Scotland is well known for having a variety of words and phrases that are unique to the country. As many of these are part of the language used every day, Scots may not be aware that certain words are not used across the border.
When mixed in with the variety of Scottish accents, many of which visitors claim not to understand, Scots can leave quite a few people scratching their heads in the middle of a conversation. However, this does not mean that Scots should be changing how they speak to help others. Instead, they should be educating visitors to Scotland and those they meet on their own travels about the unique and vibrant phrases and words used.
Scottish Words Highlighted by the National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland has taken to social media to highlight a variety of Scottish words that should be added to daily vocabulary. Some of them many Scots did not even realise are only used in Scotland. Just some of these include:
- Roastin' - excessively hot
- Downie/Dounie - a duvet or quilt
- Hingy - used when you cannot remember the name of something
- Cludgie - a toilet, used to describe outdoor or shared tenement toilets
- Gant - to yawn or gape
Many Scots have since flooded the comments section of the TikTok post, with one person sharing their shock: "Roasting is a Scottish thing?" To which another Scot replied: "Said it to my Portuguese boyfriend and he looked at me like I was speaking Chinese. Thought everyone said it."
Scots React to the Words
With a third sharing a similar experience: "Yes. I thought that squint (as in something crooked) was used everywhere as well but my teacher (he's English) mentioned otherwise. I was shocked." Many commenters shared that 'hingy' is a word that they use on a daily occurrence. However context is definitely helpful in this situation.
One person explained: "Everything is a hingy in my house, we just need to understand what hingy they are wanting." With another adding: "My favourite word is hingy. I use it daily." However, one Scot did highlight that the use of Scots words can vary across the country: "I always say hingmi that's how I always heard it in the west." Sharing an example of how some of the words may be used in conversation, one Scot penned: "It's been pure roasting, so I've no needed my downie."
Other Scots Words to Keep Alive
The National Trust for Scotland has also shared other Scots words that they believe need to be kept alive and included in daily life. Some honourable mentions include:
- Boggin - filthy, disgusting
- Glaikit - stupid, thoughtless, foolish
- Toaty - small
- Stoor - dust
- Numpty - idiot, fool or simpleton
- Haver - to babble or talk foolishly
- Peelie wally - pale, sick looking
- Keek - a little look
