Home of Scottish Words Illustrated.
The Scottish Language is full of attitude, great on the ear, emotive, and the words are not too far from English which makes them globally accessible. I hear and speak Scots every day. Perfect for me to illustrate and translate. See the latest Word here.
Stooryduster Scottish Language Glossary.
I’ve added an A-Z glossary of Scottish words with well over a thousand linked to contextual illustrations. You can browse through the Scots Language A-Z glossary pages here.
Have fun exploring Stooryduster’s Scottish Word illustrations and see if my work makes you smile – it should. There is also help with pronunciation for many of the words. ‘Gie yer freens a gas*’ and let them know about Stooryduster.
An illustrated dictionary?
Stooryduster is close to a comprehensive illustrated Scottish dictionary – if I don’t die too soon it might indeed get there.
Twitter and Mastodon.
I’m on Mastodon.Scot here for those that are interested.
Buy the Tshirt.
Scottish Words’ T-shirts and stuff are available. Three Scots word’s mugs and one or two T-shirts at RedBubble, but I will slowly add more stuff. I make them for me really. But if you’re feeling kindly and want to show a wee bit of appreciation, you can buy me a ‘coffee’ here on Ko-fi. Only one word a week – illustrated and defined – that’s all I can afford (typical Scotsman).
Phonetic guide to pronunciation.
See how the phonetic alphabet works – this link opens a page which gives you guidance on the way each letter in the phonetic alphabet represents a particular sound. This guidance is available as a pop up window when you click on any phonetic image of a Scottish word on most of this site. It will give you some clue as to how you should be pronouncing the words.
Why start the Scottish Words site.
Scottish Words Illustrated was my reaction to the erosion of language through the lazy one size fits all generic American spelled ‘International’ English that came with computers back in the day and its spread throughout the world. Scottish Words were my response – one a week. More on How and Why here.
View the thumbnail links to all the weekly word entries for illustration Friday where I interpreted a word set by the owners of the IF web site.
For those that noticed that the illustrations stop for a while in September 2012.
During 2012 I became ill and the most serious symptom and the thing that prompted me to get help was that I stopped drawing or being creative in any way.
Depression is a first world problem but nevertheless it is real, misery inducing and debilitating. The good news is that I have recovered enough to update the site again regularly.
Translation:
*Gie yer freens a gas: give your friends so much enjoyment they’re gasping for breath.
This Scottish words site is accurate but leans towards enjoyment. If you want definitions that take themselves very seriously please consult the relevant dictionaries, lexicons, or grannies.
Have fun.
I have just come across your site…it’s brilliant! Great illustrations and a lot of hard work…just felt compelled to send you a message! Thank you 🙏
Thanks. Always a pleasure to get positive feedback. Better than gold.
Many of your published examples are NOT ‘Scottish’ in any real sense. Rather, they are a random mix of regional expressions, many now long forgotten or rarely used. Some are purely local slang or patois. ‘Oor Wullie’ & ‘The Broons’ also exploit this curious phenomenon. Do you know anyone who actually speaks like Wullie? I lived in Glesca for many years and he wes no neighbour of mine.
Aye weel. Try and get oot a wee bit. Try a wee jauntie up tae Evanton, Alford or the Broch an see hoo ye bade.
Thank you thank you for this amazing wensite I’m an adopted Scot (38 yrs since we moved up) passionate about words in general + Scots in particular The way it hits so many meanings on the heed makes you go wow the brilliance of it! Now I can say what I really want to say. Do you charge a subscription. I will gladly pay as I know tje costs of keeping such a site running
Thanks very much for the compliments. I’ve been doing it for fun and practice but anyone who wants to contribute can do so through Kofi https://ko-fi.com/stooryduster with any amount they think the enjoyment they got from my work is worth. A bit like throwing coins in a busker’s hat, you can make a donation any time you happen to be visiting my site, There’s a button on most pages.
One person does so already and I must figure out how to send a thank you through the Kofi interface.
I’ve always been a fan of any form of micropayments generally, If everybody paid a little on sites they enjoyed then more people might actually make a living digitally. And I’m gratified that you have that sort of mind.
Cheers
Dear Stoory
My friend John (Glesca keelie) and I (both thrawn and glaikit) have recently stumbled on your page. Manna. (We were on the trail of ‘sitooterie’ which inevitably led on to cludgie. All in the name of research.)
Might yours be the place to record great gems of the Glasgow pantomime?
Who else recalls Jimmy Logan and Stanley Baxter circa 1957:
Fares please, fares please,
You can hear me yell,
Standing on the platform
Ringing on the bell.
Where I come from you will never guess
I’m Jeannie Macdougall frae Auchenshuggle
The caur conductoress.
Hey. Stanley Baxter is still alive at least at this time of posting. So far. I watched a documentary about him a few months ago and checked on the date of production and looked up his bio. He was indeed interviewed for the programme and still in fine fettle – if old.
Hi Alan, Many thanks for your thoughts and comments on my blog, much appreciated and great to hear too. All the very best, Craig
I reckon it comes from leather it on. As in getting a good leathering which means your dad taking his belt off and giving you a good beating for something bad. Or a teacher pre 1960s. But no, I’m way wrong. So…
From the dictionary of the Scottish Language
http://www.dsl.ac.uk/
*Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 99:
He took the horse our far up the lair, an’ laggert thim.
4. tr. To besmear, bespatter, esp. with mud or wet clay (Sc. 1725 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 256; Uls. 1953 Traynor; Ork., Cai., Ags., Slg. Fif., 1960); fig. to spread thickly, of butter, etc. (Fif.17 1950, laiger; Ork. 1960). Cf. Slaiger.
*Mry. 1790 Aberdeen Mag. 31:
The sheep tak’ to scoug, wi’ a weet lagart fleece.
*Lnk. 1844 J. Lemon Lays 49:
An’ there we laiggart a’ our cheeks Wi’ the bonnie purpie dye.
*Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xxviii.:
The croon o’ my hat, which was completely laggered wi’ glaur.
Nice to know it’s still in use.
Friends and family ( by marriage) use Scots words and I sometimes… well, OK always wonder what they’re on aboot ( I’m French, by the way)… and tonight I came across the word bampot!!! What a laugh I had to discover the story & illustration on your site!! I even understood before reading the translation, made myself proud. Great!
LOVE your pages!
Mind’s me a’ me da and me aunties — cum frae Glesga an’ soonded lac it ’til th’ day they deed.
Da told me that “Robert the Bruce, kilt a moose a’ top o’ the hen hoose.”
(Might be a good subject for one of your great drawings.)
Sorry, the web page is about 20 years old — will fix it up some day, I hope.
–Shug
what is tims in scottish language