What visitors should know
A word can be Scots, Scottish English, shared with northern English dialects, formal in Scotland, or strongly regional within Scotland. Understanding those labels is more useful than trying to imitate an accent.
Reviewed words and expressions
aye
In Scots and Scottish English, aye is a common affirmative meaning yes. It can answer a question, confirm agreement, or acknowledge what someone has said, although the form also occurs in other British dialects and in formal voting language.
Scotland · Newcastle & Tynesidebairn
In Scots and Scottish English, bairn means a child or offspring. The word can refer to a boy or girl and has a long documented history in Scots, while also occurring in northern English varieties.
Scotlandblether
In Scots, blether can mean to talk at length or loquaciously and can also refer to chat, talk, or speech that a speaker considers foolish or excessive.
Scotlandbothy
In Scotland, a bothy is a simple hut or cottage used as shelter, especially an open basic shelter in remote country for walkers and other travellers; historically the word also referred to accommodation for farm and estate workers.
Scotlandbraw
In Scots, braw is an adjective meaning fine, splendid, excellent, handsome, or impressive, with meaning shaped by the person or thing being described.
Scotlandburn
In Scots and Scottish usage, a burn is a small stream, brook, or watercourse; the word appears widely in Scottish place names, maps, trail descriptions, and environmental documents.
Scotlandthe Central Belt
In Scotland, the Central Belt is the broad, densely populated central part of the country associated especially with the Glasgow–Edinburgh corridor and surrounding urban, town, and transport networks.
Scotlandclose
In Scottish usage, especially around tenement buildings, a close can mean the common entrance passage and shared stair access leading from the street to the flats above.
Scotlanddreich
In Scots, dreich describes something long-drawn-out, dreary, tedious, gloomy, or hard to bear; it is especially well known in descriptions of bleak weather.
Ireland · Scotlandeejit
In Irish English, eejit is an informal noun for an idiot or foolish person. It can be humorous and familiar between people who know each other, but it can also be plainly disapproving or insulting depending on tone and relationship.
Scotlandfankle
In Scots, fankle can mean to tangle, entangle, ravel, or mix up, and as a noun can mean a tangle, muddle, or confused situation.
Scotlandglaikit
In Scots and Scottish usage, glaikit is an adjective meaning foolish, silly, thoughtless, or lacking sense; it can also describe a vacant or foolish-looking expression.
Scotlandgreet
In Scots, greet can mean to weep, cry, lament, whimper, or complain tearfully; as a noun, a greet can mean a bout or fit of crying.
Scotlandjag
In Scotland, jag can mean a prick or injection and is commonly used in public and everyday language for a vaccination or vaccine dose.
Scotlandken
In Scots, ken means to know, be aware of, recognize, or be acquainted with a person, fact, place, or situation.
Scotland · Irelandmessages
In Scottish usage, messages can mean shopping or the goods bought on a shopping trip; to go the messages means to go shopping or run shopping errands.
Scotlandnumpty
In Scots and Scottish English, numpty is an informal noun for a stupid, foolish, or silly person. It can be a genuine insult or a comparatively light, teasing criticism depending on relationship, tone, and situation.
Scotlandoutwith
In Scottish English and Scots, outwith is a preposition or adverb meaning outside, beyond, or not within a place, boundary, group, scope, system, period, or limit.
Scotlandpiece
In Scots and Scottish English, a piece can mean a sandwich or a simple bread-based snack, especially food carried for school, work, or a break.
Ireland · Scotlandpress
In Irish English, press can mean a cupboard or cabinet, especially one with shelves used for household storage such as food, dishes, books, or clothes.
Scotlandscheme
In informal Scottish English, a scheme can mean a social-housing estate or local-authority housing development rather than a plan or program.
Scotland · Irelandwean
In Scottish and Northern Irish English, wean is an informal noun meaning a child, especially a young child.
Scotland · Irelandwee
In Scots and Scottish English, wee commonly means small or little and can also express a small amount, short time, short distance, or slight degree.
Scotlandwheesht
In Scots and Scottish usage, wheesht is a call for silence meaning hush, be quiet, or keep silent. Related forms can also work as a verb meaning to silence someone or become quiet, and as a noun referring to silence.
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