It is used in Scotland, Northern England (especially Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire), and parts of Ireland, to mean a child, either a son or daughter. People typically say "The bairns are playing outside" or "He's a bonny bairn." The term originated in Old English and Old Norse ("barn"), remained in Northern British dialects while disappearing from Southern English, and remains a strong marker of Scottish and Northern English identity.

What does "bairn" mean in Scottish and Northern English slang?

bairn

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The structure is a simple adjective of uncertain origin, possibly from Old English "wēg" (weight) or from Old Norse "vægja" (to move), but firmly established in Northern British dialects. It is used in Scotland, Northern England, Ireland, and parts of Canada to mean very small in size or a small amount. People typically say "A wee bit of sugar" or "That's a wee dog" or "I'll be there in a wee minute." The term originated in Middle English, preserved in Northern dialects, and remains a strong marker of Scottish speech, used across all social classes.

What does "wee" mean in Scottish and Northern English slang?

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The structure is a simple noun used in its plural form "messages," borrowed from the standard meaning of a communication, repurposed to mean purchased items. It is used in Scotland (and parts of Northern Ireland) to mean shopping, groceries, or errands, especially the act of going to buy household supplies. People typically say "I'm going for the messages" or "She carried the messages home from the shop." The term originated in Scottish English, possibly from the idea of sending a "message" to fetch goods, and remains common in everyday Scottish speech.

What does "messages" mean in Scottish slang?

message

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"Numpty" is a slang term that appeared in Scottish and Northern English English in the mid-20th century, used to describe a foolish, silly, or inept person. The word likely developed as a playful, nonsense-sounding way to label someone as lacking sense or common judgment. It is used in informal, often humorous or teasing contexts, such as conversation, media, or casual writing. The term is mildly derogatory and usually lighthearted rather than harsh; its offensiveness depends on tone and context.

What is the origin of the term "numpty" and how is it used?

numpty

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It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to mean bold, cheeky, or confident in a showy, sometimes reckless or provocative way. People typically say "He's a gallus wee lad" or "She's got a gallus attitude." The term originated in 19th or early 20th century Scottish slang, and remains a strong regional marker, often used affectionately or critically.

What does "gallus" mean in Scottish slang?

gallus

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It is used in Scotland to describe dreary, dull, or miserable weather, typically overcast, cold, wet, and gloomy for long periods. People typically say "It's a dreich day" or "Another dreich Scottish morning." The term originated in Old English and remained in Scottish English while fading elsewhere, becoming one of the most iconic Scottish weather words, often cited as untranslatable.

What does "dreich" mean in Scottish slang?

dreich

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It is used in Scotland, Northern England, and parts of Northern Ireland to mean to know, be aware of, or understand something. People typically say "I dinnae ken" (I don't know) or "Do ye ken what I mean?" The term originated in Old English and Old Norse, remained in Northern British dialects while disappearing from Southern English, and remains a strong marker of Scottish and Northern English speech.

What does "to ken" mean in Scottish slang?

to ken

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It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to mean crazy, foolish, or acting wildly, unpredictably, or out of control. People typically say "He went bammy" or "Are you bammy?" The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, and remains common in casual speech, often in phrases like "bammy" or "bamstick" for a foolish person.

What does "bammy" mean in Scottish slang?

bammy

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It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to mean stinking, disgusting, or foul, often describing a bad smell, rotten food, or something repulsive. People typically say "That cheese is bowfing" or "The bin is absolutely bowfing." The term originated in Scottish slang during the 20th century, and remains common in casual speech, especially as a strong expression of disgust.

What does "bowfing" mean in Scottish slang?

bowfing

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The structure is a phonetic spelling of "bureau," specifically the "Employment Bureau" or labor exchange, with the pronunciation reflecting Scottish speech. It is used in Scotland to refer to the unemployment office or the unemployment benefits received from it. People typically say "He's on the buroo" or "I need to sign on at the buroo." The term originated in early 20th century Scottish working class speech, shortening "Employment Bureau," and remains common, though it has become somewhat dated as the official names have changed.

