Say It Like a True Scotsman

THAR are mony folk, wha hae spoken English a' their grown-up days, wha like to gang back to the tongue o' their bairnhood, the mirk and shadows o' auld age. Thar are ithers wha seem tae tak better to the Word whan it comes to them wi' a wee o' the Scottish birr. And thar are a Bantle o' folk—and I meet them a'gate—wha dinna speak Scots theirsels. but are keen to hear it, and like to read it.

And thar is anitber consideration—the Scots tongue is no gettin extendit, and some folk think it may be tint a'thegither 'or lang. And Scots is for a' men; and ony lawfu' means ane can use to get folk to read it, and tak tent to it, is richt and proper, Lat nae man think it is a vulgar tongue—a mere gibberish to be dune wi' as sune as ane is bye the schule-time. It is an ancient and honourable tongue ; wi' rutes deep i' the yird ; aulder than muckle o' the English. It cam doon to us throwe oor Gothic and Pictish forebears; it was heard on the battle-field wi' Bruce; it waf tit the triumphant prayers and sangs o' the Martyrs intil Heeven ; it dirl't on the tongue o' John Knox, denouncin wrang; it sweeten't a' the beevenlie letters o' Samu'l Rutherford ; and aneath the theek o' mony a muirland cottage it e'en noo carries thanks to Heeven, and brings the blessins doon.

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In an area the size of Alabama we have a half-dozen lesser languages spanning the northern half of the United Kingdom, all dominated by English, but both historically, and orthographically having little in common and they are to a large part mutually unintelligible.

Say It Like A True Scotsman is a different kind of phrasebook. While most phrasebooks focus on identifying common situations and objects one is likely to encounter as a tourist, this book focuses on the exquisite vocabulary and pronunciation that make up the Scots language. Here you’ll find a collection of Scottish sayings and proverbs along with their English translation and interpretation.

If you can’t tell your erse from your elbae, if you were ever curious about the reason getting a Mars Bar can be excruciatingly painful, you could very well benefit from haein a shuftie through Say It Like A True Scotsman - as ana body kens, there’s nothing better than Scots slang for a pithy insult or a well-turned phrase.

Contents

Introduction
A Guide to Scots Pronunciation and Grammar
Shetland
Borders Scots
Orkney
East Angus and Kincardine
North East
Caithness
West Central
South Central
East Central South
East Central North
Useful Words to Know
Weather
Greetings
Conversation
Asking for Help and Directions
Solving a Misunderstanding
Numbers
Birds & Beasties
Scots Verbs
Describin Words
Scottish Idioms
Scots Sayings and Proverbs
Sources