An article, story, or book written entirely in Scots is, to me, difficult to read. I believe the common English language (which belongs to all of us on these British isles) must be understood by all.
We have many different versions of English, and all are of equal value. There are, however, Scots words that are wonderfully descriptive, and which don’t have one-word translations into common English. I think these words enrich our vocabulary and that is always a good thing.
Here are my 18 most useful Scots words.
Havers. You can dismiss another person’s assertions as havers without them being entirely black affrontit.
Black affrontit. More serious than mere embarrassment.
Clipe. There is a more sleekit and cowardly element than “telling tales” can signify.
Sleekit. A bit more cunning, a bit more oily than “sneaky”.
Gochle. Even more disgusting, and of a thicker consistency, than ordinary spit. Possibly would be regarded as swearing by my mother, who would skite my lug for using it on the pages of The Courier.
Skite. It isn’t as serious as “hit”. A skite was educational, and not violent enough to alert social workers. Or, at least, not when I was a lad.
Foosty. You might take a chance and eat stale bread (och, it’s fine if you toast it) but you wouldn’t eat foosty bread.
Feichy. Dirtier than dirty, possibly contagious.
Nippit. You’re not fat, but your trousers might be nippit due to lockdown overeating.
Stoor. Thicker than dust. A housewife with stoor on the mantelpiece was worse than one who only had dust. Indeed, her hoose was a midden.
Midden. A dump, a place for tattie peelings, or what Glaswegians called their back greens.
Greenie poles. Kept your washing out of the glaur.
Glaur. Churned up mud from a green that had been traipsed through a lot, or had had many a game of fitba played upon it. Stickier than mud.
Skint. Not just hard up, but out of money altogether. But a skint knee isn’t as serious as a cut knee.
Thrawn. Obstinate, stubborn, sullen, and usually male.
Feartie. Not quite as cowardly as a coward, and again often reserved for strong (or at least strong looking) men – “Ach, ye big feartie”.
Kist. A box, but especially one for a lass soon to be married and who is keeping things that she’ll use when she sets up her own home.
Stot. A more aggressive action than a bounce. Dinnae stot yer ba aff Mrs McDonald’s gable end or she’ll be oot tae ye.
Lobby. Not as grand as a hallway, and where Mary Ann might find a bobby.
English, with expressive, descriptive, clever Scots words mixed into it, gives us the best of both worlds.
Word of the week
Thirl (verb)
Scots word meaning to pierce, or bore through. EG: “If your belt is nippit, thirl another hole in it.”
Read the latest Oh my word! every Saturday in The Courier. Contact me at sfinan@dctmedia.co.uk
