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Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Original poster

Very Scottish things

429 replies

Jbrown76 · 27/07/2023 06:19

Inspired by the very Irish things thread on Craignet.

OP posts:
whatabeautifulwedding · 27/07/2023 11:37

JennyTheDonkey · 27/07/2023 10:15

Jotters

Edinburgh specific - what school did you go to?

Oh yes many a night on George St being chatted up by young men asking what school you went up!

FionnulaTheCooler · 27/07/2023 11:38

KeepSmiling89 · 27/07/2023 11:21

@happywotsit First footin and......HOGMANAY! No New Years Eve here!

@queenatom I think the Singing Kettle is still a thing, but I have a feeling it's just Artie on his own now. I remember when it was Artie, Cilla and Gary.

The Singing Kettle rebranded as Fun Box a few years ago, I think one of the original Singing Kettle members was still in it and they used a lot of the same material. I think Cilla and Artie are retired now, they must be a fair age.

Appleofmyeye2023 · 27/07/2023 11:42

Based on being married to a Scot for 30 years (English)

Going for messages

och- I say this now after being married to a Scot’s for 30 years, it’s actually a useful phrase to avoid a swear. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

wee- again I’ve adopted as useful phrase where something is somewhere between “little” and “cute”

too many phrases for drizzle - still hearing new ones after 30 years 🙄

fish supper

Neaps - but then also calling a Turpin a swede - but maybe that’s a confused husband

scallions (spring onions) - but maybe that’s his family and not Scottish thing?

piece (sandwich or roll)

very strange intestate and inheritance rules making probate very complicated and expensive. Generally Scottish law seems still to be written to make solicitors lots of money by shrouding in mystery

being slightly anarchic or a lot anarchic - I have theory that romans and all invaders pushed all the bolshy celts to Scotland (killed or married the non bolshy ones) and there they stayed, reserving their peak anarchic tendency to dealing with the English 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣🤣🤣

a pride in their birth place and nationality that surpasses most English people - and getting very defensive about its reputation even if they haven’t lived there for 40 years 🤣🤣

a weird belief that Robbie Burns wrote intelligent and eloquent and meaningful poetry that should be treated with reverence and as a form of high art

Mmmmdanone · 27/07/2023 11:43

Babdoc · 27/07/2023 10:19

Dundonian grades of severity of illness:

  1. He’s no awfy weel (a mild cold)
  2. He’s no weel (chest infection)
  3. He’s awfy no weel (in intensive care with pneumonia) As an English doctor, it took me a while to appreciate the importance of the word order in differentiating between 1) and 3)! Grin

Love this!

Appleofmyeye2023 · 27/07/2023 11:43

Howtohideasausage · 27/07/2023 10:38

My parents are Scottish so I grew up hearing these things but not using as English people don’t. On moving to Fife for uni I came across a few phrases.
Furtid Cloots.
Where do you stay.
How are you going there.
Macaroni pies.
Stovies.
Wet brown sauce.

Stovies- same word in north east including Newcastle
probably cos border moved back and forth around Bewick on tweed so much 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

Appleofmyeye2023 · 27/07/2023 11:45

In case no one else has pitched in

“women won’t wheesht”

KLM2023 · 27/07/2023 11:46

Babdoc · 27/07/2023 10:19

Dundonian grades of severity of illness:

  1. He’s no awfy weel (a mild cold)
  2. He’s no weel (chest infection)
  3. He’s awfy no weel (in intensive care with pneumonia) As an English doctor, it took me a while to appreciate the importance of the word order in differentiating between 1) and 3)! Grin

I am English but my Mum and her side of the family are from Dundee. This really made me laugh 😂

Reeniefitheclose · 27/07/2023 11:46

Appleofmyeye2023 · 27/07/2023 11:45

In case no one else has pitched in

“women won’t wheesht”

😎😎😎

Georgyporky · 27/07/2023 11:46

Scots say "wee" when English say"little".

So when English say "wee", what do the Scots call urine ?

MavisBeacon1234 · 27/07/2023 11:46

JennyTheDonkey · 27/07/2023 10:43

Ok the school question is more widespread then, always thought in Edinburgh it was to see if you'd been at state or private.

Big yes to all soft drinks being 'juice'.

