They also avoid the dreaded subject of white kilt hose and whether to use traditional garter ties or elastic. I do have to wonder if they carry sgian dubhs...and where...
The Rev. William B. Henry, Jr.
"With Your Shield or On It!"
I was 16, when I attended my first Burns Supper, at the Officer's Mess of the 16th Signal Regiment at Bradbury Barracks in Krefeld, West Germany as it was then.
I wore a Nova Scotia tartan tie - the only piece of tartan in the whole place. The piper was a Gurkha and wore uniform trousers.
They also avoid the dreaded subject of white kilt hose and whether to use traditional garter ties or elastic. I do have to wonder if they carry sgian dubhs...and where...
Don't even think about it. Although there was a time when they were carried in your oxter. And before anyone asks, an oxter is Scots for an armpit. So if you hear someone complain about "oxterguff" you know they are raising an issue about the lack of deodorant.
I must admit that "oxterguff" is a far more creative term than "B.O."
Scots is full of such "creative" terms. A few that come to mind:-
plooks - spots such as acne
nyaff - a small insignificant person
clarty - dirty
slarry - spread on thickly
I could go on but maybe others have some to add.
I was reading lately about western Pennsylvania dialect (known to some as Pittsburghese) and was kinda surprised at some of the terms which are attributed to the language of the early Scots-Irish settlers in the area. I had always thought that "redd up" (to clean) was Pennsylvania Dutch, but nay, it is apparently Scottish in origin. Residents of the Pittsburgh area are also known for saying "yinz /yunz/ you'uns" (second-person plural) and was surprised to learn this had a Scots-Irish background. Other words include jag (to tease or annoy), jag around (to fool around or act foolishly), jagger (a thorn or burr), jagoff (an annoying or irritating person), and slippy (slippery). Are any of these terms actually used in Scotland or Ireland today?
The Rev. William B. Henry, Jr.
"With Your Shield or On It!"
Originally Posted by Carlo
At least one Kilt
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