Scottish for foreigners
Wee, braw, bairn, gallus. The Scottish words that make every walk feel like a poem, even on a Tuesday in February.
"Aye, I'll meet you in a wee minute, just grabbing a wee coffee. Twenty minutes later he's still chatting away, swearing it's only been a wee minute."
"It's braw the day, so grab yer jacket and let's head up Arthur's Seat before the haar rolls in and wrecks the view."
"Our bairn has got football practice on Saturday, can you drop her off, pet?"
"Wee Jamie walked straight up to the headteacher and asked for the afternoon off because the weather was too nice, gallus wee man so he is."
"Aye, did ye see the sunrise over the loch this morn? Absolutely bonnie, then wee Isla turns up in her new jumper and steals the show."
"Dinnae bother phoning him the night, he’s away up the road at the pub, and you’ll just get his da on the line."
"Absolutely scunnered with this weather, three weeks of rain and the garden looks like Loch Ness. Even the cat refuses to go outside and she is normally hard as nails."
"The weans were screaming blue murder in the back of the car and Gran just turned around and said haud yer wheesht. Even the dog went quiet."
"Nae chance I’m going out, it’s pure baltic and I’ve only got a wee jacket. We’ll hit the chippy tomorrow when it’s no howlin."
"Wee Maggie made her first goal at the five-a-side on Saturday and the whole family was screaming pure dead brilliant from the sidelines."
"Just got my leccy bill in and nearly choked on my tea. Ooft, that's brutal. Might need to live off tattie scones till payday."
"That kebab from last night has me ready to boke, I knew it was dodgy when the lettuce was warm but I ate it anyway like an eejit."
"I opened the fridge and that leftover fish hit me. Pure boggin', pal, shut the door and chuck it before the whole flat stinks."
"Walked into that pub and it was honking, pure boggin, toilets overflowing and the carpet reeking. Skelped my pint and legged it."
"That chip shop by the station was pure minging, grease everywhere, stank o fish, and the lad behind the counter looked like he'd slept in it."
"Hen, is this the queue or are we aw just hovering like lost pigeons? Aye, it’s the queue. Sound, I’ll bide here then, cheers hen."
"Stop havering, man. We’re late for the bus and you’re still blethering about UFOs over Pollokshields. Grab your coat, aye, and get a move on."
"We were meant to leave at eight, but Jamie kept havering about which pub to start in and we missed the last bus home."
"Aye, he’s at it again, ten minutes into the meeting and still no point. Total blatherskite, just blethering to hear his own voice."
"Aye, I tried to tap my bus pass on the chippy card machine twice. The wee lad just sighed, Whit a numpty, and handed me my chips."
"That wee nyaff at reception’s giving it big, then greeting about the bins. New neighbour, apparently. Dinnae mind him, he’s pure noise."
"Davie tried microwaving tin foil to make it shiny again and the whole kitchen started sparking. Ya absolute rocket, man. Get outside before you burn the hoose down."
"He rocked up with pure class patter, had the barmaid creasing and the lads howling. Even my mate Davie admitted his own patter was rotten."
"He wandered into the pub skint and still got on the guest list, free shots, and her Snapchat. Nae shame, pure patter merchant."
"You’re looking pure peely-wally, hen. Big night, was it? Get yersel a cuppa and sit doon afore you topple in the close."
"Our Kev went radge at the airport, shouting at the desk staff, then stormed off for a tab while we tried to calm him down."
"He was pure steamin at the reception, singing Oasis at the top of his lungs, then tried to dance and went straight into the cake."
"I’ve had the wean all day and he’s pure hyper, running about the close like a rocket, then greeting when it’s bedtime. Help us."
"Last bus was about to leave and I legged it round the corner just in time, absolute yaldi, saved me a forty quid taxi."
"My uncle was yattering in the pub about the neighbours’ bins again, and I’m sat there like aye, right enough, just sip my pint."
"Stop trying to act hard online. Yer da sells Avon and still thinks the Nokia ringtone is peak techno, so sit doon and hush."
"We'll start in our usual howff, grab a wee pint, then wander up the Royal Mile and see which other howffs are still buzzing."
"Dinna leave without your piece, you’ll be starving at playtime. I’ve made it cheese and pickle, and there’s a wee juice in your bag."
"That last tune was a proper belter, man, everybody in the pub was bellowing the chorus and spilling pints like it was Hogmanay."
Voices of the people
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