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Local Colloquialisms


Alex Kintner

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The locality where I grew up in Fife has been long associated with the phrase "Ya hoor sir".  It started off being very localised to the villages of Ballingry, Lochore, Crosshill and Glencraig, but spread over the years to Lochgelly Lumphininans and Cowdenbeath.

 

What does it mean? It's down to the context, but it could be used an exclamation of surprise, disbelief, shock or joy, much in the same way as "aw fur f.....s sake"

 

Another similar phrase used in the same villages was "ye're some boay sir" which was an acknowledgement of the actions of an acquaintance who had done something unusual, unexpected, or on the edge of legality, perhaps a bit like a "wide-o" 

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1 hour ago, Wonfiveone said:

Surprised no one has mentioned “Ken”, as in for example “a Ken” = I know, or maybe I missed the posting.

It's not really that surprising as it has its roots in the noun "ken" or knowledge. So "a ken" or "ye ken", are similar to the repetitive "You know" that is widely used across the Englsh speaking world.

 

The verb "to know" in Dutch is "kennen" and "you know" is translated as "je ken".

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7 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

The locality where I grew up in Fife has been long associated with the phrase "Ya hoor sir".  It started off being very localised to the villages of Ballingry, Lochore, Crosshill and Glencraig, but spread over the years to Lochgelly Lumphininans and Cowdenbeath.

 

What does it mean? It's down to the context, but it could be used an exclamation of surprise, disbelief, shock or joy, much in the same way as "aw fur f.....s sake"

 

Another similar phrase used in the same villages was "ye're some boay sir" which was an acknowledgement of the actions of an acquaintance who had done something unusual, unexpected, or on the edge of legality, perhaps a bit like a "wide-o" 

Hooring for going fast is brilliant.  

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1 hour ago, Craig_ said:

Outwith.

 

Cannot understand why the rest of the world doesn't accept this as a word.

Yes it’s nit accepting as a word , I remember one of my posh English glaikit tutors questioned my use of it in an essay for some ludicrous reason really . It always reminds me of her . She had those horrible while things at the corners of her mouth at times and used wear mini skirts and she must have been 66 or something 😂

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1 hour ago, Craig_ said:

Outwith.

 

Cannot understand why the rest of the world doesn't accept this as a word.

They also look at you weird for using how for why.  

 

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On 22/09/2021 at 21:31, 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 

I went to school down in Hawick 10-15 years ago and cat dies were very much a thing then too. Another big thing during my era at school was making fun of anyone wearing an item of clothing with 2 stripe instead of 3. 'Phone the police cos someone's nicked your stripe' or 'Did your other stripe fall off in the washing?'. Don't know if that was a local thing, or just an age thing. Also don't know if it was hilarious, or seriously shan patter.

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3 hours ago, Wonfiveone said:

Surprised no one has mentioned “Ken”, as in for example “a Ken” = I know, or maybe I missed the posting.

Was just about to mention that. It took until I was 24 and working with a girl from Glasgow before I found out that it's not just standard Scottish to say Ken. Very much East coast and Ayrshire.

 

Also recently started seeing a girl from Lanarkshire, and aside from Ken, there's quite a few words I say that she just doesn't. Dinny is a big one. So far though I've managed to make her say dinny, ken, shan and bairn all without her realising she's said it. Tremendous stuff. Less than 50 miles apart and never thought there'd be such a language barrier. Especially when I'm full of the Don Revie.

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2 hours ago, Footballfirst said:

It's not really that surprising as it has its roots in the noun "ken" or knowledge. So "a ken" or "ye ken", are similar to the repetitive "You know" that is widely used across the Englsh speaking world.

 

The verb "to know" in Dutch is "kennen" and "you know" is translated as "je ken".

Learned a wee bit Dutch during lockdown and was delighted to find this out. Also no idea how it ended up in our vocabulary, but the Italian word to drink is beve. Could just be coincidence but still. Anything to do with the Italian immigration of years gone by perhaps?

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I am fully Edinburgh with a mix of my families gypsy lingo added in. My grandad and even my mum to certain degree were full blown Scottish travellers so it would be a shame to ignore such fine lineage. 
 

I speak like I am cocaine. I have deliberately tried to slow down my speech because I have found even folk from here struggle to follow me because of how fast i talk. 

Edited by AlimOzturk
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13 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

I speak like I am cocaine. I have deliberately tried to slow down my speech because I have found even folk from here struggle to follow me because of how fast i talk. 

