A collection of common Scottish words used every day in Scotland.  Some words are only heard in certain regions though.  "Ken" (know), for instance, isn't used in Glasgow, but is used in Kilmarnock which is just twenty-five miles away.   

If you're looking for a particular word or meaning, you can use the search box to save you time trawling through the words.

A -

A', aw - All.

Abeich, abeigh - Aside, away, apart from others.

Able, yable - Able, physically fit, strong, having an appetite for something.

Ablow - Under, beneath, below.

A'body - Everyone. 

Aboon, abune, abeen  - Above, in good cheer, in or into better condition..

Aboot - About. "He wis scurrying aboot the woods."

Ach, auch - An exclamation of impatience, disappointment, contempt, etc.

Acker, in acker - In fragments, in bits.

Adae, ado, adee - To do, going on, being done, the matter with.  "I hae nothing adee."  "I have nothing to do." "What's adae wi' you?" "What's the matter with you?"

Adam's ale, Adam's wine - Water. 

Addle - Foul, dirty liquid, especially from dung. 

Adoun, adoon - Down.

Ae, yae - One, the same, only. "He's ae o' a kind."  "He's one of a kind."

Aefauld, afald - Single, simple, sincere, honest, faithful, single-minded. 

Ahint - Behind.  "He's hiding ahint the tree."  "He's hiding behind the tree."

Aff - Off.  "The ref sent the fitba' player aff the park for cheating."  "The ref sent the football player off the park for cheating."

Affeir, effeir - Belong, be appropriate to, be fitting or proper for. 

Afore - Before.  "He left afore I could talk tae him."  "He left before I could talk to him."

Aft, aften - Often

Agate, agait - On the road, going about, away.

Agley, aglee - Off the straight, wrong, awry.

Ahint, ahent - Behind, at the back.

Aiblins - Perhaps, possibly.

Aicher - An ear of corn.

Aik, ake - Oak.

Ain - Own. "It's a' my ain work." "It's all my own work."

Aince, ance, anes, wance, yince - Once.

Aipple - Apple.

Air - Ere, early, soon.

Airm - Arm.

Aislar - Ashlar, square-hewn stone.

Ait, yit - Oat.

Aither, ether, edder - Either.  "It's aither wan or the aither." "It's either one or the other."

Aiver, aver - A workhorse, carthorse, an old horse.

Aiverie, yivvery - Anxious for, wanting, hungry.

Aizle, eizel - An ember, a spark, a burnt-out cinder. 

Alain, aleen - Alone.

Alang - Along. "They sauntered alang the banks o' the river."  "They sauntered along the banks of the river."

Ale, eel - Ale, lemonade, ginger beer etc.

Alicreesh - Liquorice.

Alow - On fire, ablaze.

Alun - An arctic skua.

Allan-hawk - The name given to several sea birds.

Amaist, a'maist - Almost.  "He a'maist kicked the fitba' into the net." "He almost kicked the football into the net."

Amang - Among, into the midst of, amid. 

Aneath, aneth - Beneath.  "It's aneath the blanket."  "It's underneath the blanket."

Angleberry, ingleberry - A fleshy growth on horses, cattle or sheep.

Aquevitae - Whisky, spirits.  Whisky translates as water of life.

Argie - To argue.  An argie-bargie is an argument or quarrel.

Ark - A chest, especially one for storing grain.

Arnit, arnut - An edible plant root, earth-nut.

Ashypet - A scullery maid.

Aside - Beside.  "I wis right aside him when he won."  "I was right beside him when he won."

Ask, esk - A newt, eft.

Baffies - Slippers.  "Go and fetch my baffies from the closet."

Bag raip- The thick double straw rope around the eaves of a thatched stack.

Baggie - A swede.

Bagnet, bagonet, baignet - A bayonet.

Baikie - A peg to which a tether is fastened.  The stake to which a cow etc. is tied to in a stall.

Bairge, barge - To speak loudly and angrily.  To move vigorously, noisily. 

Bairn - Baby, child. "He's awa' (away) tae pick up the bairn from school."

Baised - Confused, bewildered.

Baith - Both.

Balderry - Any of numerous types of wild orchid.

Bale-fire - A large fire, a bonfire, a beacon fire.

Ballant - A ballad.

Bang - Be better than, thrash, beat.

Bangster - A bully, a violent person.  "I'd avoid him.  He has the reputation o' a bangster." 

Bang up - To jump or rise up quickly.

Bannock, bonnock, bannie, banno - A round flat cake, often of oat, barley or pease-meal.

Banstickle - A stickleback.   

Banyel - A heap, bundle.  A crowd.

Bar, bawr, baur - A humorous situation, a joke, a practical joke.

Bard - A poet, a strolling player or singer.  A noisy, scolding woman.  A person who uses crude, insulting language.

Barefit, berfit, barfit - Barefooted. 

Barefit broth - Broth made with a little butter and no meat.

Barken - To harden, clot, blacken, plaster over.

Barley - A truce or pause, mainly in a children's game.  

Barley-bree - Whisky, malt liquor.

Barley play - A cry for a truce in games.  Cry a barley is the equivalent.

Barkit - Mud-encrusted.

Barrie - A baby's coat, a cloth wrapped around a baby.

Bass- A fish-basket.  A mat of bast, coarse straw, rushes, especially a doormat. A workman's tool-basket or bag.

Bassie - An old horse.

Bate - Beat.  "He bate him at snooker."  "He beat him at snooker."

Bather, budder - Bother.

Bauch, baugh - Weak, poor, not very good.  Blunt.  Thawed, not slippery.  Backward, foolish, timid.

Bauchle - A shabby person; orginally meant a worn-out shoe. An old, worn-out person or thing.

Bauk, bawk, bak - A balk, an unploughed ridge.  A wooden rafter, crossbeam.  A hen roost. A seat in a fishing boat. 

Bauks - A church gallery.

Bauld - Bold.  "He's a bauld lad that goes oot on the fishing boat."  "He's a bold lad that goes out on the fishing boat."

Bear, bere, bair - A hard, coarse barley.

Beek - To warm oneself.  To shine brightly - of the sun.

Beenge, binge - To fawn over, cringe, bow humbly.

Beet - To lessen, relieve or mend.

Beezer - A person or thing better and bigger than usual.

Begeck, begeik - To deceive, disappoint.  A trick.

Behangt - An exclamation of impatience.

Behaud, behad - To behold. To hold back, wait, watch carefully.

Bell -  A bubble.

Bellies - Bellows.  "He needs the bellies to start the fire."

Belloch - To bellow, roar.

Bellum - A noise, din.  A blow, force.  "There's a helluva bellum goin' on in there."

Bennel - Any long, reedy grass.

Bense - To walk or move with vigour, to bounce.  "He fair bensed along to the fitba'."

Bensell - Vigorous action, great force, violence.

Besom - A term of contempt for a person, especially a woman.  A broom. 

Bessie - A bad-mannered, bad-tempered, boisterous girl or woman.

Bick, bick burr - The imitation of the call of a grouse. 

Bicker - To fight, quarrel, attack, fight.  To flicker, sparkle.  A beaker. a wooden drinking cup, a porridge bowl.

Bid - Invite e.g. to a party, wedding.

Bide - Stay.  “Aye, I used to bide there but I moved.”

Billy - A close friend, a brother, a lover.  Grand billies - on very friendly terms.  

Birl - Spin.  

Blate - Shy, timid.

Blether - Chatter.  "She loves a blether."

Bletherskite - Silly talker.

Blootered - Drunk, the worse for drink.  "He was fair blootered when he came hame in the wee hours of the mornin'."  (Hame - home)  And by very popular request, more words for drunk - stoatin', steamin', puggled, wasted, oot 'o it, sloshed, blitzed, birlin', guttered, gubbed, mad wi' it, minced, oot yer tree, smashed, sozzled, tanked, trollied, wrecked, poleaxed, and awa' wi' the fairies (also means to be a sandwich short of a picnic, mad).

Blowder - A sudden gust of wind.  “I was nearly blown away by a blowder.”

Bowster-cup - Nightcap.

Blubber-totum - A name for any drink made too thin or weak.

C -

Camsteerie - Wild, unruly.

Canty - Cheerful, happy.

Champit - Mashed. “I’d like my tatties (potatoes) champit please.”

Chap - A knock.  “I heard a chap at the door and went to see who it was.”

Chiel - A young man.

Chitterin’ - Trembling with cold. “I was chitterin’ outside and had to come back in.”

Claes - Clothes.

