Scots Dictionary
A
- Ah - I.
- a' - all.
- a'body / aabody / abidy - everybody.
- aboot - about.
- aff - off ("Ye're aff yer heid!")
- Ah ken - I know.
- Ah wisna(e) - I was not.
- Ah'm ur - I am.
- Ah'm urny / Ah'm no - I am not.
- an' aw - as well.
- auld - old.
- aye - yes.
- bairn - baby (jist a wee bairn!) or small child (Eastern Scottish dialect).
- baltic - freezing cold.
- Barkit - dirty/unclean. ("Oaft, ma shirt is pure barkit")
- barra - a small child. Also, an affectionate term for a younger person (A wee barra.)
- barry - excellent / fantastic ("That's pure barry!")
- bastart - bastard. Also, rarely, a peculiar term of endearment ("Awright Ted, ya wee bastart.")
- batter - to beat up
- bawheid - ballhead, bald, empty-headed ("Oi, you, ya bawheid!")
- belter - to be excellent, great, fantastic.
- ben - down or through, or a mountain.
- bevvy - alcoholic beverage ("Ye havin' a bevvy the nite?")
- bez - beer.
- bide - stay/live.
- Big Yin - Big One, used as a term of endearment towards older relatives or friends.
- birl/burl - spin.
- bit - a place; usually referring to somebody's house ("Meet me at ma bit." "Ah'll come round tae your bit." "Am stayin' o'er at my da's bit the night.")
- bits - boots, steel-capped or rigger, worn on construction sites ("You'll hae te wear ya bits on site")
- blootered - very drunk.
- boak - dry heave/expression of disgust ("Pure gie'in' me the boak!")
- boggin' - smelly, dirty ("That's boggin'!")
- bolt - go away ("Wanty bolt!")
- bonnie - handsome, pretty, beautiful.(Come follow the bonnet of Bonnie Dundee)
- bosie - cuddle.
- bowfin' - sick-making.
- brae - a hill.
- brammer - term of endearment ("Aw, he's a wee brammer, so he is.")
- brand new - really good, can be used to refer to a person. ("See him? Aye he's brand new")
- braw - good looking, beautiful; really nice.
- breeks - trousers.
- broon - brown.
- buits - boots.
- bunker - table top / kitchen counter ("Make sure yeez clean aw along the bunker when yer finished!")
- burd - Girlfriend, or girls in general (huv ye seen the state ae thae burds!)
- burn - small river or stream ("Let's awa' up that burn.")
- canna - can not.
- canny - smart ("He's a canny lad.") or to be wary, or careful ("Ca' canny, lassie!")
- chankin - cold ("It's chankin' the day!")
- chib - to stab with a knife, or to headbutt.
- chief - alternative for 'mate', 'dude', 'fella', 'big yin'. ("Awrite chief, wur ye aff tae the night?")
- chookie - bird.
- choon - song (from "tune")
- chum - to accompany someone ("Goan chum me to the shop.")
- claes - clothes.
- clart - to apply too much of something.
- clarted - covered in (mud).
- clarty / clatty - dirty
- class - Something that is really good ("That's pure class min!")
- cauld - cold ("It's awfy cauld in here.")
- close - an alleyway or passage at the rear of houses. The passageway leading into a tenement building. Humid weather.
- clype - a tell-tale, a grass. Also, to hit someone or something.
- coarse / coorse - to bully or torment, or to be bad. To handle in a rough fashion.
- coo - cow
- cowk - to heave or throw up.
- cowp - to knock over. Also, a skip or landfill.
- craic (crack) - chat ("What's the craic?")
- cripple- to make someone fall over or do something clumsy ("Did you see me cripple Andrew yesterday?")
- crivens - an exclamation. (See also "Jings, crivens, and help mah boab!")
- cuddy - horse.
- cummoan - let's go, please talk sense
- cundie - drain.
- cuttin' - hanging out in a directionless manner. Not necessarily standing still. ("I've been cuttin' aboot the toon aa day!")
- da - father.
- dafty - silly, foolish person.
- dander/daunder/daunner - a walk ("Comin' fur a wee daunner doon yonder?")
- deh - don't (deh dae that.)
- deid - very; usually used with "pure" in front to describe something (That's pure deid brilliant!!!) or if someone has died (" The big yin is deid")
- di - word used for grandad
- diddy - did he?
- didnae - didn't ("Ah didnae dae that!")
- dingy - to ignore, abandon ("He's dingied us.")
- dinnae - don't ("Dinnae dae that!")
- dircht - to wipe or clean ("Dinnae dircht ya grunzy on yer heshin!")
- doo - a pigeon.
- doon - down.
- Doric - Scots dialect spoken in the North East.
