Read our dictionary below to begin understanding Scottish sayings. Scottish slang sayings can be difficult to understand but practice makes perfect.

Granted, a lot of these are not used anymore which is probably a good things.

Some of these saying are also area dependant. People in the west of Scotland tend to ditch the usual ‘eh’ and ‘ken’ used in the north and east sides of Scotland.

The Scottish dialect is so much varied from The Highlands to South Ayrshire, and from the East Coast to the West Coast. You see, people in different parts of Scotland can use different words that can mean the same thing.

Some saying are a bit confusing, even to people who stay in Scotland. For example:

“a nod’s as guid as a wink tae a blind horse”

meaning, explain yourself properly, and make your meaning clear.

If you understand the above, you’re more or less there! Scots use slang words like they would standard English without any thought. It’s only when taking a step back as a Scot you realise how bizarre some of these words and sayings are.

but read on and I guarantee you will have a laugh!

If you are planning on booking a trip to Scotland we have a ton of accommodation guides. Start your search using one of the links below:

Old Scottish Sayings

Scottish Sayings

Scottish Dictionary

I literally scratched my head for 4 full nights trying to think of everything we say here in Scotland that is outside the realms of standard English. Bear in mind I am from Glasgow (where we don’t say ken or eh) so some meanings may be different from other parts of Scotland.

If i’ve missed any Scottish words or local words that you think I should add, bolt ya rocket! Just kidding, send them to graham@myvoyagescotland.com

Looking for something on the go? Check out these pocket Scottish dictionaries. They’re absolute ‘belters'”

Aye

Meaning: Yes.

Example: Aye mate, nae bother.

Translation: Yes friend, no problem.

Bairn

Meaning: Child.

Example: Yer just a wee bairn.

Translation: you are just a small child.

Bampot

Meaning: Either and idiot or a character of a shady disposition.

Example 1: Check out that mad bampot.

Translation: Look at that shady character.

Example 2: Your a pure bampot.

Translation: You are an idiot.

Belter

Meaning: Extremely good. Can also mean eccentric.

Example 1: That weekend wiz an absolute belter.

Translation: I really enjoyed my weekend.

Example 2: You’re a belter.

Translation: You are quite exxentric.

Blootered

Meaning: Drunk.

Example: I’m getting pure blootered eh night.

Translation: I am going to be rather drunk this evening.

Boggin

Meaning: Disgusting.

Example: That’s pure bogging.

Translation: That is really quite disgusting.

Boke

Meaning: Sick.

Example: Stop that! It’s gonnae make me boke!

Translation. Cease your actions, I am going to be sick.

Bonnie/Bonny

Meaning: Beautiful.

Example: She was a bonny lass.

Translation: She was a beautiful woman.

Canny

Meaning: Cannot.

Example: I canny get mad wae it the night.

Translation: I cannot partake in any activities involving alchoholic beverages this evening.

Clatty

Meaning: Disgusting.

Example: That’s pure clatty.

Translation: That is rather disgusting.

Clipe

Meaning: Tell tale.

Example: Dinny be a wee clipe.

Translation: Do not be a little tell tale.

Crabbit

Meaning: Grumpy or agitated.

Example: She’s pure grabbiit the day.

Translation: She is grumpy today.

Craic

Meaning: Usually said “good craic” meaning good fun or “what’s the craic” meaning what is happening.

Example 1: That was good craic last night, eh?

Translation: The was good fun last night, would you not agree?

Example 2: What’s the craic wae the night, we going on eh randan?

Translation: What the plan for tonight, are we going out for a lively evening?

Dae

Meaning: Do.

Example: Dae ye ken wit time it is?

Translation: Do you know what time it is?

Dafty

Meaning: Someone who is stupid or an idiot.

Exmple: You’re ur a pure dafty.

Translation: You are not very smart.

Dinnae

Meaning: Don’t

Exmaple: A dinnae ken if Ken kens that I Ken that Ken kens eh craic.

Translation: I don’t know if Ken knows that I know that Kens knows what’s happening.

Eejit

Meaning: Idiot (see ‘Dafty’).

Example: What an edjit.

Translation: What an idiot.

