Local Language

Penicuik
Words & Dialect

Penicuik is a town it Midlothian
about 10 miles south of he centre of Edinburgh

Thank you to Allan Neil for providing all the words and definitions below.

Allan, aged 70,  is an exile from Penicuik, now living in Lancing, West Sussex,  England.

Allan writes:

Words used in and around Penicuik

"I have been compiling a directory of Penicuik slang.  Not all words are purely Penicuik but all were used by my father and those of his generation aroon' the toon."

Allan Neil, Lancing West Sussex, England:  September 22, 2009 + October 18, 2009

Dictionary of Penicuik Words and Dialect

compiled by Allan Neil

A

Ah’m urr                                            I am (‘Ye’re no gaun tae the perty!’  ‘Ah’m urr.’)

                                                          See footnote **2 below

Aicht                          num                Eight

Aleevun                     num                Eleven

Anaw                         conj                Also, as well as (abbrev of ‘and all’

Aye, aye?                                         Form of greeting when meeting in the street.

B

Ba’face                     n                     Over-familiar form off address – Ball-face

Ba’heid                     n                     More offensive than above – Ball-head = Big-head

Ba'heidit                   adj                  Conceited

Bahookie                  n                     Backside, posterior.

Ballop                        n                     Trouser fly

Baucl’t                       adj                  Buckled

eel                             vi                     Fester. (My finger’s beelin’)

Beezum                     n                     Bitch.  Woman of dubious character.

Bide                           vi                     Live, remain, stay

Birl                             vt, vi, n            To spin, or can be a ride, alt to ‘hurl’

Blether                      vi n                  To talk ceaselessly, to chatter.  Aimless chatter.

Blethering skate       n                      A chatterbox

Blooter                      vt                     To defeat completely

Blootered                 adj                  1. Completely defeated.   2. Totally drunk

Boak                          vi                     Retch

Bools                         n                      1. The game played on a bowling green.  2.  Marbles

Box                            n                      Accordion

Breeks                      n                      Trousers

Breenge                   vi                      Dive clumsily into a situation

                                                          "Ye jist breenge in wi'oot thinkin'."

Bunker                      n                      Kitchen work top or draining board

Buroo                        n                      Employment exchange

Bye-kick                    n                     (football term) A goal kick.

C

Ca’                            vt                    Crank, wheel (as in ca’ yer gir <qv>,) continue.

Ca’ canny                 exc                 Be careful

Chaw                         vi vt                To make jealous, to be jealous of

Chuckies                  n pl                 1. Dentures,  2. White translucent pebbles

Chute                         n                     Playground slide

Claim                         vt                     To pick a fight with

Clap                           vt                     To stroke, esp. a pet.  eg, ‘Gaun clap yer dug.’

It does not mean ‘Give your canine friend a standing ovation'.  It means 'Stroke its fur'.

Clarty                         adj                  Filthy

Cleg                           n                     Horsefly

Clipe                          v, n                 To tell on someone, an informer

Cloot                          n                      A cloth.

Clootie dumpling      n                      Steamed pudding

Cludgie 'n dry            n                      lavatory (outdoor latrine)

Coo                            n                      See 'Koo'

Cowp                         vt                     Overturn

Cry                             vt                     (as opposed to weep),  name

                                                          "What's the bairn's name?"  "He's cried George."

Cuddy                       n                      Horse, particularly a working one

Cundy                       n                      Street drain.  (Same as syver)

D

Day, the                     n                      Today

Deh ken                     vi                    Don't know.  "What's the time?"  "I deh ken"

Dicht                          vt                     To wipe (eg ‘Dicht yer neb!’

Divvie                        n                      Dividend from ‘the Store’ or ‘Co-op’

Doanert                     adj                   Mentally inept.  Thick

Doo                            n                      Pigeon (Haemin doo – Homing pigeon)

Dooken                     n                      The plant Dock.

Dooken mack          n                      A grub found on root of dock and used in angling

Doon-bye                 conv                Conversational reference to a place both parties
                                                          are aware of. (Ah’m gaun doon-bye later oan.)

Doon the road                                 As above, but frequently refers to a pub.

Dram                          n                    (in a pub) A double whisky

Driech                        adj                 (of weather) Dull, dreary.

