Phrases from Scotland - Scots and Scottish Gaelic-Influenced English Usage

Sep 28, 2026

A curated collection of Scots terms and English phrases whose origins trace to Scottish Gaelic or who are used in Scotland in contemporary and historical contexts. Each entry pairs a phrase such as “Away you go!” or “Haud yer wheesht!” with a clear meaning in modern English, plus contextual notes and usage explanations. The glossary also includes sources and reference details for pronunciation, tone, and endearment usage.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

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Scots and Gaelic-influenced phrases

Phrase glossary and meanings

Phrases from Scotland The following compiles phrases from Scots, from English that have a Scottish Gaelic origin, and from English with use in Scotland of contemporary and/or historical usage. | TERM OR PHRASE | MEANING | | --- | --- | | Away you go! | As encouragement.1 | | Awright ya wee bawbag? | A form of endearment.“A bawbag being a scrotum.” Used between close friends. (“In the right context it is no more offensive than saying ‘Hello, how are you my friend?’”)2 | | Bairn | “Baby” or “child.”3 | | Barras | A “market,” derived from the word,“wheel barrows.”4 | | Bidie-in | “An unmarried partner, of either sex.”5 | | Bevvy | “An alcoholic beverage.”6 | | Bonnie | “Pretty or beautiful.”7 | | Braw | “Good” or “brilliant”.8 | | Cannae | “Can not.”9 | | Cèilidh (pronounced kay-lee) | A “social gathering”, recently with dancing.10 | | Chief | Alternate for “mate”,“dude”, and “fella”. (As in,“Awrite chief, wur ye aff tae the night?”)11 | | Didnae | “Didn’t.”12 | | Fit like?/Whit like? | “How are you?”13 | 1 Emily Orr, interview by Arushi Grover, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States, February 28, 2022. 2 "Scottish Slang 1.0 (The Ultimate Guide to Help You Blend in North of the Border)," Highland Titles, last modified 2021. 3 "Appendix: Glossary of Scottish slang and jargon," Wiktionary, last modified December 12, 2021. 4 Ibid. 5 James A.C. Stevenson and Iseabail Macleod, "People Titles and Labels Parts of the Body," Scoor-oot : a Dictionary of Scots Words and Phrases in Current Use, 2015. 6 "Appendix: Glossary," Wiktionary. 7 Ibid. 8 "Old Scottish Sayings, Scottish Words And Slang Your Granny May Have Used!," Scotland Welcomes You, last modified September 13, 2021. 9 "Appendix: Glossary," Wiktionary. 10 "List of English words of Scottish Gaelic origin," Wikipedia, last modified August 17, 2021. 11 "Appendix: Glossary," Wiktionary. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. | Go’an yersel’ | As encouragement,“go on yourself.”14 | | --- | --- | | Gonny no dae that! | “Please don’t do that!”15 | | Hame | “Home.”16 | | Havnae | “Have not.”17 | | Haud yer wheesht | “Stop talking.”18 | | Haud yer weesht! | A not-polite way of saying,“Be quiet!”19 | | Haw | “A quick saying to get someone's attention, quicker than saying ‘hello’. (Haw, stop ya bawbag!)”20 | | Hen | A “term of endearment for a woman, equivalent to ‘love’ or ‘darling’ (Howye daein ' the day, hen?)”21 | | Himsel(f) | “An oblique way of referring to the principal person in any particular circumstances—the master of a house, a farmer, an employer, and so on. ‘Is himsel’ inside?’ It is also sometimes, with mock respect, used for the devil. A woman in a position of authority may likewise be referred to ashersel.”22 | | Howzitgoan | Greetings. (Howzitgoanpal? Huvnae seen ye in ages.)23 | | Jimmy | “An egalitarian way of addressing a stranger: rather like the Australian mate. ‘Have you the right time, Jimmy?’”24 | | Ken | “To know.”25 | | Kirk | “Church.”26 | | Lad/laddie | “A boy or young man”(Aye, laddie!).27 | | Laldy | “Attitude”(She gave ie laldy!) .28 | | Lang mae yer lum reek | As in,“long may your chimney smoke.” Wishing a long and healthy life.29 | 14 Orr interview. , 15 "Scottish Slang," Highland Titles. 16 "Appendix: Glossary," Wiktionary. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 19 "Scottish Slang," Highland Titles. 20 "Appendix: Glossary," Wiktionary. 21 Ibid. 22 Stevenson and Macleod, "People Titles”. 23"Appendix: Glossary," Wiktionary. 24 Stevenson and Macleod, "People Titles”. 25 "Appendix: Glossary," Wiktionary. 26 Ibid. 27 Ibid. 28 Ibid. 29 "Scottish Slang," Highland Titles. | Lass/lassie | “A girl or young woman.”30 | | --- | --- | | Min/mannie | “Mate”(Aw ’right, min?) .31 | | The morn | “Tomorrow.”32 | | Noo jist haud on! | “Now just hold on!”(As in,“take your time!”)33 | | Oan yer bike | “Go away.”34 | | Oan yer trolley | “Go away.”35 | | Pure dead brilliant | “Amazing.”36 | | Quine | A rare or, now, obsolete vari

FAQs

What does the document contain?

It contains a compiled glossary of Scots and Scottish-Gaelic-influenced phrases, along with their meanings and notes on usage in Scotland.

Are the phrases limited to Scots only?

No. It includes phrases from Scots, English with Scottish Gaelic origins, and English phrases used in Scotland in contemporary and historical ways.

How is each phrase presented?

Each entry lists a term or phrase alongside a meaning in English, often with additional context such as tone or who it is used between, and then reference citations.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Jordan Avery