Collins Scottish Words: A wee guide to the Scottish language. John Abernethy

cowkin ower the side.

      crabbit (pronounced krab-it) adjective grumpy or bad-tempered: He’s aye crabbit first thing in the morning. [a Scots form of crabbed]

      crannie noun spoken in Northeast the little finger, or pinkie: the size o’your crannie

      craw steps or corbie steps plural noun the small steps on the gable of a roof in traditional Scottish architecture: We could make out the steeples and craw steps of the old town.

      creel noun a large basket used to carry bread or fish: plenty herring to fill the creel A labster creel is a wickerwork trap for catching lobsters and shellfish: The fisherman told us that there was a labster creel on the seabed under each of the little buoys.

      creeshie adjective greasy or dirty: Ah’m no eatin ony mair of thae creeshie burgers o’ theirs. [from creesh fat or tallow]

      crivvens or criffens interjection an exclamation of surprise: Crivvens, is that the time already?

      This word is considered so inoffensive as to be quite suitable for ministers and aunties, even though some people think it was originally a form of Christ defend us.

      crowdie (pronounced krow-di) noun a soft white cheese made by straining the whey from soured milk and beating up the remaining curd with salt: The teashop served home-made scones with bramble jam amd crowdie. [perhaps from crud, an earlier form of curd]

      It might be best to keep this rather unfortunate association with ‘crud’ at the back of your mind the next time you see crowdie on the menu.

      cuddy or cuddie noun a donkey or a horse: My legs are as stiff as an auld cuddy. [possibly a nickname for Cuthbert, although that seems rather a highfalutin name for a donkey]

      cundy noun the gutter at the side of the road or the cover of a drain: The cundy was choked with dead leaves and rubbish. [a Scottish pronunciation of the English conduit]

      cushie-doo (pronounced koosh-ee-doo) or cushat-doo (pronounced koosh-at-doo) or cushie noun a wood pigeon: Ah hear a cushie-doo cooin in yon tree, but Ah cannae spot it. [from the English cushat plus doo, a Scots word for pigeon]

      dachle (pronounced daCH-l) verb spoken in Northeast to dawdle or loiter: Dinnae dachle on the road or it’ll be dark afore ye get back.

      daffin noun playful or foolish behaviour: He wis aye wan for daffin wi’ the lassies.

      dander or dauner (pronounced dawn-er) noun a stroll: I’m just away for a wee dander. | verb to stroll: You can dander across the Solway sands to Rough Island, but beware of being stranded by the incoming tide.

      darg noun a day’s work or a task to be done: He’ll never ken the satisfaction o’ finishin a good day’s darg. [from a contraction of day-work]

      daud (pronounced dawd) or dad noun a lump or chunk of something: Gie’s a daud o’ breid tae keep me goin.

      deave (pronounced deev) verb to deafen someone, or to bewilder or weary them with noise or talk: Grandad was always deaving us with his war stories.

      deek spoken in Edinburgh & Southeast verb to look at or see something: Deek this gadgie. | noun a look at something: Have a deek out the window. [Romany]

      deif (pronounced deef) adjective deaf: I’m talking to you! Are ye deif or something?

      deil (pronounced deel) noun the devil: They say the deil looks after his ain.

      dicht (pronounced diCHt or dite) verb to wipe something clean: Dicht roon the sink. | noun a wipe: Gie your face a dicht. [Old English diht to arrange]

      diddy noun 1 a female breast or nipple: a photie o’ a lassie showin her diddies 2 spoken in Glasgow area a foolish person: D’ye know nothin, ya wee diddy?

      dirl verb to vibrate or shake: The noise of the bagpipes made the very rafters dirl.

      Gaelic voices

      Nowadays we tend to think of Gaelic as being spoken only in the Highlands and Islands, but in fact it was once the everyday language of most of what is now Scotland. Indeed it was commonly spoken in the southwest of the country until the sixteenth century. The ancient language is now undergoing something of a revival in Lowland cities, especially in the Glasgow area, where Gaelic-medium schools have been established.