Jump to content

Local Colloquialisms


Alex Kintner

Recommended Posts

Learned today that in some areas, bingo is another name for drugs.

 

Any other interesting local colloquialisms folk are aware of?

 

In Bathgate where I grew up we called the ice cream van the “Boni”. Nobody else I’ve spoken to seems to use this. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 243
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Auldbenches

    37

  • JudyJudyJudy

    28

  • Alex Kintner

    17

  • martoon

    13

1 minute ago, Auldbenches said:

Not a colloquialism, but was the saying 'who killed the cat' for trousers that were too short just a local Edinburgh thing?  


We used “cat’s deid” for that in Bathgate 👍🏻

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Alex Kintner said:


We used “cat’s deid” for that in Bathgate 👍🏻

It must've been used in places like Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

Were you Clarty or clatty?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Auldbenches said:

It must've been used in places like Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

Were you Clarty or clatty?  


Clarty. Well at least until Sunday night when I had my weekly bath.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Alex Kintner said:

 

In Bathgate where I grew up we called the ice cream van the “Boni”. Nobody else I’ve spoken to seems to use this. 

As in Mr. Boni ?   He/they had ice cream shops in Edinburgh back in the day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Alex Kintner said:

Learned today that in some areas, bingo is another name for drugs.

 

Any other interesting local colloquialisms folk are aware of?

 

In Bathgate where I grew up we called the ice cream van the “Boni”. Nobody else I’ve spoken to seems to use this. 


Mr Boni’s ice-cream dynasty.

 

Boni, Faccenda Ltd. used to make their cones at the Hayfield Biscuit Factory in Gorgie. I had a summer job there in 1976.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Konrad von Carstein
51 minutes ago, Auldbenches said:

Not a colloquialism, but was the saying 'who killed the cat' for trousers that were too short just a local Edinburgh thing?  

When did your cat die? , was the saying when I was growing up in Hutchison & Saughton Mains... And attending Craiglockhart and Tynecastle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was at school (Forries),  those 1980s tartan / checked pattern jeans that were shat upon the world were known as Broomie troosers.  It tended to be natives of the nearby settlement of Broomhoose that had them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Konrad von Carstein said:

When did your cat die? , was the saying when I was growing up in Hutchison & Saughton Mains... And attending Craiglockhart and Tynecastle

I wonder if it was used further than the lothians. 

Asked about clatty and clarty because I also wonder where things become more west Scotland 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Victorian said:

When I was at school (Forries),  those 1980s tartan / checked pattern jeans that were shat upon the world were known as Broomie troosers.  It tended to be natives of the nearby settlement of Broomhoose that had them.

Forgot about them.  Was the make not 51 states?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Greedy Jambo said:

I remember when did your cat die. 

 

The new one is, you've got a playmobil hair cut. 

The best hair one was.  Who cut your the council? 

Also cheap trainers were known as Adidas pontoons.   One twist and they were bust.   

Kids don't the credit they deserve for good piss taking.  

Why play mobile? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Auldbenches said:

Forgot about them.  Was the make not 51 states?  

 

Not sure.  Just remember the bloody things.

 

Scaff.  That's a tremendous,  almost onomatopoeic word.

Edited by Victorian
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Victorian said:

 

Not sure.  Just remember the bloody things.

 

Scaff.  That's a tremendous,  almost onomatopoeic word.

Treg was the other one   onomatopoeic is brilliant.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Auldbenches said:

The best hair one was.  Who cut your the council? 

Also cheap trainers were known as Adidas pontoons.   One twist and they were bust.   

Kids don't the credit they deserve for good piss taking.  

Why play mobile? 

 

R.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Clamped is easy to understand.  But does anyone know the etymology of similar sayings of the time,  'dingied' and 'bobbied'?  Not to be confused with 'boabbied'.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Greedy Jambo said:

There's folk that have had the same hair cut since primary school to be fair. 

My hair has always been fair, what am I supposed to..?  