In Edinburgh it's 100% state vs private

Mmmmdanone · 27/07/2023 11:47

Georgyporky · 27/07/2023 11:46

Scots say "wee" when English say"little".

So when English say "wee", what do the Scots call urine ?

Pish

Appleofmyeye2023 · 27/07/2023 11:49

Oh I missed one

Scots pie - husband was fixated by them….but it’s just peppered mince in a pie…what’s that about?

queenatom · 27/07/2023 11:51

Georgyporky · 27/07/2023 11:46

Scots say "wee" when English say"little".

So when English say "wee", what do the Scots call urine ?

Pish.

But also we do use wee for urine (well, I do anyway) - context will tell you which meaning is in use.

Mmmmdanone · 27/07/2023 11:51

Appleofmyeye2023 · 27/07/2023 11:42

Based on being married to a Scot for 30 years (English)

Going for messages

och- I say this now after being married to a Scot’s for 30 years, it’s actually a useful phrase to avoid a swear. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

wee- again I’ve adopted as useful phrase where something is somewhere between “little” and “cute”

too many phrases for drizzle - still hearing new ones after 30 years 🙄

fish supper

Neaps - but then also calling a Turpin a swede - but maybe that’s a confused husband

scallions (spring onions) - but maybe that’s his family and not Scottish thing?

piece (sandwich or roll)

very strange intestate and inheritance rules making probate very complicated and expensive. Generally Scottish law seems still to be written to make solicitors lots of money by shrouding in mystery

being slightly anarchic or a lot anarchic - I have theory that romans and all invaders pushed all the bolshy celts to Scotland (killed or married the non bolshy ones) and there they stayed, reserving their peak anarchic tendency to dealing with the English 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣🤣🤣

a pride in their birth place and nationality that surpasses most English people - and getting very defensive about its reputation even if they haven’t lived there for 40 years 🤣🤣

a weird belief that Robbie Burns wrote intelligent and eloquent and meaningful poetry that should be treated with reverence and as a form of high art

The swede/turnip thing is scottish although I can't get used to it myself and I'm scottish!

Cybies is another name for spring onions. Only heard that one when i moved to Glasgow though.

Volpina · 27/07/2023 11:53

I don't know if this has been mentioned but we are living in Scotland at the moment and people sometimes say, (in shops, at checkout etc) "And what are your plans for the afternoon?" and we have to make things up. What is the polite response? No one ever asks me this in London!

PinkFootstool · 27/07/2023 11:56

Appleofmyeye2023 · 27/07/2023 11:49

Oh I missed one

Scots pie - husband was fixated by them….but it’s just peppered mince in a pie…what’s that about?

A proper Scotch pie is made with mutton rather than beef, but they are harder to come by these days. Needs to properly spiced with pepper and served with half a bottle of tomato sauce.

PollyThePixie · 27/07/2023 11:56

Mmmmdanone · 27/07/2023 11:43

Love this!

Show quote history

i posted about this a few pages ago, just the 2nd and third points. The third was usually said in hushed tones accompanied by a movement made with the nose that said all there was to say without mentioning death. Sometimes the speakers nose was also tapped as well as wriggled.

Auntieofdragons · 27/07/2023 11:57

Saying ‘oh right enough’

Auntieofdragons · 27/07/2023 11:57

Tablet!

PollyThePixie · 27/07/2023 11:58

Mmmmdanone · 27/07/2023 11:47

Pish

Show quote history

Yes.

I can recall hearing ‘Ach awa ‘n pish’. It was a variation on bugger off.

MrsJackRackham · 27/07/2023 11:58

There it's over there.
But at the end of a sentence (my Italian friend has adopted this, very funny)
bowlder
dreep down a wall
Ground to mean floor
Chap at the door. I said to my English BIL, there's a chap at your door, he replied How do you know it's a man? 🙃
Hands on legs and declaring Right! I'm away

Auntieofdragons · 27/07/2023 11:58

Ending every party/wedding with auld lang syne or Caledonia

Auntieofdragons · 27/07/2023 11:59

‘Munter’ ‘Ned’

Pinkitydrinkity · 27/07/2023 12:00

I don’t know if this is a Highland thing or Scots in general but working out who someone’s family is/where they are from is something I never encountered in England!

MoonsHaunted · 27/07/2023 12:01

Maybe this an Aberdeen thing but “fine” for food meaning really delicious.