Eh

Meaning: What or an invitation for someone to respond or agree.

Example: Good night last night eh?

Translation: Good night last night, would you not agree?

Greet/Greetin

Meaning: Cry or crying.

Example: It wiznae funny, ah wiz pure greeting.

Translation: It was not funny, I was crying.

Hackit

Meaning: Ugly.

Example: Check that ejit out, his fringe iz pure hackit.

Translation: Look at that idiot, his haircut is very ugly.

Haud

Meaning: Hold.

Example: Haud eh door big yin.

Translation: Hold the door big fellow.

Haver

Meaning: Lie

Example: Dinnae be telling yir gren havers.

Translation: Don’t tell your grandmother lies.

Hoachin

Meaning: Busy

Example: It wiz pure hoachin up eh toon eh day.

Translation: It was really busy in the town centre today.

Hunners

Meaning: Literally hundreds but usually to describe a large quantity.

Example: There wiz hunners ae wee bampots up central last night.

Translation: There wiz hunners ae wee bampots up central last night.

Meaning: There was a substantial amount of shady characters up Glasgow Central Station last night.

Jake/Jakey

Meaning: Someone poor. Used as an adjective, jakey means scummy.

Example 1: Look at that pure jake.

Translation: Look at that really poor person.

Example 2: Stop picking up snout ends, that’s pure jakey.

Translation: Stop picking up cigarette ends, that is really scummy.

Ken

Meaning: Know or do you know.

Example 1: ah ken.

Translation: I know.

Example 2 :Ye ken?

Translation: You know?

Lassy

Meaning: Girl.

Example 1: A bonnie wee lassy.

Translation: A beautiful little girl (very creepy, don’t use this when talking to strangers about their children!).

Mad Wae It

Meaning: Drunk.

Example: Brian wiz so mad wae it last night that he winched some boggin bird.

Translation: Brian was so drunk last night that he kissed an unattractive woman.

Minging

Meaning: Disgusting.

Example: Kevin mate, your breath is pure minging, away and scran some toothpaste ya jake.

Translation: Kevin my friend, your breath smells rather unsavoury, I would advise you to go and brush your teeth, you scummy person.

Note: Minging and the noun Minger are widely used across the UK nowadays, however, both words both derive from ‘ming‘ an old Scottish word for a bad smell.

Credit: Duncan Barr – thanks for the suggestion Duncan!

Mockit

Meaning: Dirty.

Example: I git pure mockit climbing Ben Lomand eh day.

Translation: I got rather dirty climbing Ben Lomond today.

Munter

Meaning: Ugly.

Example: Charlotte winched a pure munter at eh dancing last night.

Translation: Charlotte kissed someone rather unattractive in a nightclub last night.

Och

Meaning: used in parts of a sentence as, usually to interrupt with confirmation, affirmation or disapproval.

Example 1: Och aye.

Translation: I agree.

Example 2: Och, yer talking oot yer arse.

Translation: Stop, I do not believe you.

Example 2: Och, hawd yer wheest.

Translation: Stop, be quiet.

Patch

Meaning: Abandon plans, stop.

Example 1: Patch aht.

Translation: “Stop that” if you are doing something annoying. “Let’s not do that” if used in the context of plans.

Example 1: Question – “ You coming eh night?” Reply – “Naw mate, am patchin”.

Translation: Question “Are you coming tonight?” Reply – “No I am going to not come”.

Peely-wally

Meaning: Not 100%. A bit out of sorts.

Example: You’re lookin a bit peely-wally.

Translation: You are not looking 100%.

Randan

Meaning: Causing carnage under the influence.

Example: Am going oot on the randan eh night troops, yasssss!

Translation: I am going out for a few alcoholic beverages to misbehave tonight, *excited noise*.

Scran

Meaning: Food.

Example: That scran Graham made us last night wiz a pure belter.

Translation: The food Graham made is last night was rather enjoyable.

Scunnered

Meaning: Disappointed.

Example: Went in for a nip and got patched, wiz pure scunnered.

Translation: I went in for a kiss and got rejected. I was rather disappointed.

Skelped/Scudded

Meaning: Hit.

Example: We were aw jist sitting ere chillin and Steve pure skelped him wae an avocado.

