A | |
Aff | Off |
Affectit | Affected |
Ah | I (first person singular) |
Ah dinnae ken | I don’t know |
Airm | Arm |
Alain | Alone |
Amadan (Gaelic) | Fool |
A’roon | Around |
Auld | Old |
Auntie beanie | Old lady |
Ava’ | At all |
Aw’ | All |
Awfy | Awfully, terribly |
Awfy-lookin’ ticket | Sloppily-dressed, unkempt person |
Aye | 1. Yes 2. Always |
Aye, aye! | Hello there! |
B | |
Bairn | Child |
Ballop | Flap of a man’s trouser front |
Bawheid | Fool (=ball head) |
Basher | Chocolate macaroon in ice cream between two wafers |
Besom | Term of contempt aimed at a woman or a girl |
Bield | Shelter |
Biddie | Homely female person |
Bien | Well-off, comfortable |
Birl | Whirl round, revolve rapidly |
Birlie | Child’s toy, windmill, pinwheel |
Black pudden | Sausage made of pig or ox blood, oatmeal, seasoning etc. |
Blatter | Storm |
Blawin’ yer crack | Boasting, bragging |
Blethers | Chat, gossip |
Boke | Vomit, puke |
Bonny/bonnie | Lovely, good-looking |
Brae | Hill, slope |
Brankle | Making a child’s swing loop up and fall back over the bar |
Braw | Fine, good |
Breeks | Trousers, pants |
Bridie | Pie made with pastry, folded over filling of meat, onions etc. |
Brig | Bridge |
Broon | Brown |
Buckie | Whelk, sea-shell |
Bulls | Marbles (boys’ game) |
Burn | Stream |
But an’ ben | Two-roomed cottage |
C | |
Ca’d | Called |
Cackie | Excrement |
Caller | Fresh |
Cannae | Cannot, can’t |
Canny | Smart, shrewd, careful |
Carse | Flat, fertile land next to a river |
Cateran (Gaelic) | Highland marauder, robber |
Cauld | Cold |
Ceilidh (Gaelic) | Get together with singing/dancing |
Chiel (Gaelic) | Fellow |
Chitter | Shiver |
Chuckie stane | Small round pebble for throwing |
Clachan | Village |
Claes | Clothes |
Clarty | Dirty, filthy |
Cleek | Light, iron-headed golf club |
Cleuch | Narrow gorge |
Clood | Cloud |
Clypie-clappie | Tell-tale |
Collie-buckie | Game involving riding on someone’s back |
Couldnae | Could not |
Crack | Conversation, talk |
Crivvens | Exclamation of surprise |
D | |
Daft | Stupid |
Dampt | Damned |
Daur | Dare |
Deid | Dead |
Dinnae | Do not, don’t |
Doon | Down |
Doot | Doubt |
Dowie | Sad, melancholy, dreary |
Draggle | Walk slowly, lag behind |
Dram | A glass of liquor, usually whisky |
Dreich | Dreary, bleak, miserable (weather) |
Droont | Drowned |
Dug | Dog |
Dumps, giving or getting | Birthday ceremony involving thumping the person in jest |
Dwam | Daydream |
E | |
Entry | Entrance lobby/passage |
Efternin | Afternoon |
F | |
Fair (adv) | Completely, absolutely |
Fash (oneself) | Get upset, be bothered |
Feardie | Coward |
Feared | Afraid |
Fey | Having ‘second sight’ |
Fitba’ | Football (soccer) |
Flair | Floor |
Fleein’ | Drunk, intoxicated |
Foosty | Mouldy, musty |
Forbye | As well, in addition, besides |
Fourpit | A quarter of a stone weight (3.5 pounds, 1.6 kg) |
Fower | Four |
Frae | From |
Freen | Friend |
G | |
Gang | Go |
Gash | Smart, clever |
Gawn | Going |
Geez | Give (2nd person singular imperative) |
Gey | Very, rather |
Gie, Gien | Give, Given |
Gin | If |
Girn | Whine, whimper of small children |
Glaikit | Stupid, foolish |
Glaur | Sticky mud, slime |
Gloamin | Dusk, twilight |
Gonnae | Going to |
Gowan | Daisy |
Gowk | Fool |
Granny | Chimney cowl |
Greet | Cry, weep, sob |
Guid | Good |
H | |
Haar | Freezing fog |
Haggis | Minced sheep innards, oatmeal, seasoning etc boiled in sheep’s stomach |
Halie leavoi | Rough children’s game of hunt and capture |
Ham hough | Ham bone |
Hame | Home |
Haun | Hand |
Hearts | Heart of Midlothian FC (soccer club) |
Heid | Head |
Hen | Term of endearment for girl or woman |
Henner | Somersault |
Hibs | Hibernian FC (soccer club) |
High Heid Yins | Big, powerful, important people |
Hinder end (in the) | As it turned out |
Hogmanay | New Year’s Eve |
Hoose | House |
Hud oan | Hold on, wait |
Hud yer weesht | Be quiet, shut up |
