SOME SCOTS USAGE

Some of the usages in the following pages may now seem like Standard English, but no more than a century ago, they were regarded generally as Scotticisms.

DEFINITE ARTICLE

He has caught the cold.

She suffers wi the rheumatics.

He was learnin the mathematics.

It's translated frae the French.

They hae gaen oot the toon.

I was oot in the country.

We maun gang tae the toon.

I go tae the kirk on Sunday.

He never gaed tae the schuil.

My brither has rin awa tae the sea.

The auld wumman fell doon the stairs.

I peyed sixty pence the pun for them.

My sister was at the dancin.

I'll be back the morn's morn.

Is it rainin the noo?

I was sayin tae ma freen, yesterday, the nichts is drawin in.

THIS AND THAT

Dae ye see aa this books?

They lost their wey amang aa that trees.

ADVERBS

I think ye're far mistaen.

It's rainin hard.

Is your mither in?

He will likely come the day.

We'll come once the hairst is owre.

I'm no sure.

When ye've feenished wi yon buik, pit it past.

He's presently bidin in Embro.

He winna readily dae that.

He's a richt ugly chiel.

He was that drunk he couldna staun.

There a man met him at the door.

When his prenticeship was throu, he gaed tae Canada.

Whit wey can we dae this?

PREPOSITIONS

Whit aboot it?

Wha lives abune ye?

They quarrelled amang theirsels.

She hid the purse alow her cloak.

I shall be beside you at the concert.

Close by the hoose stauns an aik tree.

There's muckle need for reform.

Ye can keep it, for me.

Tell your mither I was askin for her.

Sit intae the fire, it's gey cauld the nicht.

He had five o a faimily.

The hoose is no far off the toon.

He could tak aff his drink like a laird.

They gaed owre the brig.

He'll learn throu time.

He walkit throu the room.

I wrote til him.

I waited upon him till fower o'clock.

I'm no used wi that.

CONJUNCTIONS

Try an be quaite.

Dinna come or Thursday.

Gie me a match till I licht the gas.

I cried oot whenever I saw the signal.

NOUNS

I've nae objections.

I've sent my linens tae be washed.

He's pairtners wi us.

She was neighbours tae them.

The parritch are cauld an the soup are owre het.

VERBS

Were ye ringin the bell?

What are ye wantin?

Are ye acquaint wi him?

He's left for guid an all.

Hoo are your fowk?

Hoo are ye keepin?

I can sing nane.

I can't get intae ma box.

I dinna mind seein ye afore.

I doubt the ledder will brak.

I feel feart tae gang hame.

I gied a lauch.

I got a dose o the cauld.

I got my tea at his hoose.

I had a guid sleep.

I had a sair heid an my sister's feet were sair.

I hadna gane the length o the street afore he was at my back.

I hurled the barra throu the vennel.

I ken him fine.

I let him gae by withoot speakin til him.

I lifted a pin frae the carpet.

I met in wi a freen.

I need a clean plate.

I never heard tell o that.

I read it in the paper.

I read the buik throu mony times owre.

I shifted ma seat.

I slept in.

I stayed a couple o days an bocht a couple o hens.

I want a drink.

I wanted tae come but I couldnae get.

I was never over the door for a week, then I gaed oot the road.

I was puin the flooers.

I weary when I sit at hame alane.

I will learn you hoo tae dae it.

I winna need an umbrella the day.

I'll dish the denner. Wash the dishes.

I'm dune. The meat is dune. He did awa wi hissel.

I'm fond o my meat.

I'm gaun tae hae ma supper, then gaun stracht tae ma bed.

I'm no fit for ma food.

I'm scarce o coals for the fire.

I've been idle for three months.

I've peyed the groceries.

If a body micht ask, whit are ye daein there?

It cam on rain.

It had worn on ten o'clock.

It maks nae great odds.

It was a soft day.

It was a twelvemonth syne.

It's a coorse kin o day.

Will that be aa ye want?

Will I gie ye seconds?

He wrocht on the ferm for ten year.

We'll be gled tae hae your company on Friday.

I'll be obliged tae ye.

Can I come in?

Wad ye think he'll come back?

IDIOMS

Are ye feelin weel eneuch?

Are ye for ony fruit?

Bring the parcel till I get it opened.

Broil it on the brander.

Clean your shoes.

Close the door.

Come awa ben the hoose.

Come in aboot the table.

Dinna stap owre lang.

Gang your ain gait.

Get oot the road.

Gie me a bit breid and I'll hap it in a bit paper.

Gie the lad a piece.

Hae ye got a hoose tae let?

Hae ye ony siller?

Hae ye seen the post the day?

Has the kettle come tae the bile?

Haste ye back.

Have they ony faimily?

Have ye lifted your tatties yet?

He cut three inches aff o the length o claith.

He flitted tae the High Street.

He had a timmer leg.

He hadna muckle o the warld's gear.

He kinnlet a fire.

He let at me wi a stick.

He lifted his haun tae me.

He pit on his bunnet.

He played a spring.