Translation: We were all just sitting there relaxing when Steven hit him with an avocado.

Steamin

Meaning: Drunk.

Example: We wur aww pure steamin last night.

Translation: We were all quite drunk last night.

Stoter

Meaning: Idiot.

Example: Look at that pure stoter tryin eh butter his toast wae a fork.

Translation: Look at that idiot trying to butter his toast with a fork.

Tap

Meaning: Top.

Example: Tap aff weather.

Translation: Tops off weather. Usually 12 Degrees Celsius or higher.

Tattie

Meaning: Potatoe.

Example: Awwww nawwww, we’re huvin mince and tatties eh night.

Translation: Oh no, we are having minced beef and potatoes (a common meal in Scotland) tonight.

Weapon

Meaning: Dangerous or out of control.

Example 1: Gonnae stoap driving like an absolute weapon.

Translation: Can you stop driving dangerously please.

Example 2: Mate, you wur bouncing aboot eh toon last night with a cone on yer heed ya weapon.

Translation: Friend, you were running about the town centre last night with a cone on your head you wild rascal.

Wee

Meaning: Wee.

Example: Look aht that wee ginger dug.

Translation: Look at that small red haired dog.

Whitey

Meaning: Sick.

Example: I hit a pure whitey last night.

Translation: I was sick last night.

Winch/Winchin

Meaning: Kiss.

Example: I didnae get a winch last night, scunnered.

Translation: I did not get a kiss last night, I am disappointed.

Wopper

Meaning: Someone embarrassing.

Example: You’re a wopper pure mate, I cannae hang oot wae ye anymore.

Translation: You are an embarrassment, I don’t want to be friends anymore.

Yaldy

Meaning: Excitement.

Example: Got paid eh day, F**king yaldy.

Translation: I received my wages today, I am rather excited about this.

Yon

Meaning: That or those.

Example: Look at yon woppers ere there.

Translation Look at those embarrassing people over there.

Young Team

Meaning: Gang of teenagers usually focused aroung council estates/government housing areas.

Example: Wit young team ye fae.

Translation: What territorial gang do you belong to.

Using Scottish Slang and Scottish Sayings

Try combining various Scottish words and sayings :

“Whit dae ye cry thon yin?”

Translates to : “What do you call that one?”

And one of my favourites is :

“It’s a braw bricht moonlit nicht the nicht”

This translates to : It’s a good (or brilliant), bright, moonlight night tonight. Truth is, it’s very rarely used.

And here are some phrases and words to say drunk ……

Mad Wae It, Blootered, Oot The Game, Steamin, Goosed, Wrecked, Plastered, Bevied, Floored, Bladdered, Minced, Hammered, Smashed.

This is probably my favourite old Scottish saying ……

If you are saying something unbelievable, your might get the following response – Aye, Right!!

Perhaps the most famous Scottish sayings of all time is “Auld Lang Syne”. This was made famous by Robert Burns’ song, sang globally at New Year. The translation can be taken as “old long since” or “old long ago” meaning “days gone by” and when sung at New Years really means “let’s drink to days gone by”.

Check out the below pocket dictionaries. They won’t leave you ‘scunnered’:

This list is not comprehensive. I’m sure there are hundreds of old Scottish sayings that I have missed. These are just some of my favourites and I can’t think of any more just now, no doubt some will come to mind later. If there’s any you can think of, email them to me and I’ll add them 🙂

8 Responses

  1. A Jakey where I come fae means an alki or alcoholic

    1. Aye, I think they’re two and the same, a jakey is a wee scummy bam or junkie in my world, but I’ve got a pal from Perth who calls alkis jakeys. Interestingly, he calls a roll and pie a jakey’s roll or something hahaha.

  2. Hoachin is wrong, it means busy. I have Never heard it referred to as anything smelling bad. Honkin.. Maybe?

    1. Hi Steven – you’re absolutely right. I’ve heard it meaning smelling bad before, but having a wee look elsewhere I’m leaning towards your deffinition over mine. Updated accordinginly 🙂 ta, Graham.

    2. Yip Asda was Hoachin wi customers. Xx

  3. That yins got a a want aboot him

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