28 Scottish Slang Words You Should Know
< >
If you’re thinking that the slang people use in Scotland can't be that different from the slang in England—it’s the same words, just pronounced differently, right?—well, neeb, have a swatch below and find out just how wrong you are.
Bawhair: used to determine a very short distance; literally meaning the width of a pubic hair. “That was a bawhair away man!”
Boak: to throw up, or be very close to it. “Cut that oot you, that’s giein me the boak.”
Clarty/Clatty: someone of questionable personal hygiene. “He’s a clatty basturt.”
Dobber: slang for penis, but more commonly used as an insult. “Shut it, ya dobber.”
Gallus: the fine line between confidence and arrogance, or otherwise something bold or daring. Often misused as a general term of endearment for literally anything. “Aye I took her out for dinner on Saturday. She’s gallus, man.”
Glaikit: someone who is gullible and/or lacks common sense. “She’s alright, but a bit glaikit.”
Heid-the-baw: an idiot
Bampot: an unhinged idiot.
Diddy: a spineless idiot.
Fandan: a pretentious idiot.
Radge: a dangerous idiot.
Walloper: an idiot (again).
Hackit: haggard, ugly, usually used in reference to a woman. “Don’t listen to that hackit old bint.”
Jobbie: a turd, and a plague on the existence of anyone named Robbie.
Ken: to know, used freely as punctuation on the East coast. “Ken whit ah mean, ken? Aye, ah ken.”
Lecky: electricity; though usually focused on the bill, not the actual thing. “There’s me having to put a tenner in that lecky again because you’ll no turn yer telly off!”
Loon: a northern term for boy.
Quine: a northern term for girl.
Mawkit: disgusting, covered in dirt. “C’mere lassie, yer mawkit.”
Neebs: friend; derived from neebur (derived itself from neighbor). “Aye, nae danger neebs, catch you the morn.”
Scunnert: fed up, bored, done with life; derived from scunnered. “Aye I’m working tae 5, scunnert wae it neebs.”
Sleekit: sneaky, disingenuous. “Aw they politicians ur sleekit basturts hen, if any ae them shook my hand ah’d count ma fingers eftir it.”
Swatch: a brief look. “That’s gallus man, gies a swatch.”
Teuchter: general term used by Glaswegian people to refer to Scottish people who don’t share their accent; most widely in reference to those from the Highlands and northern areas. “Wit even is your voice, ya teuchter diddy.”
Weegie: the term the rest of Scotland uses to refer to the type of people who say the above. “Wit even is your voice, ya weegie.”
Wheesht: shut up. “Gies peace man, wheesht.”
Whitey: to vomit, literally this time; usually alcohol-related. “Here I’m being thrown out, the bouncer just caught me whiteying in the toilet and he’s no happy.”
Yaldi: an expression of pure happiness or joy. “Monday is a holiday? Yaldi!"
< >
If you’re thinking that the slang people use in Scotland can't be that different from the slang in England—it’s the same words, just pronounced differently, right?—well, neeb, have a swatch below and find out just how wrong you are.
Bawhair: used to determine a very short distance; literally meaning the width of a pubic hair. “That was a bawhair away man!”
Boak: to throw up, or be very close to it. “Cut that oot you, that’s giein me the boak.”
Clarty/Clatty: someone of questionable personal hygiene. “He’s a clatty basturt.”
Dobber: slang for penis, but more commonly used as an insult. “Shut it, ya dobber.”
Gallus: the fine line between confidence and arrogance, or otherwise something bold or daring. Often misused as a general term of endearment for literally anything. “Aye I took her out for dinner on Saturday. She’s gallus, man.”
Glaikit: someone who is gullible and/or lacks common sense. “She’s alright, but a bit glaikit.”
Heid-the-baw: an idiot
Bampot: an unhinged idiot.
Diddy: a spineless idiot.
Fandan: a pretentious idiot.
Radge: a dangerous idiot.
Walloper: an idiot (again).
Hackit: haggard, ugly, usually used in reference to a woman. “Don’t listen to that hackit old bint.”
Jobbie: a turd, and a plague on the existence of anyone named Robbie.
Ken: to know, used freely as punctuation on the East coast. “Ken whit ah mean, ken? Aye, ah ken.”
Lecky: electricity; though usually focused on the bill, not the actual thing. “There’s me having to put a tenner in that lecky again because you’ll no turn yer telly off!”
Loon: a northern term for boy.
Quine: a northern term for girl.
Mawkit: disgusting, covered in dirt. “C’mere lassie, yer mawkit.”
Neebs: friend; derived from neebur (derived itself from neighbor). “Aye, nae danger neebs, catch you the morn.”
Scunnert: fed up, bored, done with life; derived from scunnered. “Aye I’m working tae 5, scunnert wae it neebs.”
Sleekit: sneaky, disingenuous. “Aw they politicians ur sleekit basturts hen, if any ae them shook my hand ah’d count ma fingers eftir it.”
Swatch: a brief look. “That’s gallus man, gies a swatch.”
Teuchter: general term used by Glaswegian people to refer to Scottish people who don’t share their accent; most widely in reference to those from the Highlands and northern areas. “Wit even is your voice, ya teuchter diddy.”
Weegie: the term the rest of Scotland uses to refer to the type of people who say the above. “Wit even is your voice, ya weegie.”
Wheesht: shut up. “Gies peace man, wheesht.”
Whitey: to vomit, literally this time; usually alcohol-related. “Here I’m being thrown out, the bouncer just caught me whiteying in the toilet and he’s no happy.”
Yaldi: an expression of pure happiness or joy. “Monday is a holiday? Yaldi!"