Drooch                      adj                  (of weather) Dry

Drook                        vt                     To wet or soak

Drookit                      adj                  Soaked

Dub                            n                     Puddle

Dug                            n                     Dog

Dunt                           n                     Bump or shoulder-charge

E

Ee                               n                      Eye (pl, een - eyes)

F

Fit                               n                      Foot

Flit                              vi                     To move house

Flittin’                         n                      A house removal (Minlicht flittin’ – secretive
                                                           house removal to avoid overdue rent.)

Forbye                      conj                 As well as, also

Fourpit                      n                      3 and a half pounds (usually of potatoes)

Fower                       num                 Four

Furrit                         adv                  Forward

G

Galloot                       n                    Oaf

Gallus                        adj                  Brazen or ‘having bottle’

Galusses                  n                      Braces for holding up trousers

Gaun intae the toon                        Going to Edinburgh.

Gaun up the road                            Going home.

Gies                           v imp              Give me!

Girn                            vi                     To grumble or complain.  Whinge.

Get                             n                      (offensive) Unpleasant person.

Gey                            adj                  Very, exceedingly (It’s gey cauld the day)

Gir                              n                      A metal hoop propelled (ca’ed) by boy with stick.

Gie, giy                      adv                 Very.  (He’s gie glaikit.)

Glaur                          n                      Dirt

Glaikit                        adj                  Stupid, brainless

Gowk                         n                      Foolish or gullible person (See 'Huntigowk' below.

Greet                         vi                     Cry (as in sad)

Gub                            n                      Mouth

Gub                            vt                     To punch in the mouth

Guddle                      vt                     Catch fish with bare hands

Guff                            vi                     To boast stupidly

Guider                       n                      A soapbox on old pram wheels ridden by boys

Gutties                       n                     1. Plimsolls.  2, Vintage golf balls (gutta-percha)

H

Half                             n                     (in a pub) A single measure of whisky.

Halfnahalf                  n                      (in a pub) A single whisky and half pint of beer.

Haw!                          excl                1. Do you mind!!   2. ‘You there!’ 
                                                          3. A greeting, eg ‘Haw, Jimmy!’

Heedjin                      n                      Boss - (High Heedjin - the Big Boss)

Hen                            n                      Form of address to a lady.  (Hoo’s it gaun, Hen?)

Henner                      n                      A dare. (Ah’ll gie ye a henner. Climb that wa’)

How?                         adv                 Why?  (eg I didnae go tae work the day.’  How?’
                                                          ‘Ah didnae feel weel.’)

Howk                         vt                     To dig.  Eg. Tattie howking (digging potatoes)

Hunkers                    n                      Squatting position (Oan mah hunkers.)

Hunnur                      num                One hundred

Huntigowk !             excl                 'April Fool!'  Compression of 'Hunt the Gowk’

Hurl                          vt                     To throw

Hurl                          n                      A lift on a vehicle or cycle (Gies a hurl oan yer bike)

I  J

Jag                             n                      Injection, inoculation.

Janitor                       n                      (as well as caretaker) School attendance officer.

Jeely-piece               n                      Jam sandwich

Jimmy                       n                      Address to an unfamiliar male ‘Haw Jimmy!’

Jiggin'                       n                      Dancing, Dance Hall

Joab (go for a)        n                      Defecate

K

Keech                       vi, n                (ch as in loch) to excrete, excrement.

Keek                         vi, n                A quick peek (Dutch kijk)

Keelie                       n                     A Glaswegian

Kerry-mittit               adj                  Left-handed.

Kerry-pawed            adj                  Ditto

Kinna                        adv                 Rather.  (Hoo’s yer steak?  Kinna teuch!)

Kippin’ off                 vi                    To play truant.

Kirby                          n                    Hair grip.  From ‘Kirby Grip’

Kirker                         n                    Churchgoer (applicable to C of S)

Kist                             n                    Chest (applies to human thorax or to wooden box)

Koo                            n                     A cow (may be spelt with a ‘c’, but see Kye

Kye                             n pl                 Plural of koo (coo)

L

Laldy,                         n                      Scolding.  (get glaur on yer shin an’ ah’ll gie ye laldy

Lavvie                        n                      Lavatory

Leatherin’                  n                      Punishment administered using a belt.