That's a bit like my younger daughter, although she's not so bad now.

 

I recall one of her phone calls a few years ago

I answered her call and she rattled off what she had to tell me at 100mph.

I said "what did you say? I didn't quite catch that"

She responded by repeating the message at 200mph, then immediately put the phone down.

I'm still none the wiser what it was all about.   

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Am ur  (I am)

Am urnie  (I am not)

A dae (I do)

A dinny (I don't)

 

My English wife always has bother with this 🙂 

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As a boy in Southside Edinburgh we pretty well had a language of our own, this was complicated for me with my Highlander mother who particularly when angered used her pidgeon Gaelic to reprimand. My father on the other hand when indicating he had suffered enough of something, shook his newspaper with a cracking sound and made a ttitt type of vocal sound which was enough to restore order in the household. All changed and departed from memory iuntil one reads something like this thread.

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6 minutes ago, cheetah said:

Am ur  (I am)

Am urnie  (I am not)

A dae (I do)

A dinny (I don't)

 

My English wife always has bother with this 🙂 

You missed out umnae, as in

"stop messing about"

"Ah umnae"

 

Always a guaranteed slap round the head when I was a kid. Nothing else bothered him but for some reason umnae was like a red rag to a bull with my old man. 

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1 hour ago, AlimOzturk said:

I am fully Edinburgh with a mix of my families gypsy lingo added in. My grandad and even my mum to certain degree were full blown Scottish travellers so it would be a shame to ignore such fine lineage. 
 

I speak like I am cocaine. I have deliberately tried to slow down my speech because I have found even folk from here struggle to follow me because of how fast i talk. 

I've had the 'you talk too fast' for years, especially out with Edinburgh. 

Not our fault they listen too slow.  

 

 

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18 minutes ago, cheetah said:

Am ur  (I am)

Am urnie  (I am not)

A dae (I do)

A dinny (I don't)

 

My English wife always has bother with this 🙂 

Got told of fir using am ur from a girlfriend's snobby midlothian sister when I was 16.   

I know then she was going to be a wee madam.  

Hate people telling kids off for using local language.

Teachers used to do it and they were just stopping kids being bilingual.   Told off for using aye and naw.   It's not like we knew we couldn't use that in formal situations. 

Though most primary school teachers were lassies in their early 20s who love all that etiquette shite.

Told to take elbows of the table etc when it was alright in my hoose.  

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“ talking to me or chewing a brick “ was a favourite retort when I was teenager 

 

also “ take the bench “ 😂

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2 hours ago, Auldbenches said:

Got told of fir using am ur from a girlfriend's snobby midlothian sister when I was 16.   

I know then she was going to be a wee madam.  

Hate people telling kids off for using local language.

Teachers used to do it and they were just stopping kids being bilingual.   Told off for using aye and naw.   It's not like we knew we couldn't use that in formal situations. 

Though most primary school teachers were lassies in their early 20s who love all that etiquette shite.

Told to take elbows of the table etc when it was alright in my hoose.  

Yes I hate when adults try and correct kids Scottish language . It’s our heritage 

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8 minutes ago, JamesM48 said:

Yes I hate when adults try and correct kids Scottish language . It’s our heritage 

Not got kids but of I did, I'd love to teach them to swear formally to see if they get pulled up for it.  

'Fornication Hades!' Etc.  I bet they would get told off for it.   What are you supposed to say if you need to strongly express yourself?  

I've just lost 30 quid, dash!   **** off.  

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Auldbenches said:

Not got kids but of I did, I'd love to teach them to swear formally to see if they get pulled up for it.  

'Fornication Hades!' Etc.  I bet they would get told off for it.   What are you supposed to say if you need to strongly express yourself?  

I've just lost 30 quid, dash!   **** off.  

 

 

 

👍👍

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7 hours ago, Locky said:

Learned a wee bit Dutch during lockdown and was delighted to find this out. Also no idea how it ended up in our vocabulary, but the Italian word to drink is beve. Could just be coincidence but still. Anything to do with the Italian immigration of years gone by perhaps?

A Dutch Kirk is a kerk, their dyke is a dijk, their beastie is a beestje. Even things like keek-a-boo comes from kijk op u - look at you.

 

I loved finding out all this stuff, the east coast especially has been trading and mingling with our North sea brethren for millenia.