- dowp - backside, bottom.
- dreich - damp, overcast, wet.
- drookit - soaking wet, drenched.
- dug - a dog.
- dunno / dinnae ken - I don't know.
- dunt - nudge.
- Edina / Embra - Edinburgh.
- eejit - idiot.
- een - eyes.
- eh - what? Or, can also mean 'yes'
- fae - from ("Far aboots you fae?")
- fash - fuss, worry ("Dinnae fash yersel'.")
- feart - to be scared, afeared (Ah'm feart o' the dark.")
- fer / fir / fur - for
- fir wye? - why?
- flap - to become overly upset or worked up about something, beyond what others see as necessary (" Dinnae flap! We'll find yer wellies!")
- flit - move house.
- foond / fund / fin - found.
- footer - to twiddle and mess about with something
- forrit - forward.
- fu' - full (of alcohol), drunk.
- gadge / gadgie - East coast term for a bloke (That gadge is mental.)
- gads - exclamation of disgust. Used in the South West (predominantly Ayrshire and North of Aberdeen.)
- gaff - house, or a house party (she's havin' a gaff the night.).
- gallus - gallous, bold, cheeky, or flashy.
- gammie - an injured body part (Cannae play, Ah've got a gammie leg.)
- gan - go.
- gaun yersel' - congratulations.
- gaun - going
- gie's / geez - give me - (geez it.)
- geggy - mouth - (Shut yer geggy.)
- geks - glasses.
- gem - game/up for (Pronounced by properly enunciating the G ((Hard G)), unlike the term Gem meaning jewel)
- gey - very
- gingin' (pronounced "ging-in") - disgusting (He wis spewin' his guts up (being sick), it was heavy gingin'!)
- goat - got (Ah goat it right!)
- gonnae no dae that - please don't do that!
- gob - mouth (shut yer gob), or spit.
- goon - idiot (You're a pure goon, man!)
- graftin' - to like someone (“are you graftin' Ben?”)
- grannied - didn't score a single point (I was grannied at pool tonight.)
- granda - grandfather.
- greet - to cry.
- groond / grund - ground.
- grunzy - your nose.
- hackit - ugly.
- hame - home (am away hame.)
- hauf - half; a measure of whisky.
- hauf 'n' a hauf - a measure of whisky and a half pint of beer
- haver - silly talk, nonsense/gibberish (stap yer haverin'.)
- havnae - have not.
- haun - hand (watch ma haun.)
- haud / hud - hold, stop "wanty haud that?", "haud the bus" (stop right there.)
- haud yer wheesht - stop talking.
- haw - a quick saying to get someones attention, quicker than saying "hello".
- hemmin - term to get someones attention, equivalent "excuse me sir" (Hemmin, fit like the day?)
- hen - term of endearment for a woman, equivalent to "love" or "darling" (How ye daein' the day, hen?)
- heid - head (Ah've got a sair heid.)
- hee haw - nothing/empty.
- heshin / heshun - your sleeves.
- heavin' (hee-vin) - very busy (This pub is heavin', ye cannae get movin'.)
- hingway - thing. Often used interchangeably with any noun (Gee tha hingway back)
- hirplin - to walk with a limp. (She hirpled across to answer the door.)
- hoachin' - full.
- Hogmanay - New Year's Eve (Happy Hogmanay!)
- honkin' - smelly/dirty (Your breath is honkin' by the way.)
- hoora - slang term for "very" (That Buckfast was hoora good.)
- Hoarse - a horse (“get aff ur high hoarse”)
- hoose - house.
- hoot - what (Hoot are you talkin' aboot?)
- howfin' / howlin'/ hummin' - smelly.
- how? - why?
- how no'? - why not?
- howzitgoan - greetings (Howzitgoan pal? Huvnae seen ye in ages.)
- Inna -As well
- Isna(e) - Is not
- Int it/Int it no? - Isn't it? (This place is brilliant, int it no?)
- jag/jab - injection/punch
- jaggies - stinging nettles. (Mind the jaggies dinnae git ya!)
- jaked - being in a state of drunkenness (I was jaked last night)
- jamp - past tense of jump (used mostly in the Highlands, especially the Black Isle).
- Jings! - Wow!
- kelpie - a mythical water creature resembling a horse. Also a set of twin sculptures called "The Kelpies".
- ken - to know
- kip - a nap
- kippy - left (He's kippy-handed.)
- kirk - church (I can't get pished? Is this some kind of kurk?)
- Keek - to peep or look
- laddie - A boy or young man (Aye, laddie!)
- laldy - Attitude/Effort of great volume (ah gave it Laldy!)
