Discovering My Scottish Roots

I have been tracking my family genealogy back to Scotland, England and Ireland. In the process, I’m discovering fun ways to say things as well as idioms or proverbs. Next is Scotland. Scottish sayings and words, combined with that unmistakable accent, can often make English sound like an entirely different language in Canada. I have discovered lots of family there. 

Hogmanay is New Year’s Eve and Ne’erday is New Year’s Day. 

“Where’s yer baffles” meaning where are your slippers.

“Whit’s fur ye’ll no go past ye.” – This one basically means ‘whatever is meant to happen to you, will happen to you”! 

“You’re a wee scunner!” – This was usually said with a touch of impatience, as a fair translation would be “You’re a little whiner/nuisance”. 

“She’s up to high doh” – This means “She’s all worked up” or “She’s got herself all riled up”.

“A pritty face suits the dish-cloot” – Basically it means “A pretty face suits the dish-cloth”. The general idea is ‘if you’ve got a pretty face, it doesn’t matter what you’re wearing’. 

“Awa’ an bile yer heid” – Simply putting it into English results in “Away and boil your head!”. What it means is something along the lines of ‘Get lost!’ or ‘Forget it!’ – and it’s usually said to someone who is deemed to be talking rubbish, or wasting your time.

“Don’t be a wee clipe!” – It means “Don’t be a little tell-tale!”.

“Yer bum’s oot the windae!” – Direct English translation would be “Your bum is out the window”, but the actual meaning of this phrase is something along the lines of ‘You’re talking rubbish (trash)’, or ‘You’re not making any sense’. 

“I’m getting the messages” – ‘Messages’ are ‘groceries’ or other things that you’d get from the store. So, literally speaking this Scottish phrase means “I’m doing the (grocery) shopping”.

“It’s time to get your jags” – ‘Jags’ are vaccinations, so it means “It’s time for your shots”. 

“I’m going ta skelp yer wee behind!” – The English version would be “I’m going to smack your little bottom” (bottom is ‘butt’ or ‘rear’). 

“They’re flitting” – This translates to “They’re moving house”. ‘Flit’ is to ‘move’.

“A nod’s as guid as a wink tae a blind horse” – The English translation is ‘A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse’, but that’s still a bit obscure. The best I can come up with in terms of what it means is this… ‘If the horse is blind it doesn’t matter whether you nod your head or wink your eye, he still won’t see it’. Hmm… not sure when I’d use that one, but I’m sure it will come in handy one day :o)

“Yer aff yer heid!” –Translated it says “You’re off your head!”, meaning ‘you’re crazy’.

“Haud yer wheesht!” – Okay, you may need a little help with this one though. English translation is “Hold your tongue” or “Be quiet!”. Strangely enough I didn’t hear this one too much. Of course, the fact that Nanas’ hearing wasn’t good may have been a factor there.

“Lang may yer lum reek” – Translated this Scottish saying becomes “Long may your chimney smoke” – meaning ‘May you live long and keep well’. Perhaps Mr Spock of Star Trek fame said it even better “Live long and prosper” 

“Ah dinnae ken” – This one is short and simple, translates to “I don’t know”. 

“Guid gear comes in sma’ bulk” – Another short one, basically it means “Good things come in small packages”.

Scottish Words Can Be Just As Odd!

