_ _ _ _ _ __ (_)| |__ __ _ _ _ _ _ (_) ___ | |_ ___ (_)_ _ / _| ___ | || '_ \/ _` | ' \| ' \| |/ -_)| _|/ _ \ _ | | ' \| _|/ _ \ |_||_.__/\__,_|_||_|_||_|_|\___| \__|\___/(_)|_|_||_|_| \___/
Gonnae no' dae that! - Don't do that.
Pure dead brilliant - Amazing.
Yer bum's oot the windae - You are lying or exaggerating.
Am pure done in - I am pretty tired.
Am a pure nick - I am not looking my best.
Ah umnae - I am not.
Ma heid's mince - My head is mince, meaning I'm a bit confused.
Yer oot yer face! - You're extremely intoxicated from the effects of alcohol.
Yer aff yer heid - You're off your head - crazy.
T' Auld Yin - The old one.
Scran - food.
Haste Ye Back! - Return back with speed - said as a farewell.
Lang may yer lum reek! - Literally meaning long may your chimney smoke, this is typically a toast to one's health, wishing one lives long and healthy.
Keep the heid! - Keep your head or stay calm.
Hell slap it intae ye! - It is your own fault.
Failing means yer playin! - Trying and failing, but at least you are trying.
I'll gie ye a skelpit lug! - I'll hit you on the ear.
Whit's fur ye'll no go by ye! - What is for you will not go by you, meaning, what will be, will be.
Skinny Malinky Longlegs! -A tall and skinny person.
Speak o' the Devil! - When someone you are speaking about shows up.
Black as the Earl of Hell's Waistcoat! - the colour Black.
Ah dinnae ken. - I don't know.
We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns! - Everyone is God's children, nobody is better, everyone is equal.
Dinnae teach yer Granny tae suck eggs! - Stop teaching someone something they already know.
Dinnae marry fur money! - It's cheaper in the long run to borrow money than marry for it.
Noo jist haud on! - Now just hold it, take your time, you're speaking too fast.
Is the cat deid? - Has the cat died? This means your trousers are too short, similar to “is your budgie/parrot dead?”
Haud yer wheesht! - Shut up.
Gie it laldy. - Doing something with energy or inappropriateness.
It's a dreich day! - A miserable, cold, wet day in reference to the weather.
Mony a mickle maks a muckle! - Small amounts of savings soon build up to large amounts.
I'm fair puckled! - I'm out of breath.
Do yer dinger. - Showing disapproval.
Aye
Meaning: Yes.
Example: Aye mate, nae bother.
Translation: Yes friend, no problem.
Bairn
Meaning: Child.
Example: Yer just a wee bairn.
Translation: you are just a small child.
Bampot
Meaning: Either and idiot or a character of a shady disposition.
Example 1: Check out that mad bampot.
Translation: Look at that shady character.
Example 2: Your a pure bampot.
Translation: You are an idiot.
Belter
Meaning: Extremely good. Can also mean eccentric.
Example 1: That weekend wiz an absolute belter.
Translation: I really enjoyed my weekend.
Example 2: You're a belter.
Translation: You are quite exxentric.
Blootered
Meaning: Drunk.
Example: I'm getting pure blootered eh night.
Translation: I am going to be rather drunk this evening.
Boggin
Meaning: Disgusting.
Example: That's pure bogging.
Translation: That is really quite disgusting.
Boke
Meaning: Sick.
Example: Stop that! It's gonnae make me boke!
Translation. Cease your actions, I am going to be sick.
Bonnie/Bonny
Meaning: Beautiful.
Example: She was a bonny lass.
Translation: She was a beautiful woman.
Canny
Meaning: Cannot.
Example: I canny get mad wae it the night.
Translation: I cannot partake in any activities involving alchoholic beverages this evening.
Clatty
Meaning: Disgusting.
Example: That's pure clatty.
Translation: That is rather disgusting.
Clipe
Meaning: Tell tale.
Example: Dinny be a wee clipe.
Translation: Do not be a little tell tale.
Crabbit
Meaning: Grumpy or agitated.