Humphybackit | Hunch-backed |
Huntegowk | April fool, fool’s errand |
I | |
Ither | Other |
J | |
Jeely piece | Jam sandwich |
Jessie | Insulting name for perceived soft or weak boy |
Jings | Exclamation of surprise |
Juke | Jacket front |
K | |
Keek | Peek, brief look |
Keeker | Black eye |
Keelie | Young male thug, hooligan, roughneck |
Ken | Know |
Kennt | Knew |
Krankie | Weak, weakling, softie |
L | |
Laddie | Boy |
Lassie | Girl |
Learn, -ed | Teach, taught |
Lede | Language, speech |
Licht | Light |
Lochan | Small lake |
Loon | Boy |
Lug | Ear |
Lum | Chimney |
M | |
Mah | My |
Mahsel’ | Myself |
Mair | More |
Mairrit | Married |
Messages (to get) | Do the shopping |
Michty me | My goodness, exclamation of surprise, astonishment |
Midden | Dung-heap, rubbish pile |
Mind (verb) | Remember |
Mither | Mother |
Mony | Many |
Moose | Mouse |
Muckle | Large, big |
N | |
Nae | No |
Neb | Beak, nose |
Neednae | Need not |
Neep | Turnip |
Nicht | Night |
Nick | Prison |
Nip | Drink of alcohol, usually whisky |
O | |
Oan | On |
On ‘er ain | Alone, on her own |
Oot | Out |
Ower | Over |
Oxter | Armpit |
P | |
Parkie | Park keeper |
Parroch | Paddock, field |
Peely-wally(-ie) | Sickly, ill-looking |
Peenge | Whine, complain |
Peeny | Pinafore |
Peevery beds, peevers | Hopscotch (game) |
Photie | Photograph |
Pit aboot | Upset, distressed |
Pit the heid oan | Head butt |
Plaid | Cloak, usually tartan |
Plook | Pimple |
Plowter | Splash in mud or water |
Poke | Bag |
Polis | Police |
Poor oot | Scattering of money by the bridegroom at a wedding |
Press | Cupboard |
Puddock | Frog |
Puggled | Exhausted, out of breath |
Q | |
Queyne | Girl |
R | |
Raffle yersel’ (away an’) | Get lost, push off |
Rax, raxed | Overstrain, overtax (-ed) |
Redd | Clear, clear away |
Reenge | Search, rummage |
Robbie | Penis |
Roon’ | Round |
Roond | Round, around |
S | |
Sair | Sore |
Sassenach (Gaelic) | English person |
Scaffie | Street sweeper |
Schule | School |
Scunner | Feeling of disgust or dislike |
Semmit | Undershirt, usually of wool or flannel |
Shilpit | Sickly, emaciated |
Shin | Ridge, steep face of a hill or mountain |
Shivery bite | Snack eaten after bathing or swimming |
Skelp | Smack, slap |
Skite | Hit, strike |
Skiffer | Flat stone skimmed across the water |
Slainte mhath! (Gaelic) | Good health! (when drinking a toast) |
Sleekit | Sly, smooth, glossy |
Slider | Plain ice cream between two wafers |
Snaw | Snow |
Snell | Bitter, cold |
Snotter | Nasal mucus hanging from the nose |
Sook | Sycophant, toady, ‘suck-up’ |
Soor plooms | Lit. Sour plums, sweets or candy |
Stane | Stone |
Staun | Stand |
Stirk | Steer, bullock |
Stovies | Potatoes stewed with onions |
Sugarellie | Liquorice |
Swither | Hesitate, dither |
Sybae | Spring onion |
Syke | Marshy hollow |
Syver | Drain, manhole |
T | |
Tackety boots | Hobnailed boots |
Tae | To |
Take a len o’ | Take a loan of |
Tattie | 1.Potato 2.Hole in a sock/stocking |
That’s mair liker it | That’s more like it |
The Bard | Robert Burns |
The day | Today |
The morn | Tomorrow |
The morn’s mornin’ | Tomorrow morning |
They | Those |
Thir | These |
Thon | That |
Thocht | Thought |
Toallie | Turd, excrement |
Toon | Town |
Toorie | Woollen cap |
Towsy | Shaggy, unkempt |
Tyke | Dog |
U | |
Up the toon | In Edinburgh city centre |
Usquebaugh (Gelic) | Whisky |
W | |
Wa’ | Wall |
Wan | One |
Watter | Water |
Wee | Small |
Wee-wee | Urinate |
Weel | Well |
Weesht! | Be quiet, shut up |
Whae, wha | Who |
Whaur | Where |
Wheech | Whisk away |
Whiles | Sometimes, occasionally |
Whin | Genista (often confused with gorse or Ulex) |
Widnae | Would not |
Windie | Window |
Winnae | Will not |
Winnerfu’ | Wonderful |
Wisnae | Was not |
Whaur | Where |
Wude | Wood |
Y | |
Ye | You |
Ye’s | You (plural) |
Yer | Your |
Yin | One |
Yocker | Boulder |
Yonner | Yonder |