- lamped - To be struck soundly with a fist
- lassie - A girl or young woman
- lip - cheek (Ony mair o' yer lip an ah’ll skelp yer dowp)
- Li'ah' - like that (An' ah wis li'ah')
- loaby - hallway, lobby, passageway
- loon - boy (Aberdeen dialect), idiot (elsewhere)
- loused - Finished, tired or shattered (I'm loused)
- lugs - ears
- mad wae it (MWI) - comprehensively drunk
- magic - great/excellent (That's pure magic)
- mair - more
- maist - most
- maw - mum (Aye yer maw)
- mauchit/manky - very dirty (Your trousers are mauchit!! Ya manky bastard!)
- mense - Great or other words, a shorter form of "immense"
- messages - shopping (Maw sent me fur messages last night)
- mental - Insane, wild (that party last night was pure mental.)
- mibay/mibbe - maybe.
- midden - Outdoors rubbish pile, tip "this room's a midden!"
- min/mannie - mate (aw'right, min?), or any adult male (That's the mannie I wis thinkin' of.)
- mince - rubbish/nonsense - (Dinnae talk mince)
- minger - A dirty/smelly/horrible person or ugly person
- mingin - horrible/dirty (Your bathroom is mingin, this drink tastes mingin)
- mink - an unhygienic person (You wee mink.)
- minted - rich/wealthy (Look at his motor, he must be minted.)
- Mokit - dirty
- Mon then - A challenge to fight
- the morn - tomorrow
- the morn's morn - tomorrow morning
- muckle - large (I caught this muckle fish doon the burn the ither day).
- nae danger - no chance / no way / no bother
- knackered - tired/exhausted
- napper - head
- naw - no
- naw he didnae - No he didn't.
- neebur- Neighbour
- nip - kiss (gonae give us a nip) or a single measure of an alcoholic spirit, often whisky (geez a nip wi' that pint will ye darlin' )
- neeps - Turnips (neeps an' tatties)
- nippin - stinging
- nippy - curt or sharp-tongued person; spicy or peppery food
- noggin - head
- numpty - an endearing term/lovable idiot. Shows friendly banter (Och, Jonathan! You're a right numpty)
- nut - head, or another term used for the word 'not'
- Och awa' an' dinna talk pish - You're talking a load of rubbish
- Onit - term used when drinking alcoholic beverages
- Onybody or A'body - Anybody
- oose - dust ball, dust bunnie, cobweb
- oot - out
- ory or orey or oary - Vulgar, common, lacking in social graces. Perhaps from "ore" i.e. unrefined material. Word may be peculiar to Dundee.
- outwith Outside or beyond (he lives outwith the catchment area for the school. That is outwith the remit of the report.)
- oot yer nut - really drunk (mate, get hame yer oot yer nut.), off your head.
- oxters - armpits
- Patter - Banter (yer patter's sweet pal)
- Panbread - dead
- Papa - grandfather
- Park - field
- Patch - to ignore someone, stand them up, or not respond to their texts, calls etc. ("he's pure bin patchin me aw week")
- Pedro - Amazing (Aww sur, that is Pedro)
- Peedie - small (yer nae haf peedie ya ken)
- Peely wally - looking pale and unwell
- Piece - a sandwich (A had a cheese an' tomata piece this efternoon)
- Pimps - easy (That exam was pure pimps)
- Pished - drunk
- Plastered - drunk
- Poke - a paper bag, or to prod someone with your finger
- Poon/Poond/Poonds - Pound/Pounds (either coins or weight)
- Pooched - broken, useless. (I pooched my bird up the closie last night) used in anger or expression, mainly used by people from Angus or Fife
- Poptae - An alternative for knob goblin
- Puckle - a few of something (not necessarily 2)
- Pucklie - a small amount
- Puddock - a frog
- Punny eccy (or simply "punny") - punishment exercises at school
- Pure - very, totally (she's pure no right.) used to emphasise something.
- quality - great/excellent (That film was quality.)
- quine or quinie - girl, young woman, (Aberdeen dialect)
- radge - Crazy, angry (he went totally radge)
- rank - disgusting
- Rebrov - Man of stature (that guy is pure Rebrov man)
- reekbeek - horrible, disgusting (That lassie is pure reekbeek)
- reid/reed - Red
- Reprobate - Unprincipled person, (Shut it, ya reprobate)
- roamin - Taking a walk
- rocket - a crazy or annoying person. General insult. ("bolt ya rocket")
- raging - Extremely angry; in a rage (you're pure raging, mate)
- Salt 'n' Sauce - what Edinburgh people put on their chips.
- Sannies - a pair of shoes , typically for sports. (sandshoe)
- sassenach - often used for an English person, Southerner, but more accurately it is someone born below the Highland Line.