Example: She's pure grabbiit the day.
Translation: She is grumpy today.
Craic
Meaning: Usually said “good craic” meaning good fun or “what's the craic” meaning what is happening.
Example 1: That was good craic last night, eh?
Translation: The was good fun last night, would you not agree?
Example 2: What's the craic wae the night, we going on eh randan?
Translation: What the plan for tonight, are we going out for a lively evening?
Dae
Meaning: Do.
Example: Dae ye ken wit time it is?
Translation: Do you know what time it is?
Dafty
Meaning: Someone who is stupid or an idiot.
Exmple: You're ur a pure dafty.
Translation: You are not very smart.
Dinnae
Meaning: Don't
Exmaple: A dinnae ken if Ken kens that I Ken that Ken kens eh craic.
Translation: I don't know if Ken knows that I know that Kens knows what's happening.
Eejit
Meaning: Idiot (see ‘Dafty').
Example: What an edjit.
Translation: What an idiot.
Eh
Meaning: What or an invitation for someone to respond or agree.
Example: Good night last night eh?
Translation: Good night last night, would you not agree?
Greet/Greetin
Meaning: Cry or crying.
Example: It wiznae funny, ah wiz pure greeting.
Translation: It was not funny, I was crying.
Hackit
Meaning: Ugly.
Example: Check that ejit out, his fringe iz pure hackit.
Translation: Look at that idiot, his haircut is very ugly.
Haud
Meaning: Hold.
Example: Haud eh door big yin.
Translation: Hold the door big fellow.
Haver
Meaning: Lie
Example: Dinnae be telling yir gren havers.
Translation: Don't tell your grandmother lies.
Hoachin
Meaning: Busy
Example: It wiz pure hoachin up eh toon eh day.
Translation: It was really busy in the town centre today.
Hunners
Meaning: Literally hundreds but usually to describe a large quantity.
Example: There wiz hunners ae wee bampots up central last night.
Translation: There wiz hunners ae wee bampots up central last night.
Meaning: There was a substantial amount of shady characters up Glasgow Central Station last night.
Jake/Jakey
Meaning: Someone poor. Used as an adjective, jakey means scummy.
Example 1: Look at that pure jake.
Translation: Look at that really poor person.
Example 2: Stop picking up snout ends, that's pure jakey.
Translation: Stop picking up cigarette ends, that is really scummy.
Ken
Meaning: Know or do you know.
Example 1: ah ken.
Translation: I know.
Example 2 :Ye ken?
Translation: You know?
Lassy
Meaning: Girl.
Example 1: A bonnie wee lassy.
Translation: A beautiful little girl (very creepy, don't use this when talking to strangers about their children!).
Mad Wae It
Meaning: Drunk.
Example: Brian wiz so mad wae it last night that he winched some boggin bird.
Translation: Brian was so drunk last night that he kissed an unattractive woman.
Minging
Meaning: Disgusting.
Example: Kevin mate, your breath is pure minging, away and scran some toothpaste ya jake.
Translation: Kevin my friend, your breath smells rather unsavoury, I would advise you to go and brush your teeth, you scummy person.
Note: Minging and the noun Minger are widely used across the UK nowadays, however, both words both derive from ‘ming‘ an old Scottish word for a bad smell.
Mockit
Meaning: Dirty.
Example: I git pure mockit climbing Ben Lomand eh day.
Translation: I got rather dirty climbing Ben Lomond today.
Munter
Meaning: Ugly.
Example: Charlotte winched a pure munter at eh dancing last night.
Translation: Charlotte kissed someone rather unattractive in a nightclub last night.
Och
Meaning: used in parts of a sentence as, usually to interrupt with confirmation, affirmation or disapproval.
Example 1: Och aye.
Translation: I agree.
Example 2: Och, yer talking oot yer arse.
Translation: Stop, I do not believe you.
Example 2: Och, hawd yer wheest.
Translation: Stop, be quiet.
Patch
Meaning: Abandon plans, stop.
Example 1: Patch aht.