What does "buroo" mean in Scottish slang?

buroo

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It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to refer to Buckfast Tonic Wine, a strong (15%) caffeinated fortified wine associated with antisocial behavior, public disorder, and street drinking. People typically say "He's been drinking commotion lotion again" or "Two bottles of commotion lotion and he was off." The term originated in late 20th or early 21st century Scottish slang, playing on the drink's reputation for causing trouble, and remains common in casual and police contexts.

What does "commotion lotion" mean in Scottish slang?

commotion lotion

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It is used in Scotland to mean lost, wasted, or irretrievable, similar to "down the drain" in other dialects. People typically say "That's fifty quid down the cludgie" or "All my hard work went down the cludgie." The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, with "cludgie" itself from Scots "cludgie" (a small, enclosed space), and remains common in informal Scottish speech as a vivid metaphor for something ruined or wasted.

What does "down the cludgie" mean in Scottish slang?

down the cludgie

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It is used in Scotland, particularly in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to refer to strong fortified wine, typically Buckfast Tonic Wine or other highly alcoholic, caffeine loaded varieties associated with street drinking and disorder. People typically say "A bottle of electric soup will do the job" or "He's been on the electric soup." The term originated in late 20th or early 21st century Scottish slang, playing on the drink's reputation for delivering a "shock" to the system, and remains common alongside "commotion lotion" as a nickname for Buckfast.

What does "electric soup" mean in Scottish slang?

electric soup

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The structure is a pronunciation spelling of "football," dropping the "oo" sound in favor of a short "i" and softening the "t," reflecting the Scottish accent. It is used in Scotland to mean soccer (association football), the most popular sport in the country. People typically say "Are you watching the fitba tonight?" or "He plays fitba every Sunday." The term originated in Scottish English as a phonetic representation of the local pronunciation, and remains a strong marker of Scottish identity, distinct from the English "football" or American "soccer."

What does "fitba" mean in Scottish slang?

fitba

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The structure combines "Gorbals" (a district in Glasgow historically known for rough, working class poverty and toughness) with "kiss" (ironic, as this is the opposite of affectionate), forming a darkly humorous nickname for a violent act. It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and surrounding areas, to mean a headbutt, typically delivered in a fight as an aggressive, close range attack. People typically say "He gave him a Gorbals kiss" or "A Gorbals kiss sorted that argument."

What does "Gorbals kiss" mean in Scottish slang?

Gorbals kiss

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It is used in Scotland, especially in working class communities, to refer to a cooperative store, a type of retail shop owned by members who share in its profits. People typically say "I'm going to the sosh for some milk" or "The sosh is cheaper than the big supermarket." The term originated in 19th or early 20th century Scottish working class speech, as cooperative movements grew, and remains a regional marker, though it has become less common as general stores have declined.

What does "sosh" mean in Scottish slang?

sosh

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It is used in Scotland to mean to speak excessively or pointlessly, often in a rambling, annoying, or untrustworthy way. People typically say "Stop spraffing nonsense" or "He's always spraffing about things he doesn't understand." The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, and remains common in informal speech, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, often implying dishonesty or exaggeration.

What does "to spraff" mean in Scottish slang?

to spraff

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It is used in Scotland, especially in working class communities, to mean a sister or a girl, used affectionately or familiarly. People typically say "Ma wee titty" (my little sister) or "She's a bonnie titty." The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, and remains a regional, somewhat dated or intimate term, not to be confused with the vulgar meaning of "titty" elsewhere.

What does "titty" mean in Scottish slang?

titty

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The structure is a simple noun borrowed from the literal meaning of a hollow cylinder, repurposed as an insult. It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to mean a foolish or stupid person. People typically say "Don't be such a tube" or "He's a right tube." The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, possibly from the idea of someone being empty-headed like a hollow tube, and remains common in casual speech as a mild insult.

What does "tube" mean in Scottish slang?

tube

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The structure combines "up the" (direction) with "kyte" (Scots word for belly or stomach), forming a euphemistic phrase for pregnancy. It is used in Scotland, especially in working class and informal speech, to mean pregnant. People typically say "She's up the kyte again" or "How many months up the kyte is she?"

