Here are Scots words used in the drama. Definitions are for the words as they are used in the audio drama. Many have an alternative meaning.
Please scroll through the alphabetical list to find your unknown Scots word and read the definition in the next column.
| Scots (phonetic) | Translation to English |
|---|---|
| A | I. Pronoun. First person singular. |
| Ae (i) | Only, still. Always. |
| Aff | Off. |
| Aifter (Efter) | After, afterwards. |
| AIn | Own (possessive). |
| Airse | Buttocks. Meaning a poor job. |
| Amang | Among. |
| Anent | About, concerning. |
| Aquitit | Acquitted. |
| Atween | Between. |
| Auld | Old. |
| Awnt (ont) | Admitted. Literally, “Owned”. |
| Bailie | Town Councillor. |
| Bairn | Child. |
| Bauchle | Stooped old man. Here pejoratively to mean worn out and useless. |
| Ben the hoose | Into the main room. |
| Black Dwarf | The Private Eye of its day. A satirical, political Journal read aloud at members’ meetings of the Radical Movement. |
| Blythely | Gently, calmly. |
| Bonny | Spirited, lively. |
| Boo backit Brig | Hump-backed bridge. A Strathaven landmark even today. Crosses the Powmillon burn at the foot of Waterside Street not far from James Wilson’s house in Castle Street. |
| Boorach | A mess. Implies negligence. |
| Bother | Trouble. |
| Brocht | Brought. |
| Cairried the day | Won. |
| Cairt | Horse-drawn wagon. |
| Cairy airms / waipins | Go armed. |
| Caud | Cold. Freezing weather. |
| Chiel | Person, man. |
| Creesh | A bribe. |
| Crop hisel. | Commit suicide. |
| Dae weel | Be well advised. |
| Deid (deed) | Dead, brown bread, out the game. – Deceased, expired, pushing up the daisies, ‘is metabolic processes are now ‘istory; off the twig, kicked the bucket, shuffled off ‘is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. ‘e is an ex… anyway, altogether now! “I’m a lu…” If you know, you know. |
| Denner | Main meal. Often lunch, but here the evening meal. |
| Didna | Did not. |
| Dinna | Do not. |
| Doon | Down. |
| Doot | Doubt. |
| Droochit | Wet through. |
| Duin (dun) | Finished. |
| Dyke | Wall, fence. |
| Efterlife | Afterlife. |
| Eibdy (ebdy) | Anyone. |
| Fae | Away from. From, originally |
| Fair | Surely. |
| Faither | Father, dad. |
| Fank | Sheep-pen built of dry stones. |
| Fankle | Tangled knots. |
| Fash yersel | Be concerned, worry. |
| Fause | False, forged. |
| Feart fae | Afraid of. |
| Fecht | Fight. |
| Fint | Believed. |
| Forby | Anyway. |
| Fowert coont | Fourth indictment. |
| Furrit | Forward. |
| Fyke | Fuss. |
| Gie / gied (geed) | Give / gave |
| Glesca | The City of Glasgow. |
| Gralloching | Evisceration. More usually applied to deer, when it refers to removal of the non-vital organs to prevent spoiling the meat.. |
| Guid (gid) (gud) | Good. |
| Haivers | Nonsense. |
| Haun | Hand. |
| Heid (heed) | Head. |
| Heid (heed) bummer | Chief. |
| High Heid (heed) Yins | Those in charge. |
| Hingit | Hanged, executed. |
| Hisel (his sel) | Himself. |
| Holy Willies | Churchgoers or Clergymen. |
| Hoose | House. |
| Hud | Had. Maintain, believe. |
| Intae | Into. |
| Ithers | Other people. |
| Keech | Shit. |
| Ken / Kent | Know / Knew. |
| Kilt | Killed. |
| Leed | Lied. |
| Lend a lug | Listen. |
| Made lee | Lied. |
| Mair | More. |
| Marra | Friend. |
| Miby | Perhaps. |
| Min | My good fellow. |
| Muckle | Large, implying clumsily so. |
| Nae matter | In any event. |
| Naebdy | No one. |
| Nane | None. |
| Napkin | Handkerchief. |
| Ontae (onty) | Onto |
| Ony time syne | Soon. |
| Onywiy | In any event. |
| Oor | 60 minutes. |
| Oot | Out. |
| Owerturn / Owerthraw | Overturn / overthrow. |
| Park | Agricultural field. |
| Polis | Police. |
| Pouches | Pockets. |
| Prattle | Meaningless chatter. |
| Puddock | Frog. Muckle (big) puddock means toad |
| Ran tae grun | Got away. Literally, ran to ground. |
| Respeck | Respect. |
| Say ae (i) | Agree. |
| Shuir | Sure. |
| Sic | Such. |
| Sleekit | Slippery, untrustworthy. |
| Slidderie (sliddery) | Unsound, untrustworthy. |
| Sodjur (sojur) | Soldier. |
| Sortit | Organised, procured. Made arrangements for something. |
| Sput | Spat (v). |
| Stooshie | Heated argument. |
| Str’aven | The town of Strathaven. The author’s home town in rural Mid-Lanarkshire. |
| Taen | Taken. |
| That een | That one; someone in particular. |
| Thocht mair oan | Given more consideration. |
| Thole | Endure. |
| Thon | That, those. |
| Thousan | Thousand. |
| Thrapple | Strangle. |
| Traison | High Treason. |
| Treason service | Being, “hung, drawn and quartered”. See notes on punishment. |
| Waipins | Arms, weapons. |
| Warkin | Working. |
| Whaur (whor) | Where. |
| Whiles | Sometimes. |
| Whummle | Topple. |
| Wid / widna | Would / would not. |
| Wir | Were. |
| Wirds | Words. What you tell me. |
| Wisna | Was not. |