock which is cured by being salted and then smoked over a fire. This style of preserving fish originated in Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland.


So what about people and their characteristics?? Yup you guessed it....they too have their own words!!! Here are just a few.....



NIPPY SWEETIE:~ Sharp-tongued or bad tempered as in "That nippy sweetie in her peerie heels would argue with the door-post" -- "Peerie-heels?" High stiletto heels on women's shoes.


LUMBER:~ In the days of Saturday night at the dance hall every young man who asked a lady to dance would try to "click" (establish a "relationship") so that he could boast on Monday that he had "Got a lumber" (or girlfriend).


TEUCHTER:~ This is pronounced "choochter" and was/is a contemptuous name given by a Lowland Scot to someone from the Highlands, especially someone who speaks Gaelic. Quick tip: Do NOT use this term in the presence of a Highlander!


JANNIE:~ A shortened form of "school janitor".


SCAFFIE:~ These days a scaffie is more likely to be called a "public refuse collection operative" or maybe just a street-sweeper.



Some more words to add to your Scottish vocabulary! This time, parts of the body!



HEID:~ On its own this is simply "Head" but it often forms part of a longer phrase such as "He's aff his heid" (he's angry) or "He's a heid banger" (he's a wild or crazy person) and "Ye'll get yer heid in yer hands tae play wi'" (you're in big trouble!) or "Awa an' bile yer heid" (go away!).


NEB:~ is your nose but just as in English a nosey person is inquisitive so is someone who is "nebbie". But "nebbie" can also be sharp-tongued.


GOB:~ is your mouth. Someone with the "gift of the gab" is silver tongued and talks a lot.


OXTER:~ is your armpit. An example of this would be, "Put they bagpipes under your oxter".


BAHOOKIE:~ if you're very observant and really concentrating on this page *smile* then you'll have noticed that we are travelling down the body - we have now reached, "Sit on yer bahookie!". Other words for this are "hurdies" or "bumbalerie" (my personal favourite *grin*).


SHANK:~ is a leg and if you are using "Shanks's pony" then you are obviously walking.


FIT:~ is your foot, and if you "pit yer fit in it" then you've made a mistake!



And now......we want to cover up those bodies. What with do I hear you ask?? Well read on.....




SARK:~ this is a shirt, made famous in the Rabbie Burn's poem "Tam O' Shanter" where "Cutty Sark" is the name of the witch who wore a short (cutty) shirt (sark).


SEMMIT:~ underneath your sark you would wear a "semmit" or vest.


BREEKS:~ trousers (derived from breeches).


TOORIE BUNNET:~ a hat or cap with a pompom on it, especially the knitted bobble-hat which looks like a tea cosy.


BAUCHLE:~ this is a shabby or worn out shoe though nowadays a "wee bauchle" describes a small, shabby person


WEEL HAPPIT:~ this means warmly dressed to keep out the cold.


FLASH:~ this is the garter tab on a kilt stocking.


TEENIE FRAE TROON:~ is used to describe an oddly dressed woman. I remember my mum calling me this when I was going through those weird fashion crazed days!! *grin*. She'd often say, "I hope you're not goin' out like that - you look like Teenie frae Troon".....oh my those were the days *hehehehehe*



Hmmmm.....what about ordinary descriptive words - Adjectives!!



FANTOOSH:~ pretentious or ostentatious as in "Boy, that's a right fantoosh motor caur ye've got there". It's said to derive from the french "fantoche" for puppet!


PEELY WALLY:~ pale, sick and unhealthy as in, "She's lookin' awfy peely wally. She needs a guid holiday".


DROOKIT:~ Totally and utterly soaked after being in the rain.


GLAIKIT:~ this is one of the many Scots words used to describe someone who lacks intelligence, in this case it is someone who is foolish and thoughtless ~~ others are BAMPOT .....really crazy; BLETHERING SKITE .....someone who talks a load of nonsense


MAWKIT:~ this means very very dirty as in, "Yer semmit is mawkit!!"



Braw Words



BRAW:~ If something is "braw" it is excellent, as in the well worn music hall phrase "It's a braw, bricht, moonlicht nicht, the nicht". "Braw" is derived from "brave"


BRAMMER:~ In the West of Scotland this is used to describe anything which is very good as in "That's a brammer new caur ye've got". It is said to derive from the Hindu god Brahma, one of the most important of the gods and since it is of relatively recent origin it is possible.


GALLUS:~ This was used to describe someone who was self-confident and daring but it is now a word of approval in Glasgow. It is derived from "gallows" and originally described someone who was a rascal. Not to be confused with "galluses" which are braces for holding up trousers (but no doubt derived also from the gallows...)


YA BEAUTY:~ this is an exclamation of delight and approval as in, "Anither goal -- ya beauty!!!".


NAE BAD:~ not bad or, in other words, quite good!


STOATER:~ Really exceptional, often used by boys to describe a girl regarded as a "wee smasher".


UNCO:~ pronounced "ungka" means very or extremely as in "It was an unca good laugh". But the "unca guid" are deemed excessively self righteous and narrow minded.


Hope this helps all those out there who might struggle to understand me when i slip into the maither tongue . ( mother tongue )

Bookmark: