The National Trust for Scotland has taken to social media to highlight a variety of Scottish words that should be added to daily vocabulary, with some of them surprising many Scots who didn't realise they are only used in the country.
Scotland is well known for having a range of words and phrases unique to the country. As many of these are part of everyday language, Scots may not be aware that certain words aren't used across the border. When mixed 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 conversation.
However, this does not mean that Scots should change how they speak to help others. Instead, the National Trust for Scotland is urging people to educate visitors to Scotland and those they meet on their own travels about the unique and vibrant phrases and words they use.
Scots Words Highlighted by the National Trust for Scotland
Just some of the words include: 'Roastin'' - excessively hot; 'Downie/Dounie' - a duvet or quilt; 'Hingy' - used when you can't remember the name of something; 'Cludgie' - a toilet, used to describe outdoor or shared tenement toilets; and '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." 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."
Reactions to the Scots Words
Many commenters shared that 'hingy' is a word they use on a daily occurrence, though context is helpful. 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 highlighted 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."
Honourable Mentions of Other Scots Words
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; and 'Keek' - a little look.
