Scottish Words That Might Confuse You
A Wee Guide to Scottish Words
If you’re not from Scotland, some of the words we use might leave you scratching your head.
Scots and Scottish slang have loads of great words that you won’t hear anywhere else. Some of them are funny, some of them are blunt, and some of them make absolutely no sense unless you grew up here.
For example, the word "cunt" is a really offensive word in some countries, but in Scotland it can be used quite casually depending on the context. You might hear someone say something like:
Aye, that cunt over there.
In that case it simply means something like:
Yeah, that guy over there.
Another example is the word "fanny". You might hear someone say something like:
Uch, he's just a fanny.
In that case it simply means something like:
He's a right pain in the arse.
He's an idiot.
Or it can also be something pals say. If your pal is being a bit of a dick, you might say:
Uch, he's just being a wee fanny.
So really you can use it to show how much you dislike someone, or you can use it in a playful way about a pal.
Growing up I used to refer to my pals as fanny baws or bawbag. As I got older those types of words disappeared. I'm sure they are still used, but I haven't heard them in such a long time.
Another one is tits, you know, like lassie's tits. We can use this in many ways. For example, if you come across someone who is high on drugs, you can say:
He's aff his tits.
This would mean he is high on drugs.
Or you can say:
He's a pure tit.
Which would mean he is being a complete idiot.
Another good one is just dick, you know, the guy's junk. So for example if you're talking about a guy and want to say he's a bit of a dick, you can say:
He's a right dick.
He's a wee dick.
He's a bit of a dickhead.
Or in a more friendly way, a bunch of people I used to work with would greet each other like this:
Awrite, ya wee dick?
Which was just our way of saying hello. It caused zero offence — it was just a turn of phrase we used as a greeting.
Here’s a wee guide to some Scottish words and what they mean. Some places in Scotland use different words than others, so this is just a general guide. For example below you'll see the word ken — oh my fucking gawd, that word really gets on my tits!
Common Scottish Words
Wee
Meaning: Small
Example: I'll just have a wee look.
Braw
Meaning: Brilliant / great
Example: That's a braw view from up here.
Blether
Meaning: A long chat
Example: We stood having a blether for ages.
Messages
Meaning: Groceries or shopping
Example: I'm away for the messages.
Scran
Meaning: Food
Example: That was some good scran.
Gallus
Meaning: Bold, cheeky, confident
Example: He's a gallus wee lad.
Dreich
Meaning: Miserable, dull weather
Example: It's a dreich day the day.
Numpty
Meaning: Fool / idiot
Example: You absolute numpty.
Bampot
Meaning: Crazy person
Example: That guy's a total bampot.
Outwith
Meaning: Outside of
Example: That's outwith my control.
Everyday Scottish Words
Aye
Meaning: Yes
I use this word like a million times a day.
Naw
Meaning: No
Same as the word above, naw gets used tons — especially with my kids.
Ken
Meaning: Know
Example: D'ye ken what I mean?
This word is bullshit, but it's common. I hate it.
Bairn
Meaning: Child
Another word I hate. Who runs around saying this?
Wean
Meaning: Child (wee one)
I do use this word a lot when talking about my kids. Uch, the weans are at the park.
Lass
Meaning: Girl
I like this one. I wouldn't normally say lass, usually lassies.
"That bunch of lassies are driving me mad."
Lad
Meaning: Boy
Well if you've been reading my other posts, you'll know I use lad a lot.
Pure
Meaning: Very / extremely
Example: That's pure brilliant.
Pure is very neddy. I used to say it a lot, but not so much anymore.
Dead
Meaning: Very
Example: That's dead funny.
Aye, I've definitely used this loads over the years.
Food Words
Scran or Grub
Food
Scran — I've never really been one for using that word. I do use grub sometimes.
Piece
Sandwich
Always. Girls, do you want a piece and cheese?
Roll and sausage
A breakfast classic in Scotland.
I had one this morning. Well… slice, not sausage!
Tattie
Potato
One of my favourites. I love tattie scones.
Neeps
Turnips
I do like them, but I only have them once or twice a year.
Stovies
Traditional potato dish
I love stovies, but since my gran died I've never had any like hers. So I don't really bother anymore.
Insults (We Have Plenty)
Eejit
Idiot
Aye, I use this a lot. That fucking eejit!
Tube
Idiot
I used this a lot when I was younger. Not so much now.
Rocket
Mad person
Not my word, but my wife's dad uses this on the kids. "Ma wee rockets."
Fanny
Idiot (Scottish meaning is different from other places!)
Haha yes. Not a fanny pack like the yanks.
Fanny as in the woman's vagina — but we use it for loads of things.
"Awrite ya wee fanny?" — a perfectly normal greeting here.
Dobber
Annoying idiot
Not really a word I use, but it does get used a lot.
Walloper
Someone acting like a fool
Again, not one I say, but you hear it.
Random Scottish Words
Skint
Broke / no money
Yup, very popular word.
Chancer
Someone pushing their luck
I use it quite a lot. "You're a fucking chancer, mate!"
Minging
Disgusting
Haha yes. "That food was fucking minging."
Stoater
Something impressive
Example: That goal was a stoater.
Not really my word, but it's widely used.
Glaikit
Stupid looking
Stupid word. People use it though.
Scunnered
Fed up / disgusted
Yes! "I'm pure scunnered today."
Greet
Cry
If someone is crying you might say: "Aw, don't greet."
Haver
Talk nonsense
I've heard it, but fuck me — stupid word.
Weather Words
Dreich
Cold, grey miserable weather
You hear it a lot on weather reports, but I don't really use it.
Baltic
Freezing cold
Yes! "It's fucking baltic out the day." I say this all the time.
Blawin a hoolie
Very windy
Sometimes I use this, but not that often.
Scottish words are part of everyday life here. Some of them are Scots, some are slang, and some are just the way we’ve always spoken.
If you ever visit Scotland and someone calls you a numpty or a wee fanny, don’t take it too personally.
They might just be having a wee laugh.
