Scots Sangs An Tunes Fur Schools

A

Aa - all

Aboon - above

Ae - one

Afore - before

Ah'll - I will

Aifter - after

airay - basement area

Airts - directions

Ain - own

Aleerie - crooked, to hold your knee bent

Anes - once

Aroond - around

Arras - arrows

Atween - between

Auld - old

Ava - at all

Awa - away

B

Ba - ball

Ba lily – nonsense lullaby words

Baloo – nonsense comforting lullaby word

Backsword - see claymore

Bairn - child

Baith - both

Bannock - a flat round cake of oatmeal

Bap - bread roll 

Baudrons - affectionate name for cat

Bawbee - a halfpenny

Beck - curtsey

Begood - began

Bellises - bellows for blowing air on a fire

Bide - stay

Big - build

Birken - birch

Birl - whirl around

Blate - timid

Bleed - blood

Bluidie – bloody

Boak - be sick

Bogle - ghost

Bosie - bosom

Boukie - body

Bowster - bolster, a kind of cushion

Bowsy-leggit - bow-legged

Brae - a steep road or hillside

Braid - broad

Brak - broke

Braw - fine, good-looking

Bree - liquid in which something has been boiled or soaked

Breeks - trousers

Breid - bread

Brenty - smooth

Brig - bridge

Brinkie - smooth

Brither - brother

Brod - sharp-pointed thing, spur

Broon - brown

Brose - oatmeal with boiling water or milk

Brosy, browsy - stout

Bubbly-jock - turkey cock

Bummin - bragging, boasting

Brunt - burnt

Bubbie - breast

Bunnet - soft flat brimless cap

Buss - bush

Byre - cowshed

C

Ca [ca the neeps] – chop the turnips

Ca'ed - called

Cadger - hawker, especially of fish

Cahouchie - rubber (French - caoutchouc)

Cairt - cart

Caller - cool, fresh

Cam - came

Canles - candles

Canny - lucky, skilful

Carle - man, fellow

Carlin - (old) woman, witch

Castock - cabbage

Cauld - cold

Caup - cup or bowl, often wooden

Ceilidh - in north Scotland, an informal social evening, in south Scotland an organised evening of dancing

Champit tatties - mashed potatoes

Chanty - chamber pot

Chap - knock

Cheetie - cat

Chick - clicking noise made to a horse

Chicki naigie - dandling game where child rides adult's knee or ankle

Clanjamfrie - rabble

Clarsach - small harp

Clash=piety, clash pyotie - tell-tale

Claymore - the Great Sword, so long it was carried on the back, and swung with both hands

Clout - cloth

Cob - beat or strike

Cockadie - a cockade - a rosette or bunch or ribbons worn on a hat

Cockit - cocked

Cocky Breekie - small boy in first trousers

Coffed - bought

Collop - slice of meat

Coost out - fell out, disagreed

Corbies - ravens

craigie - neck

Cripple Dick - lame person

Croodlin doo - wood pigeon, term of affection

Cuddie - donkey

Custock - cabble or kale

Cutty sark - short shirt, undergarment 

D

Dae - do

Dang - knocked

Daur - dare

Dawin - dawning

Dee - die

Deid - dead

Deil or de'il - devil

Dicht - wipe

Die - toy, trinket

Dight - prepared, wiped

Dine - dinner time

Ding - strike or defeat

Dinna - do not

Dirk - dagger, short knife

Doo - dove, pigeon

Doon - down

Doup - bottom

Dowt - cigarette end

Draff - refuse of malt after brewing

Drap - drop

Drawers - underpants

Drow - drizzle

Dugs - dogs

Dule - grief

Dun - greyish-brown

Dyers' Clugs – wooden clogs worn by workers in a dye works

E

Een - eyes

E'er or Ere - before or ever

Et - ate

F

Faem - foam

Failie - bit of turf

Fair, fairing - gift bought at a fair

Fairm Toon - substantial group of farm buildings

Far - where

Farden - farthing (very small coin)

