Scots Dictionary: The perfect wee guide to the Scots language

capercailzie or capercaillie (cape-er-kale-yee or cap-er-kale-yee) A capercailzie is a large European woodland grouse. In Scotland, it is found mainly in the eastern Highlands from Tayside to Easter Ross, although it may be found as far west as the Loch Lomond islands. It has a black plumage and the male has a fan-shaped tail. [The word comes from the Gaelic capull coille horse of the woods]

carnaptious (car-nap-shuss) Carnaptious is a word meaning grumpy, bad-tempered, or irritable: He’s a carnaptious auld devil! [The word comes from knap bite and the intensifier car-]

carry-code In some areas of Scotland, a carry-code is a ride on someone’s back and shoulders. Also called (elsewhere) backie, coal carry, coalie backie, or cuddyback.

carry-out or cairry-oot A person’s carry-out is the takeaway drink or food they have bought from a bar, off-licence, or restaurant: Let’s get a carry-out before the bar closes. A carry-out is also a restaurant from which takeaway food can be bought: There’s a good Chinese carry-out on the High Street.

carse (rhymes with farce) A carse is an area of low-lying fertile land near a river. The word is often used in place names such as the Carse of Gowrie and the Carse of Stirling.

cateran (cat-er-an) In the past, a cateran was a bandit, robber, or mercenary of the Scottish Highlands. [The word comes from the Gaelic ceathairneach plunderer, and dates from the 14th century]

caul In Southern Scotland, a caul is a weir or a dam.

cauld Cauld means cold: a wee dram to keep out the cauld; It was awfy cauld this mornin.

cauldrife (cawl-drif) Someone who is cauldrife is prone to feeling the cold easily. Cauldrife also means lifeless.

cauld-wind If bagpipes are described as cauld-wind, they are filled by bellows rather than by blowing.

causey A causey is a cobbled street, road, or way. A causey stane is a cobble or paving stone.

ceilidh (kale-ee) A ceilidh is an informal social gathering with folk music, singing, dancing, and storytelling. This kind of gathering, which is popular in the Highlands and Islands, is normally held in someone’s house. In the rest of Scotland, a ceilidh is more of an organized evening of entertainment. Ceilidhs take place in hotels or halls hired for the evening and involve Scottish country dancing to music played usually on accordions and fiddles. Some dances are for couples and some for larger groups. [The word is Gaelic]

Celt 1 (kelt) A Celt is a person from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, or Brittany, especially one who speaks a Celtic language. The Celts were an Indo-European people who in pre-Roman times inhabited Britain, Gaul, Spain, and other parts of West and Central Europe. Something which is Celtic is of or concerned with the Celts or their languages. Celtic is a branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton, still spoken in parts of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Brittany. Modern Celtic is divided into the Brythonic (southern) and the Goidelic (northern) groups. 2 (selt) A Celt is player or supporter of Celtic, one of Scotland’s largest and oldest football clubs.

Ceol beag

Ceol beag (kyoll bayg) Ceol beag is a class of music for Scottish bagpipes, consisting of marches, strathspeys, and reels. [The phrase is Gaelic and means little music]

Ceol meadhonach (kyoll me-on-aCH) Ceol meadhonach is a class of music for Scottish bagpipes, consisting of folk songs, lullabies, and slow marches. [The phrase is Gaelic and means middle music]

Ceol mor (kyoll mor) Ceol mor is a class of music for Scottish bagpipes, consisting of salutes, gatherings, laments, and commemorative tunes. [The phrase is Gaelic and means big music]

ceud míle fáilte (kee-ut mee-luh fah-ill-tya) Ceud míle fáilte is a greeting often seen on place-name signs for towns. [The phrase is Gaelic and means a hundred thousand welcomes]

champit or chappit Champit vegetables are ones which have been mashed.

champit tatties or chappit tatties Champit tatties are mashed potatoes, which are one of the traditional accompaniments to haggis, along with neeps, in a Burns Supper.