• Auld – Old
• Aye – Yes
• Bahoochie – Bottom/Backside/Butt
• Backgreen – garden or back yard
• Bairn – Baby or Young Child
• Blether – Chatter-box
• Boke – Gag or Vomit
• Bonnie – Beautiful
• Braw – Good or Nice
• Burn – Stream or Creek
• Canny – Careful, or sometimes Clever
• Chancer – Con-man, Trickster
• Clarty – Dirty or Unkempt
• Clatty – another word for dirty
• Clipe – This means to ‘tell on’ someone, or ‘snitch’
• Chitter – Shiver
• Coorie (in) – Snuggle (in)
• Crabbit – Bad-tempered or Grumpy
• Dae – (pronounced ‘day’) Do
• Dauner – (pronounced ‘donna’) Stroll or Saunter
• Dinnae – Don’t
• Drookit – Soaking Wet
• Eejit – Idiot
• Footer – Fidget (can be a verb or a noun)
• Girn – Complain or Whine
• Glaekit – Stupid
• Glen – Valley
• Greet – Cry
• Guy – Very
• Haud – Hold
• Haver – Talk Nonsense
• Keek – Peek
• Ken – Know
• Laldie – Scold/Reprimand
• Loch – Lake
• Lum – Chimney
• Noo – Now
• Wee Nyaff – Little nuisance (as in a person)
• Och! – Oh!
• Oxters – Armpits
• Peely-walley – Pale or Wan
• Pettet-lip – pouty lip
• Piece – Snack or Sandwich
• Pinkie – Little Finger
• Scunner – Nuisance
• Scunnered – Bored or Fed-Up
• Siangabbit – with an underbite
• Skelp – Slap
• Skyte – To slip or slide across a hard surface, or a glancing blow
• A Skelping – A Thrashing
• Sleekit – Sneaky
• Slitter – Messy Eater
• Tattie – Potato
• Tumshie (aka ‘Neeps’) – Turnip (or Rutabaga in the US)
• Wain – (pronounced Wayne) Child
• Yin – One
• Yon – That

Scottish Phrases of Endearment

For some reason there seems to be a lot of assumption about Scots being more aggressive than their southern neighbours. I mean, I won’t deny they are a passionate folk, but it goes both ways, as well as some of the angriest words spoken, since being in Scotland I’ve definitely heard some of the most affectionate too.

Hen– being perhaps the most widely recognized. Not to be confused with the feathery fowl, but instead referring to a female, often a younger lady, used as a Scottish term of endearment, much like honey or sweetheart might be used further South.

If aforementioned hen was a particularly lovely looking girl, she might be refereed to as a bonnie lass.

And then we have ‘Lang mae yer lum reek‘, which sounds like it would be announced accompanied by an unpleasant smell, but is in fact a pleasant Scottish sentiment, originally translated from ‘long may your chimney smoke’ and now meaning something akin to I wish you a long and healthy life.

Beautiful Scottish Words

1. Coorie – To cuddle or nestle in, especially when it is cold. Similar to the ‘cwtch’ for our Welsh friends.
2. Smourich – A kiss!
3. Crouss– To be cheerful.
4. Flichterin‘- Soft fluttering, as in the wings of a butterfly, or the flame of a candle.
5. Gloaming– Twilight or dusk.
6. Solasta– Luminous or shining
7. Saorsa– Freedom, liberty.
8. Turadh– A break in the clouds between showers.
9. Fearthainn– Rain.
10. Monadh– Moorland covered mountain.

A few more:

• Yer lookin’ a bit peely wally – Meaning you look pale or ill.
• That’s gee-in me the boak – A gross but classic Scottish expression one might use if something was making them feel sick!
• Gonny no dae that – Means please don’t do that!
• Haud yer weesht – Is a not super polite way of saying ‘be quiet’!
• She’s up tae high doh – This is pretty much how I feel every day- it mean’s she’s riled up and flustered, the original context coming from ‘doh’ being the highest note on the scale, so really worked up high!
• Hairy Coo – Literally means ‘hairy cow’ but is what locals often refer to their Highland Cows as.
• I’ll gie ye a skelpit lug – A phrase my Gran used to favour- meaning I’ll give you a slap on the ear!
• Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye! – What’s meant to happen will happen, or what will be will be.
• Skinny Malinky Longlegs – (Like the song!) Said about a tall, thin person.
• Haste Ye Back! – This is a kind of farewell greeting, meaning ‘return soon’
• It’s a dreich day – This saying is used in reference to the weather, on a cold, damp and miserable day.