Leave-piece             n                      Schoolchild’s packed lunch

Left fitter                    n                      A Roman Catholic

Lemonade                n                      A fizzy drink, of whatever flavour, eg; 

                                                           Customer:  'Gies a bottle o’ lemonade’.

                                                           Assistant:  ‘Sure, whit flavour?'

Lug                             n                      Ear.

Lum                            n                      Chimney

Lummux                     n                      Clumsy person

M

Mack                          n                     Maggot, grub.

Manky                        adj                  Dirty, unhygienic

Maukit                        adj                 Graceless, lanky

Messages                 n                     Groceries, especially if collected for another.

Mind                           vt                    Remember.  ‘Do you mind Jim Broon’ means ‘Do

                                                          you remember Jim Broon,’ and not ‘Do you object

                                                          to Jim Broon!’

Mingin’                      adj                   Rotting, stinking.

Morn, the                  n                      Tomorrow

Muckle                      adv                  Very.  See footnote **1 below

N

Neb                            n                      Nose

Ned                            n                      Thug (especially Glaswegian - a Glesca ned might

Be a Celtic or Rangers supporter)

Neep                          n                      Turnip (particularly a swede)

Numpty                      n                       A dim person.

Nut, Nuh’                                           ( Last letter pronounced as a glottal stop.), No.

Nyaff                          adj                   Cheap or tasteless

O

Ouze                          n                      Kind of hairy dustballs found under beds or chairs.

Oxter                          n                      Armpit

P

Pallyally                     n                      Pale ale

Palmies                     n pl                 School punishment, being beaten on the palm with

                                                          the tawse (qv)

Pan loaf                    adj                  An affected 'posh' speech called 'Morningside'
                                                          amongst the citizens of Edinburgh.

                                                          Derives from the two most common forms of bread.
                                                          'Plain loaf' was baked in batches with crusts only on
                                                           the top and bottom.
                                                           'Pan' loaves were baked in individual tins
                                                           and had crusts on all six surfaces.

Pech                          vi                    ('ch' as in 'loch') To pant, to be out of breath

Peals                        adv                 (Bowls term) Equal scores. (Peals efter fower ends)

Pee-the-bed             n                     Dandelion

Peelywally                adj                  Pale, weak

Peenie                       n                    Apron (from pinafore)

Peerie                        n                    Wooden top propelled by string on a stick

Peever                       n                    Hopscotch game

Piece                         n                    Sandwich, lunchbox.

Pish                            n vi                 Urine.  To urinate              

Plook                         n                      Acne spot.  Boil.

Po                              n                      Receptacle found under the bed.  A potty.

Poor-oot                   n                      Largesse - usually small denomination coins,

                                                           thrown from wedding car.

Pound                       n                      Small artificially created area of water, eg Curlin’

                                                           pound, a pond.

Press                        n                      Larder or large cupboard

Puddock                   n                      Frog.

Pump                         vi, n                 Pass rectal wind,  Rectal wind

Q  R

Roane                        n                      Gutter of roof

S

Saldoans                  n                      Salvation Army

Scaffie                       n                      Street sweeper, Dustman.  Dustbin truck.

Scart                          vt                     To scratch. (Dinnae scart yer plooks, hen.)

Skelf                           n                      A splinter

Scud                          n                      A clip round the ear

Scunner                    v                      Sicken (The lavvie fair scunnered me)

Scut                           vt                     To strike, as a match.

Sees                         v imp               Give me! (Sees a halfnahalf!)  More polite form of

                                                          ‘gies!’

Semmit                      n                    Sleeveless vest - singlet.

Scunner                    vt, n                1. Sicken.  2. An annoying person.

Scunnert                   adj                  Sickened

Shaw                         n                     Leafy part of root vegetable, eg tattie shaws

Sheuchs                   n pl                 (‘ch’ as in loch)  Area between the buttocks.

Shin                           n pl                 Plural of shoe.

Shoogle                    vt, vi               To shake.  To wobble

Shoogly                    adj                  Shaky, unsteady

Shoother                  n                      Shoulder

Shows, the               n coll               Funfair

Shunkie                    n                      Lavatory

Shy                            n, vt                (football term) Throw in from touch.

Sic                             adj                  Such.  See **1 below

Sinn                           adv                 Ago. (Ah went tae the Tattoo ten year sinn.)

