Glossary

Auld, old.

Aye (pronounced i), yes.

Aye (pronounced a), ever, always.

Bailie, an officer of the law.

Bairn, a child.

Ben. See But and ben.

Besom, a broom.

Bide, stay.

Bittock, a little bit.

Blatherskite, a babbling person, a good-for-nothing.

Blethering, talking nonsense.

Bonny, pretty, beautiful, charming.

Bracken, brake, a species of tall fern.

Brae (pronounced bray), a hillside.

Braw, fine, handsome.

Burn, a brook.

But and ben, outside and in.

But the house means out of the house. But is also applied to the kitchen; going but is going from the best room to the kitchen, and going ben is going into the best room.

Byre, a cow-shed.

Canny, shrewd.

Chap, a knock.

Daft, silly, foolish.

Dandering, wandering.

Dawtie, darling, pet.

Dinna, do not.

Dod, an exclamation.

Doubt, suspect.

Dyke, a low fence or wall of turf or stone.

Fash, disturb.

Fine, finely, well.

Gey, very.

Gin (g as in give), if.

Girdle, a griddle.

Glengarry bonnet, a small cap without visor.

Greet, weep.

Guddling, catching fish with the hands.

Havers (a as in hay), nonsense (an exclamation).

Isna, is not.

Keek, a peep.

Ken, know.

Kilmarnock bonnet, a tam-o'-shanter.

Kirk, church.

Biro, a churn.

Kist, a chest.

Laird, a lord, a landed proprietor.

Laverock, the lark.

Limmer, a mischievous person.

Losh, an exclamation.

Loup, to leap.

Lug, ear.

Mealy pudding, a Scotch dish made of oatmeal and suet, in form something like a sausage.

Michty (pronounced michty, with the gutteral ch as in the German word ich), mighty, large, powerful.

Michty me, an exclamation.

Na, no, not.

Pawky, sly.

Pewit, the lapwing, a species of plover.

Plaidie (pronounced pladie), diminutive of plaid. Each clan had its own especial pattern which was worn by all members.

Redding up, putting in order.

Sal, an exclamation.

Scone, a flat cake, unsweetened, baked on a griddle.

Skirl, a shrill sound, especially that characteristic of the bagpipes.

Slippit awa', slipped away, died.

Sousie (both s's as in so), agreeable, attractive, comely, pleasant.

Spier (pronounced spear), ask.

Sync, afterward, since.

Tarn, a small mountain lake.

Tatties, potatoes.

Tid, a pet name for a child.

Tirley-wirley, a disturbance.

Wasna, was not.

Wee bit hoosie, little house.

Whaup, the curlew, a large bird of the Sandpiper Family.

Wifie, an endearing term for a woman.