Translation: “Stop that” if you are doing something annoying. “Let's not do that” if used in the context of plans.
Example 1: Question - “ You coming eh night?” Reply - “Naw mate, am patchin”.
Translation: Question “Are you coming tonight?” Reply - “No I am going to not come”.
Peely-wally
Meaning: Not 100%. A bit out of sorts.
Example: You're lookin a bit peely-wally.
Translation: You are not looking 100%.
Randan
Meaning: Causing carnage under the influence.
Example: Am going oot on the randan eh night troops, yasssss!
Translation: I am going out for a few alcoholic beverages to misbehave tonight, *excited noise*.
Scran
Meaning: Food.
Example: That scran Graham made us last night wiz a pure belter.
Translation: The food Graham made is last night was rather enjoyable.
Scunnered
Meaning: Disappointed.
Example: Went in for a nip and got patched, wiz pure scunnered.
Translation: I went in for a kiss and got rejected. I was rather disappointed.
Skelped/Scudded
Meaning: Hit.
Example: We were aw jist sitting ere chillin and Steve pure skelped him wae an avocado.
Translation: We were all just sitting there relaxing when Steven hit him with an avocado.
Steamin
Meaning: Drunk.
Example: We wur aww pure steamin last night.
Translation: We were all quite drunk last night.
Stoter
Meaning: Idiot.
Example: Look at that pure stoter tryin eh butter his toast wae a fork.
Translation: Look at that idiot trying to butter his toast with a fork.
Tap
Meaning: Top.
Example: Tap aff weather.
Translation: Tops off weather. Usually 12 Degrees Celsius or higher.
Tattie
Meaning: Potatoe.
Example: Awwww nawwww, we're huvin mince and tatties eh night.
Translation: Oh no, we are having minced beef and potatoes (a common meal in Scotland) tonight.
Weapon
Meaning: Dangerous or out of control.
Example 1: Gonnae stoap driving like an absolute weapon.
Translation: Can you stop driving dangerously please.
Example 2: Mate, you wur bouncing aboot eh toon last night with a cone on yer heed ya weapon.
Translation: Friend, you were running about the town centre last night with a cone on your head you wild rascal.
Wee
Meaning: Wee.
Example: Look aht that wee ginger dug.
Translation: Look at that small red haired dog.
Whitey
Meaning: Sick.
Example: I hit a pure whitey last night.
Translation: I was sick last night.
Winch/Winchin
Meaning: Kiss.
Example: I didnae get a winch last night, scunnered.
Translation: I did not get a kiss last night, I am disappointed.
Wopper
Meaning: Someone embarrassing.
Example: You're a wopper pure mate, I cannae hang oot wae ye anymore.
Translation: You are an embarrassment, I don't want to be friends anymore.
Yaldy
Meaning: Excitement.
Example: Got paid eh day, F**king yaldy.
Translation: I received my wages today, I am rather excited about this.
Yon
Meaning: That or those.
Example: Look at yon woppers ere there.
Translation Look at those embarrassing people over there.
Young Team
Meaning: Gang of teenagers usually focused aroung council estates/government housing areas.
Example: Wit young team ye fae.
Translation: What territorial gang do you belong to.
Try combining various Scottish words and sayings:
Whit dae ye cry thon yin?
Translates to
What do you call that one?
And one of my favourites is:
It's a braw bricht moonlit nicht the nicht
This translates to
It's a good (or brilliant), bright, moonlight night tonight. Truth is, it's very rarely used.
And here are some phrases and words to say drunk ……
Mad Wae It, Blootered, Oot The Game, Steamin, Goosed, Wrecked, Plastered, Bevied, Floored, Bladdered, Minced, Hammered, Smashed.
This is probably my favourite old Scottish saying ……
If you are saying something unbelievable, your might get the following response
Aye, Right!!
Perhaps the most famous Scottish sayings of all time is “Auld Lang Syne”. This was made famous by Robert Burns' song, sang globally at New Year. The translation can be taken as “old long since” or “old long ago” meaning “days gone by” and when sung at New Years really means “let's drink to days gone by”.