Clatty -  Dirty, filthy.  “We went round to the park but it was clatty.” Someone who isn’t keen on housework, with a house to show for it, is commonly called “clatty”.

Coo - A cow.  "The farmer’s taking the coos for milking.” 

Coup - Rubbish dump or a messy house. Spoken “cowp”.  “I’m just taking the rubbish up to the coup.”  Or “I widnae go near her house, it’s a coup.”

Crabbit - Bad-tempered.  “He’s a crabbit old so and so.”

Cuddy - A horse. 

D -

Din - Noise of any kind, but mostly the annoying kind.  “Be quiet in there, I cannae hear myself think for the din.”

Drookit - Soaking wet, sodden. Mostly used on the odd occasions when it rains in Scotland.   

Droothy - Thirsty, desperate for drink.  Can be used when simply thirsty on a warm day, or to mean one is in the mood for an alcoholic beverage.

Dookers - Swimsuit, swimming trunks. "Have a dook" means to dip into water. "He dooked in for a swim."  Dooking for apples is a Halloween activity in Scotland - it entails placing apples into a large tub of water, and then trying to lift them out by just using the mouth.  You hold your arms behind your back to avoid the temptation to cheat when your opponents aren't looking.

Dunted - Hit.  Can be used when you accidentally bump into someone in the street or pub.  "Sorry I dunted you.  I wasn't looking where I was going." 

Dreich - Dull.  Most commonly used to describe dull or rainy weather. Can also be used to describe a situation of little hope.  "It’s looking gie (very) dreich for him.

Deef - Deaf.

F -

Flech - To scratch, often vigorously.  Flech also means to feather an arrow. It is the derivative of the word fletcher, an arrow-maker.

Fouter -  To dither around.  Spoken as footer.

Foosty - Mouldy, mostly used to describe food that has gone off.

Flit - To move from one home to another home.  A moonlight flit occasionally happened in the past when families would flit during the night - usually to escape rent arrears.

G -

Gallows - An apparatus used to suspend a pot over an open fire.

Gallus - Cheeky, bold.  “She’s a gallus lass through and through.”  

Galluses - Braces used to hold up trousers. 

Geggie - Mouth.  May be used politely or rudely.  “You’re talking nonsense, so just shut your geggie.”

Glaikit - Stupid.

H -

Haddie - A haddock.  One of Scotland’s favourite meals after a night out is a “haddie supper” from the chippie (the fish and chip shop owner).

Hale jing-bang - Everything.  “I only wanted to buy some of it but I ended up with the hale jing-bang.”

Haver - To talk nonsense.  “He does an awful lot of havering."

Heid - Head.  May be lengthened and used to describe a footballer’s heading of the ball.  “He hit a great heidie and the ba’ (ball) went into the back o’ the net.”

Humph - To carry or move often heavy objects around. “Will ye come along and help me humph my furniture into the van?"

J -

Jag - An injection.  “The nurse gave me a tetanus jag at the hospital.”

K -

Kailyard - A vegetable patch.

Keeker - A black eye.  “To keek”, means to peep.  “Go and keek round the corner and see if he’s coming.”

Kent - Known.  A common expression.  “Aye, I’ve kent him all my life.”  Or “Do you no’ (not) ken (know) who I’m talking about?”

L -

Lug - Ear.  A luggie is a wooden bowl with handles on the side.

M -

Mismak - To cook food badly.

Muckle - A lot, a great number, sometimes referring to money. From the phrase, “Many a mickle makes a muckle.”  Mickle means the same as muckle.

Nacket -  A packed lunch.

Neb - Nose. 

Nicky-tams - String tied around the leg below the knee to keep trouser leg bottoms out of the mud.

P -

Peely wally - Pale in complexion..

Ploo - A plough.

Plook - Pimple or spot.  Small or big, it’s still called a plook.

Plout - To immerse in boiling water.

Poke - A paper bag.  “Yes, please put the sweeties in a poke.”

Pokey hat - An ice-cream cone.

Puddock - A frog. May be used to describe someone in an embarrassing situation. "He looked like a right puddock."  

Puffed oot - Out of breath.  “I was puffed oot running after him.”   Usually used when a young child (bairn or wean, spoken “wane”) has decided adult company is boring, and runs off for some independent adventure.

Puggled - Tired or exhausted.  “I felt fair puggled after I ran the marathon.”