What does "up the kyte" mean in Scottish slang?

up the kyte

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It is used in Scotland, especially in the West of Scotland (Glasgow, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire), to mean a child. People typically say "The wee wanes are playing outside" or "How many wanes have you got?" The term originated in 19th or early 20th century Scottish slang, and remains a strong regional marker of West Central Scottish speech, equivalent to "bairn" in other parts of Scotland.

What does "wane" mean in Scottish slang?

wane

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It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to refer to Buckfast Tonic Wine, a strong (15%) caffeinated fortified wine notorious for its association with antisocial behavior, violence, and public disorder. People typically say "A bottle of wreck the hoose juice and he went mental" or "Stay away from that wreck the hoose juice." The term originated in late 20th or early 21st century Scottish slang, playing on the drink's reputation for causing destructive behavior, and remains common alongside "commotion lotion" and "electric soup."

What does "wreck the hoose juice" mean in Scottish slang?

wreck the hoose juice

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It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to mean extremely drunk or intoxicated, often to the point of losing control or behaving wildly. People typically say "He was mad with it last night" or "After three bottles, she was absolutely mad with it." The term originated in late 20th or early 21st century Scottish slang, particularly in drinking and party culture, and remains common in informal speech.

What does "mad with it" mean in Scottish slang?

mad with it

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The structure is a simple verb derived from "malky" or "malkie," a slang term for a razor or blade, possibly from "Malky" as a nickname for a person who uses one. It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to mean to slash or cut someone with a razor or other sharp blade, often as an act of violence in a fight. People typically say "He got malkied outside the pub" or "They were malkying each other over territory." The term originated in 20th century Glasgow street and gang slang, and remains a strong regional marker, associated with the city's tough, razor gang history.

What does "to malky" mean in Scottish slang?

to malky

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The structure is a clipped shortening of "Modern Studies," dropping the middle and adding a "-ie" suffix for a casual, student friendly nickname. It is used in Scotland, especially among secondary school students, to refer to the school subject Modern Studies, which covers politics, society, and current affairs. People typically say "I've got a moddie exam tomorrow" or "Moddie is my favourite subject." The term originated in late 20th century Scottish student slang, and remains common in schools across Scotland.

What does "moddie" mean in Scottish slang?

moddies

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It is used in Scotland, especially in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, to mean extremely drunk or intoxicated, often to the point of being unable to function. People typically say "He was mortalled after the wedding" or "We got absolutely mortalled last night." The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, and remains common in informal speech, similar to "steamin'" or "mad with it."

What does "mortalled" mean in Scottish slang?

mortalled

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It is used in Scotland to mean away, not present, or off somewhere, often in phrases like "I'm offski" (I'm leaving) or "He's offski to the pub." People typically say "We're offski to the beach" or "She's offski for the weekend." The term originated in late 20th century Scottish slang, part of a trend of adding "-ski" to words for comic effect (e.g., "noski" for nose, "dotski" for dot), and remains common in informal, lighthearted Scottish speech.

What does "offski" mean in Scottish slang?

offski

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It is used in Scotland to mean naked or unclothed, often in informal or humorous contexts. People typically say "He was running about scud" or "I forgot my towel and had to go scud to the locker room." The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, and remains common in casual speech, especially among younger speakers or in phrases like "scudding" (skinny dipping).

What does "scud" mean in Scottish slang?

scud

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It is used in Scotland, especially in informal and drinking contexts, to mean to drink a large amount of alcohol, often quickly or in one go. People typically say "We skited a bottle of whisky between us" or "He's been skiting all night." The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, and remains common in casual speech, though less frequent than "to get blootered" or "to get mortal."

What does "to skite" mean in Scottish slang?

to skite

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It is used in Scotland, especially in police and criminal slang, to mean a handcuff, often in the plural "snitchers." People typically say "He put the snitchers on him" or "Get the snitchers ready." The term originated in 20th century Scottish slang, possibly from the idea that handcuffs "snitch" (capture or restrict) a person's hands, and remains a regional, somewhat insider term.

What does "snitcher" mean in Scottish slang?

snitcher

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Here you will find slang from Scottish English, featuring regional expressions, accents, and cultural terms unique to Scotland.

Scottish English Slang Terms