Scottish Words and Phrases

Scottish Proverbs and Sayings

• Lang may yer lum reek!
  A salutation wishing long life and prosperity. Literally, long may your chimney smoke.
• Haste ye back.
  Come back to visit soon.
• Awa' an' bile yer heid!
  Get lost! Literally, go and boil your head.
• Givin' it laldy.
  Doing something with gusto.
• Haud yer wheest!
  Be quiet!
• Fit Like?
  An Aberdeen greeting, meaning how are you?
• Dinnae fash yersel.
  Don't trouble yourself.
• In the name of the wee man!
  Oh for goodness' sake.
• You're a long time deid.
  Enjoy life now.
• Up to high doh.
  In a state of anxiety.
• Sic as ye gie, sic wull ye get.
  You'll get out of life as much as you put in.
• Ye'll get yir heid in yir hauns an yir lugs ti pley wi.
  You'll get in big trouble. Literally, you'll get your head in your hands and your ears to play with!
• It's a sair fecht.
  It's a hard life, or something that troubles or disappoints.
• High heid yin.
  The boss; the highest in rank.

Scottish Toasts

1. Some hae meat, and canna eat,
   And some wad eat that want it;
   But we hae meat, and we can eat
   And sae the Lord be thankit.
2. Here's tae the heath, the hill and the heather,
   The bonnet, the plaid, the kilt and the feather.
3. May the best ye hae ivver seen be the warst ye'll ivver see.
   May the moose ne'er leave yer girnal wi a tear-drap in its ee.
   May ye aye keep hail an hertie till ye'r auld eneuch tae dee.
   May ye aye juist be sae happie as A wuss ye aye tae be.
4. Where'er ye bide in the world sae wide,
   We wish ye a neuk on the sunny side,
   Wi' muckle o' love and little o' care,
   A wee bit pursie wi' siller to spare,
   Yer ain wee ingle when day is spent,
   In a wee bit housie wi' hearts content.
5. Here's tae us; wha's like us?
   Gey few, and they're a' deid.
   Mair's the pity!