- scaffies - bin men. Scavengers
- scheme - residential area, usually a council estate
- schule - school (pronounced "skull") (Ye no gaun' tae the schule the day?)
- score - Twenty pounds (currency)
- scran - food
- script - Plan, idea (What's the script?)
- scunnered - bored, fed up, exhausted
- scunner - one who pisses ye aff, also used when hurt yourself (oh ye scunner that hurt)
- session / sesh - a night out drinking (Me and the boys had a hoora session the other night) - This is also a term used in some parts of England and Northern Ireland.
- shin - shoes. Germanic, schoen
- shneeb - smoke.
- simmer - Calm down (That kant needs to simmer before he gets leathered)
- skelp - to smack or hit someone/thing (He telt me tae get ma tits oot so I skelped him) (I skelped ma heed oaf the heedboard)
- skelf - splinter (a just goat a skelf aff that piece o wood)
- skud - naked (Did ye see Jimmy? He was in the skud!)
- skyrocket - a particularly crazy person ("he's aff his nut, pure skyrocket man")
- sleekit - sly or untrustworthy
- slitter - To dribble whilst eating (You better no slitter soup aw doon yer new jumper.)
- solid - hard, tough (I wouldnae say nowt tae him man, he's solid)
- sook - big softie (ya wee sook)
- snashters - sweets or goodies to eat.
- snout - cigarette (example, "after this drink, you up for a snout?" "aye mate")
- sound - nice, cool or has a tendency to keep secrets well. Usually used in teens and preteens. ‘You’re proper sound, mate.’
- squint - not straight
- square go - a fair fight, one to one fight
- stay - live, as in to live in a geographical location.
- steamin - drunk
- Stoater - a beauty, the best of type
- stoor - dust.
- stovies - a Scottish delicacy usually made from stewed potatoes, fat, onions, meat and occasionally gravy.
- sup - small amount of liquid
- swally - to swallow, also means alcohol (Dae ye fancy gon fur a wee swally doon the pub?)
- swatch - Look
- swadge, swadging - To sit at a table, after eating, waiting for your 'second wind' so you can eat more (Nae more fir me, A'hm swadging)
- sweltering - roasting / boiling / very warm (it's absolutely sweltering today)
- swick - cheat
- tad - tiny bit (it's a tad small)
- tae - to or, too (Going tae the game/ aye, and Stevie's coming tae)
- tait - a small amount of something (I'll only take a wee tait salt oan ma chips, no too much.)
- talking oot yer fanny flaps - lying
- tanned - to drink/drunk (I tant ten pints last night!) to vandalise (That hoose is gettin tanned)
- tap - to borrow money from someone (Can ah tap a tenner aff ye?)
- tassie - cup (especially one for whisky)
- tatties - potatoes
- tekul - good
- teuchter - someone that lives in the countryside, especially from the Highlands or Isles of Scotland
- that's a sin - what a shame
- toaty - small/tiny
- toonser - someone from the city
- twa - two
- twally - A person of lesser intellect
- Toorie - The purple head of the Spear Thistle (Scotland's national flower/emblem).
- Troosers - trousers.
- wabbit - tired (I'm feeling awfy wabbit).
- wallap (pronounced "wa-lup") - to hit someone/something (Am gonnae wallap ye wan!) Can also mean to bang a body part (Ah pure wallaped ma heid aff that table!)
- wan - won (I wan the race.) Or referring to having 'one' (I'm having 'wan' of them days).
- weapon - General insult. An annoying, disliked or foolish person.
- wean - (pronounced "Wayne") the youngest of the family, sometimes the youngest sibling. Truncation of "wee ane" or little one. (give that to the wean!).
- wee - small
- wee yin- a person shorter or younger than you
- wee barra - Literally "Small fair haired child". Used as a term of endearment (generally boys)
- well - very "This band's well good." "Bed's well comfy."
- wha(e) - who
- wheesht - be quiet (haud yer wheesht)
- Whit - It means the same as 'what'.
- whit like? / Fit like? - How are you?
- Whitey - Throw up/be sick, usually from drinking too much alcohol (Am gonnae whitey)
- wifey - woman (usually referring to an older woman)
- winch - to French kiss someone
- Windae - Window.
- wit - what
- wur - our
- winna/winnae/wouldnae - Will not / Would not.
- yaks - eyes/ mouth
- yaldi - an expression of deep joy
- ye - all you / you
- yeez - you / you'se
- yellae - yellow
- yer - your
- yin - one (the number, or referring to a person or object) "The big yin is oan his way." "Ye want the big yin aff the shelf?" "yin ir twa")
- yocker - a large, but still throwable, stone.
- yonks - years, a long time ago. (A havnae been there for yonks.)
- yuptae - What are you up to?
- zany - outstanding/crazy