Useful Scottish Slang Words and Phrases Such as Fit Like Min, Aye And Ya Bas

I have put together a wee list of useful Scottish slang words and phrases, which I feel will be of benefit to anybody that has got any Scottish friends or is planning on travelling to Scotland.

I have heard it said from a few different sources that when I’m in the company of or on the phone with another Scottish person we talk funny! Even though I was born only 500 or so miles  from London, our accents and local slang words are almost like a foreign language in comparison to the so called Queens English.

I must admit when I’m in a shop, café or restaurant and the person serving is from Poland, India or Outer Mongolia I like to confuse them by using as much Scottish slang words as possible.

I personally only use a few Scottish slang in my normal vocabulary. I also have never talked broad Scots or with a really heavy Scottish accents, I come from Aberdeen, which is mostly more refined than many places in Scotland!

Useful Scottish Slang Words & Phrases

• Aberdonian – “someone from Aberdeen”
• Auld – “old” it is often used to refer to old people, such as “ye auld bastard”.
• Aye – this is one that I use on a regular basis, it means, “yes”. I have read somewhere that it also means, “always”. I’m born and bred Scottish and I have never once in my life used the word aye, to mean always.
• Bam – “uneducated delinquent”.
• Bairn – “little child”
• Blether – “is to have a long talk”.
• Bonnie – “beautiful”.
• Bide – “ where you live”, such as “ I bide in Kilburn”
• Cannae – “cant”, such as you cannae make it to the pub for pint, because your wife wont let you out.
• Deid – “dead”.
• Dyke – this one will confuse you all, it is a “wall”. Not an ugly lesbian that looks like a man.
• Fae – “from” such as in “faur you fae”, “I’m fae Aberdeen”.
• Faur – “where”.
• Fit like min – this phrase basically means, “how are you”.
• Hogmanay – “New Years Eve”.
• Havering – “to talk a load of rubbish or nonsense”
• Neap – has two meanings, firstly it is what  we call a “turnip” or “swede”. As well as someone who is an “idiot”.
• Rammy, Is what seems to happen when the youths of London have had a couple of shandies, “a fight”.
• Quine – this one is used a fair bit back in certain parts of Aberdeen, it means “girl” or “lass” and not just young girls. I have even heard old strong Doric speakers use quine to refer to auld grannies.
• Wee – “small” or “little”
• Ya Bas – “you Bastard”
• Ye – “you” such as “Freedom Come All Ye”

I have tried to use in my list of words or phrases, ones that are more commonly used. I could have created a list with thousands of words, “but I hinae got a day min”.

I have also for obvious reason included some words from my part of Scotland, which will differ from words used in places like Glasgow or the Highlands.

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