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16 minutes ago, Smithee said:

A Dutch Kirk is a kerk, their dyke is a dijk, their beastie is a beestje. Even things like keek-a-boo comes from kijk op u - look at you.

 

I loved finding out all this stuff, the east coast especially has been trading and mingling with our North sea brethren for millenia.

Always had a thing for the Dutch. Now it all makes sense.

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1 hour ago, Smithee said:

A Dutch Kirk is a kerk, their dyke is a dijk, their beastie is a beestje. Even things like keek-a-boo comes from kijk op u - look at you.

 

I loved finding out all this stuff, the east coast especially has been trading and mingling with our North sea brethren for millenia.

It always makes me smile when I see the sign in an Amsterdam window "Te Huur".   It means "For rent", but it's easy to relate to the phonetic words in English.

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18 hours ago, Tazio said:

You missed out umnae, as in

"stop messing about"

"Ah umnae"

 

Always a guaranteed slap round the head when I was a kid. Nothing else bothered him but for some reason umnae was like a red rag to a bull with my old man. 

 

Ha ha forgot about that, my folks spoke more scots than i did so were happy to leave it go.

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12 hours ago, Smithee said:

A Dutch Kirk is a kerk, their dyke is a dijk, their beastie is a beestje. Even things like keek-a-boo comes from kijk op u - look at you.

 

I loved finding out all this stuff, the east coast especially has been trading and mingling with our North sea brethren for millenia.

Why don't the Dutch have a word for maybe..?

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Just now, Smithee said:

:laugh2: I nearly fell into that

Had the please of knowing some Dutch a couple of years ago and they also don't know the word for compromise...

You begin to respect it when they get used to it. 

Lived in a small place that had a community Facebook page discussing local issues and they'd kick off all the time.  

Is that not the reason they don't do as well at world cups etc.  Two days in a hotel together and they all fall out. 

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2 minutes ago, ri Alban said:

Schijte/schijt. Sounds familiar 💩

 

17 minutes ago, Auldbenches said:

Had the please of knowing some Dutch a couple of years ago and they also don't know the word for compromise...

You begin to respect it when they get used to it. 

Lived in a small place that had a community Facebook page discussing local issues and they'd kick off all the time.  

Is that not the reason they don't do as well at world cups etc.  Two days in a hotel together and they all fall out. 

 

After 10 years there I'm part Dutch, there's no way to avoid it. I can't help being calmly stubborn and avoiding diplomacy now. I vaguely remember thinking they were rude when I first arrived, now I know they were right all along, and so am I :)

 

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21 minutes ago, Smithee said:

 

 

After 10 years there I'm part Dutch, there's no way to avoid it. I can't help being calmly stubborn and avoiding diplomacy now. I vaguely remember thinking they were rude when I first arrived, now I know they were right all along, and so am I :)

 

Its quite admirable when you get used to them.  

Is that why it's called Dutch courage?   You need it just to discuss anything with them.   

They don't suffer fools gladly...or at at all. 

Last line is perfect...

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I’ve got a couple of Dutch mates and both of them are often thought of as arrogant by people when they work with them at first. I’ve also worked with a lot of Dutch theatre companies so I’m used to it but I still see people freaked out by the blunt way requests are made. 

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Barry gadgie. Never heard it said after I left Edinburgh for West Lothian. But Livingston was a weegie overflow. 

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25 minutes ago, EH11_2NL said:

Barry gadgie. Never heard it said after I left Edinburgh for West Lothian. But Livingston was a weegie overflow. 

They should move the boundaries and get livi out of the lothians...

 

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I don't know if anyone's mentioned it but "bealin'" is a lovely word. It can mean crying, raging, something being awful etc.

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35 minutes ago, Auldbenches said:

They should move the boundaries and get livi out of the lothians...

 

Loads good Jambos in West Lothian. 

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8 minutes ago, EH11_2NL said:

Loads good Jambos in West Lothian. 

We would give them some notice.  

Livi is can be a bit more weedge than other places there. 

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8 hours ago, Auldbenches said:

We would give them some notice.  

Livi is can be a bit more weedge than other places there. 


Nowhere near as Weegie as Armadale, Whitburn and Blackridge. Especially around the middle of May.

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  • 10 months later...
On 22/09/2021 at 20:47, leginten said:


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.

Hi could you please email me about the factory?  Need to know the street it was on - or better still the postcode?

Ian Henderson 

 

[email protected] 

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