| Aboot About |
| Aff: Off |
| Ah/Ah’ll/Ahm: I/I’ll/I’m |
| Ain: Own, as in my own, which would be “Ma ain”. |
| Anaw: Aswell, also, too, in addition to. |
| Arsed: Bothered, as in “Ah cannae be arsed”, meaning I can’t be bothered. |
| Auld/Aul’: Old |
| Aye: Yes |
| Backie: A ride on the back of someones bike. |
| Bahookie: Buttocks, bum, bottom, arse, erse, ass, butt. |
| Baltic: Very cold, normally used to describe a particularly cold day, as in “It’s bloody baltic the day”. |
| Bampot: Idiot, crazy person, silly or stupid person. Bampot is a dissaproving word normally used after someone has done something particularly stupid. |
| Banter: Lively and humourous chat or conversation. Banter is a term used to describe lively humourous conversation, usually between friends. But in Glasgow you will hear banter from many people you don’t know or have just met, e.g. a Glaswegian taxi driver, or a wee old lady waiting in the queue for her messages. (Definition of “messages” is below). |
| Barras: The Barras, or Barrowlands; a location in Glasgows East End where there is a street market. |
| Barrbru: Irn Bru; the fizzy, orange coloured drink that the Scot’s love. I can’t describe the taste. You have to taste it yourself to discover how delightful it is. Also recommended as a brilliant hangover cure by many Glaswegians. |
| Bawbag: Can be used in the literal sense, meaning scrotum. Can also be used as a derogatory term, normally towards a male, meaning asshole or dick. |
| Beamer: Red face caused by Embarresment. e.g. James had a beamer when realised his fly was down. A beamer is not a BMW in Glasgow! |
| Belter: A very good thing, for example “That goal was a total belter!” |
| Bile: Boil, often used in the phrase “Away an’ bile yer heid” which is a cheeky way of saying no to someone. |
| Boabie: Male genitals, penis, willy, wangdoodle, knob, cock, dick, johnson. |
| Boak: Vomit, would most likely be heard in the phrase “That gies (gives) me the boak” which translates as finding something particularly disgusting. |
| Boggin: Very dirty, manky, mockit, mingin’. |
| Bookies: Bookmakers |
| Boozer: If someone is talking about going to the boozer, it means they are going to the pub. |
| Brass neck: Impudence, shameful boldness, embarrassing behavior. This phrase is normally used to highlight someones bold cheel or unwittingly embarrassing behavior in company of others. |
| Breed: Bread, as in “breed an’ butter”. |
| Bucky: Buckfast; a tonic wine which is particularly popular among the Glasgow neds. |
| Bufter: Homosexual |
| Bunnet: Hat, any type of hat. Sometimes can also mean a tweed hat. |
| Burds: Females |
| By-the-way: This is a phrase used to accentuate or draw draw attention to a particular point. Can also mean aswell, also or too. |
|
| Cannae: Can’t |
| Cauld: Cold (Pronounced like the word called). |
| Chibbed: Cut with a sharp object, normally a knife. A term used mainly in terms of stabbing someone. |
| Clatty: Dirty, manky, mingin’. |
| Clatty pats: The affectionate name for a nightclub in Glasgows West End called Cleopatras. |
| Connel: Candle |
| Coo: Cow, as in the milk producing domestic animal. You might hear the term “Highlan’ coo” which is the breed of cow found mainly in the Scottish highlands. |
| Copper crack: Dirty bum |
| Coupon: Face, as in “What’s up wi’ your coupon?” |
| Croanie: Old friend |
| Da Dad, father |
| Dae: Do |
| Daftie: Idiot, halfwit. Generally an endearing term used when someone does something a bit silly. |
| Dancer, Ya: An expression of joy. When something particularly great happens then the phrase “Ya dancer” may be shouted. |
| Dancin: Used when talking about a nightclub, as in “Ahm going tae the dancin’ the night”. |
| Diddies: Breasts, Boobs |
| Dinjy: Dark and dirty |
| Diz: Does |
| Dobber: A derogatory term similar to calling some a dick, but perhaps a bit more friendly. |
| Dod: A dod of something just means a bit something. |
| Doin’/Doing: A beating or fight. Might be heard from someone who angry with someone else and to whom they are “Going to give a doing”. |
| Donner: A walk, as in “A wee donner round the park”. |
| Doon: Down, as in “Lets go doon the pub the night”. |
| Dug: Dog |
|
| Eejit: Silly person, normally not used in a derogatory way. |
| Emdy: Anybody, as in “Is emdy in the lavvie the noo?” |
| Erse: Arse, bottom, bum, buttocks, ass, as in “Sit on yer erse and listen tae me”. |
| Fae: From |
| Faimly: Family |
| Fanny-bawz: A derogatory term (similar to dobber). |
| Fartsack: Bed |
| Fiver: A five pound note |
| Flittin’: Moving house |
| Fly: Illicit |
| Fud: A name for female genitalia. Normally used as an insult, in which case it means the same as idiot or fanny. |
| Fugly: Fucking ugly |
| Fur: For |
Oaksters, Glesga word for Armpit
Gutties glesga word fur Trainers or Plimsoles
And we must nivver furget “Haud yer wheesht, ya wee nyaff!”
