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Favourite Scots sayings?

350 replies

ChiaraRimini · 11/10/2018 23:10

Following on from the pronunciation thread (it's Jay btw)
Expat Scot here. Get funny looks from the Sassenachs if I say any of these. Any others?

It's a sair fecht for hauf a loaf

Dinnae fash yerself

Here's tae us wha's like us. Gey few and they're a' deid.

OP posts:
OrlandaFuriosa · 12/10/2018 23:28

Rain: by degrees
A nice soft day. ( that small drenching rain)
A wee thing wet ( Pouring)
They’ll be getting it bad in [ wherever, for us, Harris] ( coming down in stair rods, limited visibility)
Normal for Glasgow ( horizontal. No visibility at all)

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 12/10/2018 23:29

I’d say clairty where I come from.
Fit lek. How are you?
At wifie chist antled on. That woman just kept jabbering on.
Goan oot on e peev. Going out for some drinks.

Katedotness1963 · 12/10/2018 23:40

Glaikit
Drouthy
Peely Wally
Bahoochie
Rillins
Sharn
Kist
Foosum
Bisum
Gowk
Peedie
Swak
Boorach

Normaknowall · 12/10/2018 23:57

'Away and....' add your own insult here. I think 'raffle your doughnut' is my favourite. Also 'play in the traffic'.
Ya dancer!
Doing something 'to a band playing' meaning for a long time. 'I could watch David Tennant to a band playing'.
Ooyah for ouch.
tumshie. Literally a turnip, meaning idiot. See also numptie.
Hoaching meaning busy - or infested.
'By the way' used for emphasis. 'That's pure minging/clarty/, by the way!' Yes, I'm originally from Glasgow.
The strange use of the possessive - I'm going to my bed, my work, my mum's.....when my English colleague says going to bed, to work etc.
Is hauchmagandie not the best word for illicit sex?
And perjink for dapper, fussy men.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 13/10/2018 00:17

My Grandad used to say
"A run round the table and a kick at Cairnie" whatever the Jeff that means ! (I always thought it was a Cairn Terrier but I don't think he kicked random dogs)

SurfnTerfFantasticmissfoxy · 13/10/2018 00:44

Burril your Wilkie - spin you round (in a dance or a child upside down for fun)

Dinna be a clype / stop clyping- don't be a tell tale / stop telling tales

Shelt - horse or pony

Coup - tip over / tip out

Kine / kye - cattle

Do you mind? You mind her? - do you remember? Do you remember her?

Away and raffle your tonsils - away you go!

carnivalisover · 13/10/2018 00:53

My granny used to describe anything dirry as ‘as black as the earl o’ hell’s waistcoat’

My grandad would say
‘he’s no as daft as he’s stupit lookin’
and call folk ‘dunderheids’

they called a tap a ‘spicket’
and she never went out without her ‘message bag’

AlliKaneErikson · 13/10/2018 00:57

The word that tickles me most is ‘Jobbie’ (poo!); my Scottish in-laws day it all the time!

Graphista · 13/10/2018 01:13

Gonnae naw dae 'at! - give that a rest please!

Sit at peace! - quit fidgeting and sit still!

Don't gies me intae trouble! - don't tell me off!

Aye right! - yea. Of course. Sure you did - NOT! (Much sarcasm)

"I work in healthcare and have spent silly amounts of time trying to explain to non-Scottish colleagues the important difference between when a patient tells you they're "No affy weel" (not very well, a bit poorly) vs being "affy no weel" (very very unwell)" important and distinctive difference. What on earth do they make of "peely wally" (looking/feeling wan/off colour/drained - tricky no direct translation)

Fer a windae ye mak' a crackin' door! - move out the way you're blocking the view! (Usually the telly)

Pick a windae (pal yer leavin') - I'm throwing you out the window cos you've pissed me off, pick one!

Did ye get a lumber? - did you meet a new date at the social event you were at?

Want (pronounced to rhyme with can't) a pokey hat or a doubler fae thon icey? - do you want an ice cream cone or a double nougat wafer ice cream sandwich from the ice cream van?

Ginger - any fizzy juice not just ginger ale.

Close blether - gossipy neighbour, frequently found just outside own front door watching all the comings and goings judgmentally, arms folded under tabard covered bosom a la les Dawson's Cissie and Ada.

Fur coat naw knickers - all show no substance, first heard by me when my mum was describing one of her sister-in-laws

"Chute-slide, like at the play park
Shot-turn. "Its your shot on the chute next"" omg yes! My siblings and I army brats and when living in England when we were wee enough to go to the play park if we'd friends for tea, mum saying exactly this kinda thing confused the hell out of them! We were forever translating!

