I hope you’ll be sae cantie as a sou amang glaur (as happy as a pig in the mud) with today’s selection of Scots idioms, which I found on Wir Ain Lied, An Innin tae Modern Scots (An Introduction to Modern Scots). As you may have noticed, A hae an ee til (I have a liking for) idioms, and I hope you’ll be smilin like a bylt haddie (smiling like a boiled haddock) at some of the idioms here.

So tak tent (pay attention) but ye needna fash yer thoum (you needn’t worry) about understanding them as I’ll provide translations. So let’s get on wi the crack (get on with the conversation) and make sure we don’t spik pan loaf (speak with an affected English accent). If you’re short o the Greek (stuck for words) don’t tyne the heid (lose your temper), but why not birl the wulkies (turn somersault)? So let’s caw cannie (proceed carefully) or somebody might cowp wir hurl (upset our plans). Mony wirds, muckle drouth (much talking makes one thirsty), so maybe it’s time to cock the wee finger (have a tipple/drink) but be sure you don’t droun the miller (put too much water in the whisky). That’s quite eneuch (enough) for now, I think.

You can hear recordings of some of these idioms here.

dreich, adjective = cold, wet, dismal, dull, bleak, misearable, dreary, overcast, drizzling

Origin: from Middle English dreig, drih (enduring), possibly from Old English drēog. Related to the Old Norse drjugr – lasting.

Examples of usage: It’s gey dreich the day (It’s very dismal today). Which it was, in Brighton at least.

It can also mean lang, borin and uninterestin. In the auld days, whan services in the kirk gaed on for oors and oors, ye micht hae fund the sermons a bittie dreich.
It can also mean long, boring and uninteresting. In the old day, when services in the church went on for hours and hours, you might have found the sermons a bit boring.

This is one of the many wonderful Scots words for describing the weather. It doesn’t always rain in Scotland, but you certainly have plenty of opportunities to use this word. On all but one of my many holidays in Scotland it has rained every day or most days. The only rainless holiday was a wonderful trip to the Inner and Outer Hebrides in September 1996.

A few other Scots weather words include: mochie – warm and damp; rumballiach – tempestuous; gandiegow – a squall or heavy shower, and smirr – light rain. The idea that Eskimos (Inuit) have many words for snow is a myth, but the Scots certainly have many words and phrases to describe wet stuff falling from the sky.

Sources:
http://www.rampantscotland.com/parliamo/blparliamo_weather.htm
http://www.scuilwab.org.uk/WirdOTheMonth/Feb2004.htm