The word ‘outwith’

[HBStowe]

Trying to settle an argument with a colleague. He’s English and works in England, I’m Scottish and work in Scotland (in case it’s relevant).

So... do you use / regularly come across the word ‘outwith’? I.e. ‘If you are trying to email me outwith opening hours please use my personal address’.

My colleague says it’s not a real word. I say it definitely is and I encounter it all the time. Is this a thing? Is it a proper word? I notice it’s underlined in red on my phone which doesn’t bode well, but I am absolutely certain I’ve seen this word in use before in other places.

What’s the verdict MN?

What else are spring onions called?!

Thank you! I'd guessed a type of bread roll or a step (from American "stoop" )

Oh, can we expand this into a "is Scots a language or a dialect" debate?

Getting told not to use outwith gives me the rage - it's a perfectly good word (and not archaic if you live in Scotland).

It's a wee bit like "ought". It's not used commonly in Scotland, so it lacks the moral imperative here that it has in England.

And salad onions/spring onions are definitely cyboes.

Does anyone else talk about the scheuch of your back (genuinely don't know how you'd describe it - the wee parcel shelf above your arse where the sweat collects)?

Spring onions seem to be called salad onions now, but they always used to be spring onions.

Americans call spring onions 'scallions'.

Plunging in to say I'm English and have never knowingly used 'outwith' in conversation, but I did know it was a word

I find my Scottish vocabulary much enhanced by listening to the highly-entertaining 'Fags, Mags and Bags' on Radio 4.

There was a whole thread on scallions recently.

the wee parcel shelf above your arse where the sweat collects

😂😂😂😂😂 I don’t have a specific word for this but now I absolutely feel like I need one.

PMSL at someone using the word “cromulent” accusing others of being pretentious.

I think "cromulent" is a lovely word.

I had to look it up, and was disappointed to see that it means adequate or acceptable.

It sounds as though it should be mildly offensive and I was looking forward to using it insults, eg "cromulent fuckwit".

Minded is old fashioned legal/Civil Service speak, isn’t it? “I am minded to approve the application.....

Is it? I use it a lot - interchangeably with "I've a mind to ...".

I'm minded to cut the grass later on.

I bought some spring onions yesterday and they’re labelled ‘salad onions.’ It’s all wrong.

Don’t get me started on bread.

Bunny anyone?

Also came on to add an approving comment to the word “cromulent.”

Don’t use out with and have only ever heard it on here. My iPhone had never heard of it either as you can see by the way it’s separated the words.

I'm not a lawyer. I use it all the time. What else would you use?

The small of your back?

I'm English and use it occasionally.

Jotter is an exercise book, but to get your jotters is to get the sack?

If your jacket's hanging on a shoogly peg, you worry about getting your jotters.

@theboomtownrat You probably should rtft after all, because your understanding of the word is incorrect, as you'd have discovered if you'd rtft.

I haven't RTFT, it's very long.

But outwith is a fabulous word. I use it as often as I can, including at work. I am Scottish though.

I call spring onions cybies....sibes....I don’t even know how it would be written

Spring onions became salad onions when we started being able to buy them all year round.

In our house we call them 'spunions'.

Syboes

When did they start using salad onions? I think I've only noticed it this last year or so.

I am adopting spunions!

It's a word meaning outside, more commonly used in Scotland (Cambridge dictionary). I'm a Northerner and have heard it used. It seems to be used in more formal situations and by legal departments so I'd probably use less formal replacement words.

Just tell your friend to use a dictionary.