Old Scottish Sayings

• Haste Ye Back! – Return back with speed – said as a farewell
• Lang may yer lum reek! – Literally meaning long may your chimney smoke, this is typically a toast to one’s health, wishing one lives long and healthy
• Keep the heid! – Keep your head or stay calm
• Hell slap it intae ye! – It is your own fault
• Failing means yer playin! – Trying and failing, but at least you are trying.
• I’ll gie ye a skelpit lug! – I’ll hit you on the ear
• Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye! – What is for you will not go by you, meaning, what will be, will be
• Skinny Malinky Longlegs! -A tall and skinny person
• Speak o’ the Devil! – When someone you are speaking about shows up
• Black as the Earl of Hell’s Waistcoat! – the colour Black
• Ah dinnae ken. – I don’t know
• We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns! – Everyone is God’s children, nobody is better, everyone is equal
• Dinnae teach yer Granny tae suck eggs! – Stop teaching someone something they already know
• Dinnae marry fur money! – It’s cheaper in the long run to borrow money than marry for it
• Noo jist haud on! – Now just hold it, take your time, you’re speaking too fast
• Is the cat deid? – Has the cat died? This means your trousers are too short, similar to “is your budgie/parrot dead?”
• Haud yer wheesht! – Shut up
• Gie it laldy. – Doing something with energy or inappropriateness
• It’s a dreich day! – A miserable, cold, wet day in reference to the weather
• Mony a mickle maks a muckle! – Small amounts of savings soon build up to large amounts
• I’m fair puckled! – I’m out of breath
• Do yer dinger. – Showing disapproval
• Gonnae no’ dae that! – Don’t do that
• Pure dead brilliant – Amazing
• Yer bum’s oot the windae – You are lying or exaggerating
• Am pure done in – I am pretty tired
• Am a pure nick – I am not looking my best
• Ah umnae – I am not
• Ma heid’s mince – My head is mince, meaning I’m a bit confused
• Yer oot yer face! – You’re extremely intoxicated from the effects of alcohol
• Yer aff yer heid – You’re off your head – crazy
• T’ Auld Yin – The old one
• Scran – food
• Haud Yer Wheesht! – Be quiet 
• Aye – Yes
• Bairn – Child
• Bampot – Either and idiot or a character of a shady disposition.
• Blootered – Drunk
• Boggin – Disgusting
• Boke – Sick
• Bonnie/Bonny – Beautiful
• Canny – Cannot
• Clatty – Disgusting
• Clipe – Tell tale
• Crabbit – Grumpy or agitated
• Craic – usually said “good craic” meaning good fun or “what’s the craic” meaning what is happening.
• Dae – Do
• Dafty – Someone who is stupid or an idiot.
• Dinnae – Don’t
• Eejit – Idiot (see ‘Dafty’)
• Eh – What or an invitation for someone to respond or agree. Also VERY Canadian, eh!
• Greet/Greetin – Cry or crying
• Hackit – Ugly
• Haud – Hold
• Haver – Lie
• Hoachin – Busy
• Hunners – Literally hundreds but usually to describe a large quantity
• Jake/Jakey – Someone poor. Used as an adjective, jakey means scummy
• Ken – Know or do you know
• Lassy – Girl
• Minging – Disgusting
• Mockit – Dirty
• Munter – Ugly
• Patch – Abandon plans, stop
• Peely-wally – Not 100%. A bit out of sorts
• Randan – Causing carnage under the influence
• Scran – Food
• Scunnered – Disappointed
• Skelped/Scudded – Hit
• Steamin – Drunk
• Stoter – Idiot
• Tap – Top
• Tattie – Potatoe
• Wee – Wee (small) 
• Whitey – Sick
• Winch/Winchin – Kiss
• Wopper – Someone embarrassing
• Yaldy – Excitement
• Yon – That or those

What would you add?