Scots Language Glossary

Away and bile yer heid

You're talking nonsense.

Aye

Yes.

Baltic

Very cold.

Ben

Mountain peak (Ben Nevis).

Biscuit

Cookie.

Blether

Chat, gossip.

Bonnet

The hood of a car.

Boot

The trunk of a car. ('The suitcase goes in the boot.')

Bothy

A basic mountain hut/shelter, often free to use.

Braw

Fine, excellent.

Burn

Stream or small river.

Burns Night

January 25th celebration with haggis, whisky, and Burns poetry.

Ceilidh/Kay-lee/

A traditional Scottish dance/social gathering.

Central Belt

Scotland's main populated strip between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Cheers

Means both 'thank you' and 'cheers!'

Chippy

Fish and chip shop.

Chips

French fries.

City Centre

Downtown.

Clans

Historic family groups, often associated with tartans.

Coo

Cow (especially Highland coos).

Crisps

Potato chips.

D'ye ken?

Do you know/understand?

Dram

A serving of whisky.

Dreich/dreekh/

Grey, miserable weather.

Dual Carriageway

A divided highway with two lanes each way.

First Footing

New Year tradition of being the first guest to cross a threshold after midnight (good luck if you bring coal, whisky, or shortbread).

Football

Soccer. Don't call it soccer in the pub.

Full Scottish Breakfast

Big cooked breakfast: eggs, bacon, sausage, black pudding, tattie scones, beans, mushrooms, toast.

Glen

Valley.

Gutted

Very disappointed.

Haggis

Traditional Scottish dish (spiced sheep offal in oats) — tastier than it sounds.

Haver

Talk nonsense.

Highland Games

Traditional sporting events: caber toss, tug of war, etc.

Hire Car

Rental car.

Hogmanay

New Year's Eve, one of Scotland's biggest celebrations.

I'll gie it a bash

I'll give it a try.

I'm pure done in

I'm very tired.

Irn-Bru

Scotland's famous bright orange soda, often called 'Scotland's other national drink' after whisky.

Island Hopping

Visiting Scotland's island chains (Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland).

Ken

To know. ('D'ye ken?' = Do you understand/know?)

Kirk

Church.

Lad

Boy.

Lass

Girl.

Lassie

Girl.

Last Orders

The bell for last chance to order drinks.

Loch

Lake. (Loch Ness, Loch Lomond.)

Messages

Groceries. ('I'm away for the messages.')

Motorway

Equivalent to an American interstate/freeway.

Munro

Mountain over 3,000 ft. Climbing them is called 'Munro-bagging.'

Nae

No.

Old Firm

Glasgow's two famous football teams: Celtic and Rangers.

Outwith

Outside of.

Petrol

Gasoline. 'Petrol station' = gas station.

Postcode

Like a zip code, often used for sat nav (GPS).

Pub Service

Often you order at the bar, not at the table.

Pudding

Can mean dessert or a specific dish (like black pudding, a type of sausage).

Queue

Line; waiting your turn.

Railway Station

Train station.

Round

Buying drinks for the group. Etiquette: your turn will come!

Roundabout

A traffic circle. They're everywhere.

Sat Nav

GPS/navigation system.

Scran

Food, meal. ('That was good scran!')

Session

A long, casual drinking occasion.

Sorry

Often used as 'excuse me.'

Sunday Roast

Traditional Sunday meal of roasted meat, potatoes, gravy, and veg.

Table Service

Not always automatic in pubs; often you order at the bar.

Tablet

Very sweet crumbly fudge-like candy.

Taps Aff

Shirts off when the sun shines (no matter how cold it really is).

Tattie

Potato.

That's me away

I'm leaving.

The Borders

Southern hills near England.

The Highlands

Rugged north with mountains, lochs, and big skies.

The Loo

Bathroom/restroom.

The National Bard

Robert Burns, Scotland's beloved poet.

Tip

Smaller than in the U.S. (about 10% at restaurants if service was good).

Wee

Small. (Used constantly.)

What's the craic?

How are you? What's happening?

With a Splash

Whisky with a touch of water.