"A stookie" and this! 2 daredevil siblings, frequent broken limbs, complete befuddlement when mum telling neighbours 'they'd tae get yet another stookie oan!'

"Kerry oot (meaning a takeaway meal)" also booze for drinking off the premises.

When I was a kid and I had something to say but forgotten what it was, my Scots granny would say “it wis either a big fib or a wee nothin" - omg mine too!

YesILikeittoo - good luck explaining a minodge! I still don't really understand how they work!

Awa' an' bolt! - get lost!

Weegie by birth, stay south west coast now.

"Does anyone else understand "up the brae" as in, "he's up the brae"?" Of course a brae is just a hill though yea? Or does the phrase mean something else to you?

Youngest of the siblings both sides of my parents families are STILL "the wean" or "the wean's" which means babies, they're both in their 60's? But as far as the families are concerned they're still the wean's, amusing to a point but also means their opinions not taken as seriously as the older siblings' are.

"Also love using 'squinty' when with English people." 'Squinty bridge' came up in last season of mastermind, question included that it was across the Clyde - I thought it shocking that the English contestant didn't know where that was! Even when told the answer after, said he'd have had no chance of knowing.

We also have the lesser known squiggly bridge.

Droochit - drenched!

BumDisease · 13/10/2018 01:27

"Youngest of the siblings both sides of my parents families are STILL "the wean" or "the wean's" which means babies, they're both in their 60's? But as far as the families are concerned they're still the wean's, amusing to a point but also means their opinions not taken as seriously as the older siblings' are. "

I'm 33 and I'm still the wean!! (or the wee yin)

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 13/10/2018 01:32

Ginger - any fizzy juice not just ginger ale

Oooh lemonade was "Clear" Ah'll hae bo'lle o' clear

and Cola was "Strike"

and then there was Irn Bru Grin

IHaveBrilloHair · 13/10/2018 01:56

Weans is confusing as it's not spelled how it's pronounced, and doesn't always mean a child either!
I used to be known as "the wean", at my old job and I was in my 30's.
My friend will say she's having her wean overnight, and the wean is her Granddaughter.

IHaveBrilloHair · 13/10/2018 02:04

Fizzy drinks are juice, squash is diluting juice, fresh juice is fresh juice and awfae posh.

ThisIsTheFirstStep · 13/10/2018 02:39

brillo in my house fresh juice is actual juice.

I still get confused about what I should call fizzy juice like coke and stuff (not lived in Scotland for ages).

ThisIsTheFirstStep · 13/10/2018 02:40

Have quine and loon been mentioned yet too?

Me and my brother are always the quine and the loon in our house.

A fly cup. A piece.

Dubs. Glar. For different types of mud.

Thespiderbesideher · 13/10/2018 03:25

Hoot mon! There's juice loose aboot this hoose.

BabySharkDooDooDooDoo · 13/10/2018 04:10

Get it up ye and did ye aye are favourites here lol

DroningOn · 13/10/2018 06:46

Ken

BogstandardBelle · 13/10/2018 06:51

Another favourite ;-)

“Eh ken, braw wizzit!”

= I know, it was great, wasn’t it!

Ochayethenoocoo · 13/10/2018 07:11

I have an English dh. Phrases or words that have caused consternation over the years are:

Stookie - plaster cast
Skelf - splinter
Yer ripping ma knittin - stop being a prick
Smirry - fine misty rain
Dreicht - lashing it down with rain
Hunkers - when a wee one is crouching you say 'that's you on your hunkers
Ginger - fizzy drink

We also had WW3 over juice/ squash but don't ask me to explain it. 😂

Dh is a big Still Game fan so he copes pretty well

GreenFieldsofFrance · 13/10/2018 09:51

My dad was from the Gorbals, I recognise alot of these. My faves:

Get oot ma road (can you move out of the way)

A Jumper was a ganzy (not sure if that's a Scottish thing?)

"like a spare prick at a hoor's wedding "

Haud yur wheesht

Stop yur greeting

Balmpot (silly)

FrancisCrawford · 13/10/2018 10:16

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FrancisCrawford · 13/10/2018 10:19

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ButchyRestingFace · 13/10/2018 10:20

“Did she get a bag off?”

Where are you frae, hen?

I have never heard of this one. Grin

ButchyRestingFace · 13/10/2018 10:22

Balmpot (silly)

It's "baMpot", isn't?

"Bam" can also be used as a verb (thanks Scots Squad!)

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