Skail                           vt                    Spill
                                                          (usually heard in the past tense
                                                           'Ah've skailt mah pint')

Skelf                           n                    Splinter

Skelp                          vt, n              To smack or thrash.  A smack

Skelpit leatherin’       n                    Punishment administered to the buttocks by hand

Skite                           n, vi              1. A light blow.  2.  To skid.  Example - 'Ye'll get

                                                          a skitit lug – you’ll get a clip on the ear!)

Skitters                      n                     Diarrhoea

Slaister                      vt, n                Lay a substance on thick (eg slaister Brylcreem on

                                                          yer heid), a messy person.

Slater                         n                     Woodlouse

Slider                         n                      Ice cream between two wafers

Slitter                         vi, n                To make a wet mess.  Someone making a wet mess

Smirrin                      n                      Very light drizzly rain

Smout                        n                     Small person

Sneck                        n                     Door latch

Sneg                          v                     To steal

Snoater                     vi, n                To have a runny nose, nasal mucus

Sook in                     vi                     To curry favour.

Soomin'                    adj                   Soaked (corruption of 'Swimming')

Soordook                 n                      The herb wild sorrel

Spyug                        n                     Sparrow

Stookie                      n                    1. Starling.  2. Plaster for broken limb

Stoor                          n                     Dust

Store, the                  n                     Co-operative shop (eg ‘ the Store butcher = Co-op

                                                          Butcher)

Stote                          n vt                 Bounce (as a ball)

Stote-up                    n                     (football term) restart by referee dropping ball         

Sugarallie                 n                      Liquorice

Sumph                      n                      Cry-baby    "Awa', ye big sumph!"

Sut, su’                      adv                 So, definitely. (Y’ur nut.  Ah’m ur sut!)

Swither                      vt                     Display hesitation, dither.

Syver                         n                      Street drain.  (Same as Cundy)

T

Tackets                    n                      Metal studs inserted into soles of boots

Tackety bits             n                      Boots with metal studded soles

Tackety bits             n                      Boots with metal studded soles

Tae                           conj                 Also (Jimmy wiz there tae)

Taes                         n                      Toes  (He wiz oan his taes = he ran away)

Tally Man                  n                      Loan collector.

The Tawse               n                      Leather strap, tongued at one end used in school

                                                          as corporal punishment 

Taiblit                        n                      Hard, very sugary form of fudge.

Tattie                         n                      Potato

Tattie bogle              n                      Ghost.

Tattie-bye                                         (valediction) Good-bye!

Teuch                        adj                  (ch as in loch) Tough.

Teuchter                   n                      Highlander

Thole                         vt                     Stand or abide, usually expressed as a negative
                                                          (Ah cannae thole the man’s face)

Thon                          adv                 Penicuik corruption of ‘Yon, yonder.’

Thoosun                   num                One thousand

Toalie                        n                    Excrement, a turd.

Torn-faced               adj                  Grumpy

Toonie                       n                    Resident of Edinburgh.

Troachle                    n                     Impish child.

Turn an’ ca’                                     (Football term) Change ends and continue the
                                                         game without a half-time interval.

Twa’                           num              Two

U

Up the Street                                   Town Centre

V  W

Wallies                       n                    (pronounced wah-lies) False teeth

Wallie dug                n                     Ornamental china dog

Wheesht                   excl                Be quiet!  (‘Hud yer wheesht’ means the same)

Whiles                       adv                 Sometimes

Whit fur?                   adv                 Why?

Winchin                     adv                 Courting seriously

X  Y  Z

Yin                              num                One

Yin-fittit                      adj                  Unable to kick a ball with both feet

Yucker                       n                      A large stone or rock

Footnotes

**1       ‘Muckle’ is in common use throughout Scotland as a stand-alone adjective meaning ‘Very big.’  In Penicuik it can be used to give emphasis to another adjective, eg; ‘Thon Jock Black’s sic a muckle big lummux.’

**2       Conversations between two Penicuik bairns.

            (a)  ‘Yer a scunner!”
       “Ah’m urr nuh’”
       “Y’urr suh’”

            (b)  "Yur sut!"            'Yes, you are!'
       "Um nut!"            'I am not!'
       "Yis ur!"              'Yes, you are!'
       "Naw um urny!"   'No, I'm not!'

with acknowledgement to Allan Neil, a native of Penicuik:  24+25 Oct, 2009