Fat - what

Fat makes - what matters 

Faured - fair

Fecht - fight

Fee - to agree to work for a fixed period

File - dirty

Fit - foot

Fitba - football

Fite - white

Flegs - blows

Fog - grass left in the field to overwinter

Fowr - four

Frae - from

Frichted - frightened

Fu - full, drunk

Fuirliemajigger - whirligig or showy ornament

Fye - fie

G

Gae - go

Gaed - went

Gallant - fine looking man

Gallus - bold, cheeky

Gang - go

Gaun - going

Gar - make

Garten - garter

Gate - road, way

gauge - measure, template for the mesh of nets

Gem - game

Gerse - grass

Gib, gibbie - tom cat

Gie - give

Gie's - give me

Gill - old measure of liquid , a quarter of a pint

Gloamin - twilight

Gled - hawk

Gleyt - squint

Glowerin - scowling

Gouk, gowk - cuckoo, fool

Gowans - daisies

Greetin - weeping

Grice - pig

Grieve - farm head-workman

Groat - old very small coin

Groond - ground

Grumbly - surly

Gub - mouth

Guid or Gud - good

Gully - big knife

Gutty - rubber, from gutta percha

Gweed - good

H

Ha - hall

Haddy - haddock

Hae - have

Hairt - heart

Hale - whole

Hallow o straw - sheaf

Hame - home

Hap an row - cover and wrap around

Harns - brains

Harry Wraggs - Partick Thistle, a Glasgow football club

Hauds - holds

Huafers - half shares

Heddle - tool used in weaving

Heid - head

Heeshie Baw - hush-a-bye

Heilan - highland

Herdie - person who herds and protects sheep or cattle

Herry - harry, rob

Heuch – thigh or haunch

Hingin - hanging

Hinkumbooby - silly, stupid person

Hirplin - limping, walking unsteadily

Hogmanay - New Year's Eve

Hogmanany - New Year's Day

Hoonds - hounds

Hoose - house

Hotch - cause to move jerkily

Howe - low piece of land, glen

Howlet - owl

Humphy - having a hump, hunchbacked

Hunkers - crouched down

Hurcheon - hedgehog

Hurlit - rode on something on wheels

I

Ilka - each

Intae - into

Ither - other

J

Jaicket - jacket

Jaurie - marble

Jenny - country girl, woman

Jiggin - dancing

Jimp - close-fitting, neat

Jined - joined

Jinkies - high jinks

Jo - beloved

Juck - duck

K

Kailpot - cabbage pot

Kaim - comb

Katy Beardie - name for a woman with facial hair

Keek - peep

Keetles - cattle, beasts 

Ken or Kenned or Kent - knew

Kerseckie - overall, pinafore

Kick the can - game like Hide and Seek , the seeker tries to stop the others get back to base and kick the can

Kirk - church

Kist - chest

Kit - small tub, small fiddle used by 'dancing masters'

Kittle - tickle

Knowe - hillock

Kye - cattle

L

Laid - mill-lade, channel bringing water to a mill

Lang - long

Lang Syne - long ago

Lanny - cheap powerful wine

Lap - leapt

Lave - the rest

Laverick, lavrick - lark

Law - rounded hill 

Lawin - bill to be paid

Led me them hame - carried them home for me, transported harvest of any kind from the fields

Leefu-lane, my - all by myself

Leerie - lamplighter

Leese me on - I like, blessings on  

Leman - sweetheart

Licks - physical punishment

Lift - steal

Lillie, lily - beautiful

List - desire, listen

Loast - lost

Loose - louse

Loot - let out

Loup - leap, jump

Louse - loosen or untie

Low - fire, glow

Luckenbooths - in Edinburgh, street stalls which could be locked

Lugs - ears

Lum - chimney

Lum hat - top hat (like chimney)

M

Mahoun - name for the Devil

Mak - make

Mammy - mother

Mair - more

Masel - myself

Maut - malt whisky

Mavis - songthrush

Mazzie - mother

Maw - mother

Meal and Ale - party with oatmeal and beer

Meal-poke - oatmeal bag

Meenit - minute

Mend a pen - sharpen a quill

Merchin - marching

Merket - market

Midden - dungheap

Midgie-man - bin man

Minnie - mother

Mither - mother

Monie - many

Monyfaud - rumniant's third stomach

Mools - the grave

Moudiwart - mole 

Moup - nibble

Muckle - much, large

Mutch - headgear for married women

N

Na - no

Naethin - nothing

Naig - horse

Nane - none

Nappie - bumpie

Natter - chat

Neb - nose, beak

Neeps - turnips

Ne'er - never

Neuk - corner

Nib - Nose, beak

Nicky Tams - leather straps round the bottom of the trousers

Nieve - fist

No - not

Nourrice - nurse

O

O - of

Okey pokey - icecream

Onion bag - football net

Oo - wool

Oor - hour or our

Oot - out

Ouks - weeks 

Ower or Owre - over

Owsen - oxen