Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers: A Treasury of 1,000 Scottish Words

(Hardback)

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The Scots language is an ancient and lyrical tongue, one inherently linked to the countrys history and identity, its land and culture. It is also a living and vital vernacular, used daily. Yet some of these words are beginning to fade away, their meaning and value disappearing.
Robin Crawford has gathered together 1,000 Scots words from his native land old and new, classical and colloquial, rural and urban in a joyful celebration of their continuing usage. In this rich linguistic tapestry, he reveals their evocative origins and essential character with verve, delight and wit.
ingin: Dundonian for onion. The eye-watering essence of the Dundee dialect is captured in the phrase Twa bridies, ples. A plen an an an ingin an an a. (A pair of Forfarshire meat pastries, please. A plain one and an onion one as well).
roaster: modern slang for an idiot. A protestors placard during US President Trumps visit to Scotland read: Yir maw was an immigrant, ya roaster.
simmer dim: Shetland term for long summer evenings where due to the northern latitude it never really gets dark at night.
grannie: female grandparent (who cannot be pushed or shoved from public road transportation)

Author Bio

Born in Glasgow, Robin A. Crawford has a particular interest in the culture and natural heritage of his native land. He is the critically acclaimed author of Into The Peatlands: A Journey Through the Moorland Year, longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2019. He trained as a sculptor and has been a bookseller for twenty-five years. He lives in Fife, Scotland, with his wife.