There used tae be a loat a “moanin’ ‘n’ girnin’ ” “roon our hoose” “an’ aw”.
If ye made yer Ma a cup ae really weak tea, she called it “Irish tea” (made wi’ three leaves) or “hoat watter knoact stupit”.
How aboot “screw the nut” fur “gie it a rest”?
Whit aboot “awthegither” fur “altogether” and “flue” insteed ae “chimney”?
I don’t know if you’ll want to include these not-so-nice terms, but they were some of the most frequently used words in the Gorbals.
One of the commonest terms in Glasgow, at least in my young days, was not “f*ck off” as it is now, but “Away tae f*ck!”.
Another was calling someone “glaikit”, as in extremely “stupit”.
Then there was “stumor” (sp?).
Another bad yin was “bastar[t]” with the final “t” almost silent.
And don’t forget “Ach” and “Och”.
And “po[e]” for “chamber pot”, “single-end”, “up the close”, and “roon the back”.
We always called a po a chanty. And this led to the term of abuse ” chanty rassler”
as in “away ye go ya chanty rassler”
One term that’s missing is “weans” for children.
Some people I knew as children used to say “chimley” instead of “chimney”. Some of those same kids we called “snotterboxes”.
Another term a lot of Glaswegians would probably like to forget was calling the Gorbals “the Soo-side” or “South Hutchesontown” (sp?).
If ye wur daein’ a wee joab fur sumdae, ye might earn a copper, tuppence, a thrupny bit, a tanner, a bawbee, or even a bob.
Another was calling someone “glaikit”, as in extremely “stupit”.
The author forgot “fillum” and “pitchers” as in “gaun’ tae the fillums” or “gaun’ tae the pitchers”. [movies/cinema]
who was Fat nan the Boxer and My Mum would call us Clattie Aggie, who was Aggie x
speeldren- I think the actual word you are looking for is spedlin. Lowland scots
a spedlin is a child who is just beginning to walk.
Sherricking- to receive a very public dressing down.
Jiggin – dancehall/nightclub.
pimps- easy to do,
Mad yin…meaning crazy person
Keech….meaning crap
Doggin off…school
Sorry if they have been covered 🙂
i don’t see one of my fav n most used words listed….’bouffing’
What is wally-tile’d walls in a tenement close
In this context, ‘wally’ means enamel which was easier to clean in a close mouth than painted walls. See also ‘wally dugs’ – those canine Victorian ornaments that usually came in matching pairs – and ‘peely wally’ – to be as pale as enamel, or white as a sheet….
my Scottish granny used to call us “wee bizzums” when we were misbehaving. does anybody know if “bizzum” (spelling is a guess) is a word, and if so, what was she calling us?
Yep – it’s a word & it’s still used all the time! I’d say it’s quite an endearing way to tell a kid they’re being a bit naughty or a bit cheeky. A cheeky monkey or a little rascal would probably be equivalent. Also, I think it’s generally spelled bism.
I believe it may actually be spelled “besom”, which as it happens, is actually another word for ‘broom’, as in witch’s broom. I’m sure there must be a story to connect the two, but I haven’t a clue what it is.
I always thought the correct spelling was bisom, but it seems that there are many variations:
http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bisom
Actually I was wrong! The correct spelling is besom and is the 3rd definition here:
http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/besom
3. A term of contempt applied to a person, gen. a woman; some times to a woman of loose character, sometimes jocularly to a woman or young girl. Besom; bysim, bizzim, bizzom, bizzum, bissom.
yeah my mum and gran used to call us that when we were smaller and also “Ya wee midden” which is only described as bin or kitchen above
“Ya wee midden”
The midden wis the small “building” in the backs ae the tenements where ye dumpt yer rubbish and yer ashes fae the coal fires (or the charcoal briquettes when ye couldnae afford coal).
a bizzum or beezum is a brush as in broom a witches broom
I couldn’t swear to it, but I’m pretty sure it was a Glasgow pronunciation of “besom”.
besom |ˈbiːz(ə)m – noun
1 a broom made of twigs tied round a stick.
2 Scottish & N. English derogatory a woman or girl.
“Stoater” does nowadays mean what most people think, but nearly everybody spells it wrongly. The correct spelling is “stotter” (pronounced stoater, hence the confusion) and it means bouncer. The original word was stot, i.e.you would stot a ball off a wall by kicking the ball at it.
Stotter was derived from stot and eventually became a general term for something good or outstanding, much the same as dancer. There never was such a word as stoater until people started assuming it was spelt the way it sounds.
Old family nanny (Glaswegian) of newborn, long limbed baby, born 1944
‘She’s nobbut a speeldren”…is this meaning ‘ she’s nothing but a shrimp?
We still use the phrase. but we dont know what it means
Can anyone help? Nanny Allan was born about 1880s, so came out of retirement to look after me
Hi Robin. None of us here have heard the word ‘speeldren’, sorry. We’re really intrigued now though, so will ask around. If we find anything out will reply here.
~Lynn (admin)
Dreep – to shimmy down a wall from a relatively high start point.
kara a doubt you will ever see this but if you do email me please a well miss you 🙁 bigscoot86@outlook.com am sure if you see this you will lol scott from scotland 🙂 xx
Muppet- Meaning clown /idiot