LEXICON SCOTENSE

 

 

with thanks to Graham Thomson

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Scottish stories, so far, in The Barcelona Review
A Fault on the Line by Irvine Welsh
Routes by Laura Hird
Costa Pool Bum by Alan Warner
(
but you won't need this lexicon)

LEXICON SCOTENSE

Just a wee aid for those that might need it.
We will add to it as we go along but any additions or corrections are more than welcome.

 

aboot............................about

ae...............................of

Asda.............................large chain of (cheap) supermarkets

auntie beanie type...............homely, pseudo-genteel middle-aged woman

aw...............................all

awfie............................awfully; very

bairn............................child; baby

barrie ..........................great (or, when used ironically, terrible)

batter (the shite out of), to....beat up, to

baws.............................balls; testicles; nonsense

beam, to.........................blush, to

beamer...........................red face (from embarrassment)

bitter...........................(bitterly) cold

blow (also 'blaw')...............hashish; cannabis

bogging..........................ugly; dirty; foul-smelling; nasty

bridie...........................meat pie

cannae...........................can not

chib.............................knife

Chinkie..........................Chinese

chorey, to.......................rob, to; steal, to; vandalize, to

chuck it doon, to................rain heavily, to

clarty ..........................dirty

coory, to........................cower, to; press against, to

cosie (up), to...................warm, to

cunt.............................person (not necessarily pejorative) (vagina)

cunty-baws.......................male person (strongly pejorative)

deck, to.........................knock down, to

dinnae...........................do/does not

do a runner, to..................run away, to

do (one's) heid in, to...........drive (one) mad, to

doon.............................down

draw.............................hashish

Easter Road......................(location of) Hibs football stadium

eppy.............................epileptic (fit)

fae..............................from

fanny ...........................stupid person (vulva)

gallus ..........................great; assertive; ostentatious

gear.............................drugs (usually hashish)

gen..............................honestly!

get on one's tits, to............annoy, to

giro.............................social security payment

greet, to........................cry, to

hackit...........................ugly

heid.............................head

heid-nipping.....................head-nipping; intensely irritating

hing, to.........................hang, to

holy willie......................extremely (hypoc.?) religious person

hoo-hah..........................fuss; ado

hoor.............................whore

hoot.............................laugh

horse's baws.....................(unpalatable) meat

isnae............................is not

jaikie...........................alcoholic; down-and-out

ken, to..........................know, to

Kwik-Save........................chain of (cheap) food shops

like (as interjection)...........you understand?

lippy............................cheeky

loadae...........................lot of

loony bin........................mental hospital

make oot, to.....................understand, to

manky............................dirty

mental...........................incredible (admirable, crazy, dangerous)

minging..........................foul-smelling

Monster Munch....................(brand of) savoury snack

munchies.........................snacks

nash, to.........................rush, to

neb, to..........................be nosey, to

ned..............................lower class (aggressive) youth

nowt.............................nothing

old dear.........................old or middle-aged woman; mother

pally............................friendly

pappa ............................grandfather

pish doon, to....................rain heavily, to

pished...........................drunk

piss oneself, to.................laugh (uncontrollably), to

pits.............................worst possible (place, situation)(coal mines)

poke.............................ice-cream cone

puke (up), to....................vomit, to

puss.............................face

radge............................idiot (vulva)

rake it in, to...................make a lot of money, to

Red Card.........................(brand of) fizzy soft drink

rip the piss oot of, to..........ridicule, to

schemie..........................person from council housing scheme

scran ...........................food (of poor quality)

shag, to.........................have sex (with), to

sheep-shagger....................country or suburban person

slag, to.........................be critical of, to; disparage, to

slavers..........................saliva

smart-arse.......................self-satisfied person

snekky, to.......................have sex with, to

sook, to.........................suck, to

spooky...........................weird

sprog............................child; baby

stoat-the-baw....................adult male with a sexual interest in children

tarry............................tobacco; cigarettes

they.............................those

twat.............................fool (vulva)

veg, to..........................vegetate, to; be in state of torpor, to

walloper.........................penis; black pudding

wee..............................little

whitey...........................state of extreme pallor (accompanied by nausea)

widnae/winnae....................would not/will not

ya hoor!.........................exclamation of great satisfaction