Look like a strawberry ginger goth? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Konrad von Carstein
13 minutes ago, Auldbenches said:

I wonder if it was used further than the lothians. 

Asked about clatty and clarty because I also wonder where things become more west Scotland 

Clarty...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Victorian said:

Clamped is easy to understand.  But does anyone know the etymology of similar sayings of the time,  'dingied' and 'bobbied'?  Not to be confused with 'boabbied'.  

Clamped was brilliant.   If someone's worried about going somewhere and catching covid, just tell them to put their bees up... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Alex Kintner said:

A few football ones:

 

Semi’s

Backie-in

Free goalie

Seven and bye

Top bag


Also can’t remember the name of the thing we used to do with our feet to decide who kicked off. Two people took turns stepping towards each other with one foot in front of the other until one person could step on the other’s foot. Maybe called “tipsies”?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Victorian said:

 

Are those really football related?


Yeah semi’s probably better known as cuppy.

Backie in was a goalkeeper who can come put and play outfield as well.

Seven and bye was a headers and volleys game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Alex Kintner said:


Also can’t remember the name of the thing we used to do with our feet to decide who kicked off. Two people took turns stepping towards each other with one foot in front of the other until one person could step on the other’s foot. Maybe called “tipsies”?

 

Tappies

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Alex Kintner said:


Yeah semi’s probably better known as cuppy.

Backie in was a goalkeeper who can come put and play outfield as well.

Seven and bye was a headers and volleys game.

 

I was kidding.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, Victorian said:

 

Broomie scaffs?

It goes deeper than that. I know a guy that is fairly successful and well off that still has the same hair cut. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Greedy Jambo said:

It goes deeper than that. I know a guy that is fairly successful and well off that still has the same hair cut. 

 

Inbred then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure if these are general Scots words or peculiar to just some parts - definitely used them and heard them in Edinburgh as a youngster though

 

Drookit    - soaked

Cludgie   - toilet

Stoorie    - dusty

Lobby      - hallway

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Morgan said:

Shotty.

 

Better nash.

 

Run like the bars.

Forgot about Shotty.   Did that evolve from Shotgun  (as in "riding shotgun" = lookout) ?    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Lone Striker said:

Forgot about Shotty.   Did that evolve from Shotgun  (as in "riding shotgun" = lookout) ?    

That’s what I always took it as, yes.  👍

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another one my Dad used  now & then was "poor oot".      Turns out it isn't discriminating against folk with no money, it's actually  "pour out" - an old tradition after a church wedding when the groom threw a handful of coins on the ground for local children to collect.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AlphonseCapone
3 minutes ago, Lone Striker said:

Another one my Dad used  now & then was "poor oot".      Turns out it isn't discriminating against folk with no money, it's actually  "pour out" - an old tradition after a church wedding when the groom threw a handful of coins on the ground for local children to collect.  

 

A scatter? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, AlphonseCapone said:

 

A scatter? 

Presumably.  Although in Morningside, it would probably be a "scetter"  😀 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“ cowie “ as in he / she’s got “ the cowie” 

 

ive never been able to find out how that expression started . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, Tazio said:

Any families that were even lower than scaffs used to get called cavies. Short for cavemen I suppose 


They were “minks” in our area which I always thought was ironic given the cost of mink! 🤷🏻‍♂️

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Lone Striker said:

Another one my Dad used  now & then was "poor oot".      Turns out it isn't discriminating against folk with no money, it's actually  "pour out" - an old tradition after a church wedding when the groom threw a handful of coins on the ground for local children to collect.  


A scramble 👍🏻

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Alex Kintner said:


They were “minks” in our area which I always thought was ironic given the cost of mink! 🤷🏻‍♂️

Oh yes “ minks “ I recall that 

 

“ tinkers “ as well 

 

“ tarry “ - hash  ( solid ) 

 

smetnay - cigarette 

 

 

 

“ 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...