The Scots language is an ancient and lyrical tongue, one inherently linked to the country’s history and identity, its land and culture. It is also a living and vital vernacular, used daily. Yet some of these words are beginning to fade away, their meaning and value disappearing.
Robin Crawford has gathered together 1,000 Scots words from his native land – old and new, classical and colloquial, rural and urban – in a joyful celebration of their continuing usage. In this rich linguistic tapestry, he reveals their evocative origins and essential character with verve, delight and wit.
ingin: Dundonian for onion. The eye-watering essence of the Dundee dialect is captured in the phrase “Twa bridies, ples. A plen an an’ an ingin an an’ a.” (“A pair of Forfarshire meat pastries, please. A plain one and an onion one as well”).
roaster: modern slang for an idiot. A protestor’s placard during US President Trump’s visit to Scotland read: “Yir maw was an immigrant, ya roaster”.
simmer dim: Shetland term for long summer evenings where due to the northern latitude it never really gets dark at night.
grannie: female grandparent (who cannot be pushed or shoved from public road transportation)