He sat at the fit o the table.

He stays in Glasgow.

He stude at the heid o the street.

He stude ootside the door.

He turned ill.

He was cripple.

He was greetin.

He was seik for three days.

He was verra dry wi me.

He yokit the horse tae the cairt.

He's gey frail.

It's fresh the day. (weather)

It's frost the day.

It's gane a-missin.

It's no my blame.

Keep tae the plainstanes.

Let's go where we can get a smoke.

Ma mither wis ill but is better noo.

Mask the tea.

My man comes fae Glesca.

Oor clock is ahint.

Plenty o fowk think that.

Say away.

Send me a swatch o the claith.

She askit for anither yin.

She cast her heid heich.

She gaed tae college.

She has a reid head.

She is jist handless.

She luikit like a auld wife.

She was a widow wumman.

She was awa fae hame.

She's a cankert cratur.

She's no a mairrit wife.

Since he cam intae siller, he's got verra big.

Someone is speakin in this room.

Sup your porridge.

Tak this ashet tae yersel.

Tak your hauns oot o your pooches.

Tell the man tae come here.

That boy really tries me.

That'll dae me.

The auld man was failin.

The bairn was roarin.

The bairns were never at peace.

The bowl sits in the cupboard.

The boys were firin stanes at me.

The breid isnae fired eneuch.

The bus will arrive in three oors time.

The ferm was selt by roup.

The horse ran aff.

The kirk goes in at eleven.

The lad wadna dae my biddin.

The meetin'll be on Monday first.

The place was owre thrang.

The reek frae the cottage rase up throu the trees.

The roads are slippy.

The sugar bowl is here.

The surgeon opened up the wound.

The train is away.

The water o Tay.

There's a stane dyke roon the park.

There was a feein mercat here lang syne.

There was a guid few there.

There were mony ferm touns in Buchan.

There's no road this wey.

They cried on me tae pu them oot.

They had muckle ado.

They were aye quarrellin wi ane anither.

They weere feart tae refuse.

They were freens for years and never cast oot.

They were gey chief ane wi ither.

This breid is auld.

This bulks lairge in ma mind.

Try tae keep on your feet.

Waken me early. I wakened owre early.

We broke a bottle o whisky.

We broke a five pun note.

We had a guid crack thegither.

We keep it in the loft.

We played cards the haill nicht.

We took it turn aboot tae drive.

We washed the crystal.

We went oot a walk.

We were eatin cookies.

We were playin cards.

Whit like is it? I'm no up tae that. I want oot.

What's the soonest wey tae the station?

Where did you get that? (buy)

Whit ails him at it.

Whit did ye cry him? He's cried John.

Whit time is it? Half six. Five minutes from twelve.

Whit's come o your mither?

Ye canna pass doon this wey.

Ye ocht tae think shame o yersel.

Ye'll hae tae behave yersel.

Ye'll need tae sort the bell. I was sortin the room.

You're a perfect stranger.

You're due me fower pun.

Modren shoaps we hinna auld names fir include:

chemist; toy shoap; an the hairdresser.

Lang syne, the doactor wad hae makkit up his ain prescriptions :

puir fowk wad hae yaised hame-spun herbal medicines;

rich bairns micht hiv haed toys; puir yins haed nane;

fine leddies haed thir hair toshed up at hame;

puir yins wad lat it growe or cut thirsels. 

I gaed tae the flesher tae buy a pun o beef, 

But oh whit a chauve I had : the mannie wis deif! 

I roared at him an roared at him but he cuidna mak me oot, 

I feenished up wi sassengers an a pudden in a cloot. 

I gaed tae the baxter tae buy a loaf o breid; 

I saw sae mony galsachs they pit it oot ma heid. 

I cam hame wi shortbreid, braidies an black bun, 

Ma mammy wis fashed she wished she had a gun! 

I gaed tae the claes shoap tae buy a strippit sark, 

I wis tryin it on when the haill place gaed dark. 

Whan the licht cam on I fun that somebody'd nicked ma ain, 

Sae I'll no gang tae yon shoap again. 

I gaed tae the cheenie shoap tae buy a wee coggie; 

I saw a richt bonnie yin, pentit wi a doggie. 

I raxit up tae tak it doon, but ma elbuck shogged anither 

An the haill jing-bang cam rattlin doon thegither! 

I gaed tae the Jennie-aathing tae see whit I cuid see: 

Whit a wheen o ferlies there met ma ee! 

I bocht a bar o gundy, an a guttie-perkie baa, 

A fause face like a ghoulie an a wee moose-faa. 

Tak tent o these :? 

· chauve · sassenger · pudden · cloot · strippit sark 

· coggie · pentit · raxit · elbuck · shogged · gundy 

· haill jing-bang · wheen o ferlies · guttie-perkie 

· ghoulie · moose-faa 

ACTIVITY: Draw picters tae illustrate the poem. Mak up a wee play aboot ony o the verses in it, wi at least twa chairacters an some guid dialogue. Yaise yeir dictionary tae mak shair it's in guid Scots.