Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales from Burns to Buchan (Penguin Classics) (30 page)

corp
, body.

dadding
, bouncing.

broucht
, brought.

Rin
, Run.

at ither
, at each other.

whilly-wha
, coax.

Sawtan
, Satan.

ower muckle
, too much.

won
, reached.

speiring for
, asking after.

ilka
, each.

I kenna for that
, I don’t know about that.

I wanted but to gang
, I wanted only to go.

take
, catch of fish.

quo
, said, quoth.

yett
, prison-gate.

press bed
, box-bed.

crap
, crept.

gless
, telescope.

smack
, small fishing boat.

crunkle
, fold.

a wee below
, just below.

chaipel
, chapel.

aw by his lee lane
, all by himself.

lowped
, leapt.

flang
, flung.

daft quean
, silly lass.

waddin’
, wedding.

warlock
, male witch.

a wee thing set ajee
, slightly disturbed.

bide
, stay.

Thon
, That.

crack
, word, chat.

clum
, climbed.

best of the employ
, best of the action.

siller tester
, silver sixpence.

leid draps
, lead shot.

bogles
, evil spirits.

ae
, one.

wanchancy
, dangerous, scary.

span like a teetotum
, spun like a top.

skelloch
, screech, cry.

elbock
, elbow.

dinnling and stending
, tingling and throbbing.

creishy
, flabby.

fa’n
, fallen.

duddy
, ragged.

wrunkl’t
, wrinkled.

forgie
, forgive.

at the hinder end
, in due course, later.

yirk
, jerk.

that dispensation
, that outcome.

grawn
, adult, grown-up.

severals
, several (people).

ae dreidfu’ skelloch
, one dreadful shriek.

hinderlands
, backside.

wab
, web.

puddock
, frog.

thole
, tolerate.

braeside
, hillside.

^∗
‘We drove our own cattle home, and perhaps some others that were not ours. And we took all the goods out of the hall at Hardriding, and a pretty load of tapestries, and rugs, and other things we have to show for our ride.’

speering
, asking.

bogle
, ghost, spectre.

Whuppity Stoorie
, the name of a witch or bad fairy in Border folklore.

mavises
, song-thrushes.

loon
, rascal.

bannocks
, oatcakes.

tint
, lost.

Debatable Land
, a no-man’s land at the head of the Solway Firth, between England and Scotland.

smoored
, smothered.

pulses
, lentils.

kin-cough
, whooping cough.

ayont
, beyond

sweir
, scared

aa
,

kelpie
, water horse;

fit
, foot, bottom

whiles
, sometimes

gin
, when;

na
, no;

manes
, moans

arn-tree
, alder

licht
, light

claes
, clothes;

lugs
, ears

nicht
, night

fell
, fierce, cruel

schule
, school

daurna
, dare not

fa’s
, falls;

buss
, bush

Martinmas
, II November

crusie
, oil-lamp

abune
, above

douce
, good, pleasant

fechtiní
, fighting

dominie
, teacher;

pawmies
, canings

mony
, many;

Sawbath
, Sabbath

a’body
, everybody

Dod
, God

hae to gang
, have to go

sic-like
, suchlike

Afore
, Before

guid
, good;

couthie
, biddable, agreeable

leein’
, lying

ken
, know

fowk maun dree
, folk must dread

no like to shift
, unlikely to move

Sae
,
So
;

gin
, if

deith
, death

kye
, cattle

breith
, breath

oot-by
, outside

mind
, remember;

lang
, long

een
, eyes

fleggit
, terrified;

wean
, child

whaup
, curlew

dee
, die

fitstep
, footstep

airm
, arm

a’thing
, everything

blast
, gale

dreid
, dread;

daurna
, dare not

shilpit
, feeble, unreliable

fa‘in’
, falling

all joco
, all jovial (jocose) and pleased with oneself.

m’eudail
, my dear (Gaelic, a term of endearment).

jinking
, dodging, ducking.

eachd uisge
, water horse (Gaelic). This was a beast with magic powers, a sprite or kelpie. Given the chance, kelpies were said to drag their victims under the water and drown them.

snood ribbon
, worn by young, unmarried women, bound around the brow and tied at the back under the hair.

carriage and pair
, carriage driven by two horses.

peat-hag
, ledge of peat, cut for fuel (often from a bog).