chanter A chanter is a pipe on a set of bagpipes that is provided with finger holes and on which the melody is played. The chanter can also be played on its own for practice. Compare drone.

chanty A chanty is a chamber pot.

chanty-wrastler (chant-ee-rass-ler) In the Glasgow area, a chanty-wrastler is a contemptible person. [The word wrastler comes from wrastle meaning to wrestle or struggle with something]

chap To chap on a door or a window is to knock on it: I am directed to room five, and march up the stairs to chap nervously on the door. A chap is such a knock: Give the door another chap.

chappit A variant of champit.

chauve or tyauve (chawv) To chauve is to struggle, strive, or work hard, often with little to show for one’s exertions. A chauve is a struggle: It’s a sair chauve for a half loaf.

cheep To cheep is to whisper or speak softly. Birds also cheep, that is, chirp. The phrase not a cheep means not a word or not a sound and is often used in a command to keep quiet, such as not a cheep out of you.

cheeper A cheeper is a light kiss on the cheek.

chib In the West of Scotland, a chib is an offensive weapon, such as a knife or a razor, used to stab or slash someone. To chib someone is to stab or slash them.

chief or chieftain The chief of a Scottish clan is its head or leader.

chiel (cheel) or chield A chiel is a lad or a young man. The word is in common use in parts of Northern Scotland, but is mainly old-fashioned or literary elsewhere. [It is probably related to child]

Children’s Hearing A Children’s Hearing is the Scottish equivalent of an English juvenile court. They were introduced in 1971 with the objective of dealing with children under sixteen who are in criminal or family trouble. A Children’s Panel of three trained volunteers makes an assessment of each child, based on evidence given by anyone with knowledge of the child, then recommends whatever action is needed to be taken. Recommendations are always made with the aim to help and reform rather than punish the child.

chitter To chitter is to shiver with cold.

chitterin’ bite

chitterin’ bite A chitterin’ bite is a snack or sweet eaten immediately after a swim. It is supposed to prevent one from catching a cold.

chocolate In the Glasgow area, the phrase if he was chocolate he’d eat himself is sometimes used of a person who is conceited or boasting about his achievements.

chuckie or chuckie stane A chuckie is a stone or pebble of throwable size: throwing chuckies in the water.

chuddie Chuddie is a name for chewing gum.

chum To chum a friend means to accompany them somewhere: I’ll chum you along to the bus stop.

chunty heid In Northeast Scotland, a chunty heid is a stupid person.

church officer or kirk officer Another name for a beadle.

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland is the established church in Scotland. It has a Presbyterian structure, with each congregation being governed by an elected body of elders, and a Calvinist doctrine. The Church of Scotland has the largest membership of any church in Scotland. The secession of the Scottish Church from Rome took place in 1560 under the leadership of John Knox. In 1840, in what came to be known as the Disruption, a split took place among Scotland’s Presbyterians and some members of the Church of Scotland left to form the Free Church. See Kirk.

chute (shoot) A chute is a playground slide.

City Chambers In Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee, the City Chambers is the seat of municipal government.

clabber or glabber In Southwest Scotland, clabber is a word for mud, earth, or clay. [The word comes from the Gaelic clàbar meaning mud or a puddle]

clachan (klaCH-an) A clachan is a small village or hamlet. Clachan, being a Gaelic word, was first used of only Highland villages, but its use is now more widespread. [The word is Gaelic and means stone]

clack or claick In Northeast Scotland, clack is gossip or chat. To clack is to gossip or chat. [This sense probably developed from one of its original meanings: the clattering sound a mill makes when in motion]

Clackmannanshire (clack-man-an-sher or clack-man-an-shire) Clackmannanshire is a historic county in East Central Scotland at the northwest end of the Firth of Forth. It is now the name of a council area occupying much the same area as the old county.

claes (klaze) Claes are clothes. The saying back to auld claes and porridge means a return to normality after a period of jollity, celebration, or indulgence: After Hogmanay it’s back to auld claes and porridge for us.

claik See clack.