Caithness slang word's or phrase's

**mccaugm** · 24-May-06, 15:38

My mother-in-law says -

Sornin - looking for

Doug - dog

Peedie chil - small child

Peedie Bygie - small boy

Also Caithness people always say ch when the sound is J

i.e Chacket - jacket

**Cedric Farthsbottom III** · 24-May-06, 15:42

My favourites are the 3 fleurs and boyagee.

**laguna2** · 24-May-06, 15:43

.. so does that mean that "Halkirk chickie" is really "Halkirk Jickie

**Kenn** · 24-May-06, 22:14

amidan = fool
attrie = bad tempered
aul-farrant=old fashioned
bank o' fowg=killjoy
blainag=pimple
bletter=duck droppings
Booragtoon= Thurso
boggin=bad taste / horrible
broon-coo= whisky jar
bubblie=ignoramous
buller=to heisitate in speech.cry intemittently
buss=sulk
carrie-elt=half baked

**JAWS** · 25-May-06, 00:00

I've been dipping in and out of this one and I've found it of great interest.
However, I would question the use of the word "Slang". I would have thought Dialect would be a more accurate term.
I'm not having a go at Chillie for using "slang" because I was always chastised for using "slang" as a child. I now realise just how much of my Heritage was kept from me.

A lot of old Dialect Words in all areas of Britain are being lost forever because, whereas a while ago that was the e=way almost everybody would speak in an area, we now constantly hear a form of "Standard" English via the Media. I can understand the reason for that because were somebody from Caithness to talk to somebody from Cornwall, both using their own dialect they would never understand one another so in the age of radio/TV something everybody can understand makes sense.

As far as I am concerned, dialect is just as important to an areas Culture as promoting the use of any other dying language.

Blethering is something we do in Lancashire as well as Caithness, fusome also sounds vaguely familiar somewhere in the recesses of my brain, somebody might be called a "fusome idiot", which I always took the mean a "complete idiot", (I know, yes I have been called one before) but it looks very similar to the meaning you have here.
Certainly the origins of some of the words must be the same.

I prefer the term dialect because people are more easily persuaded it is something worth preserving whereas "slang" has always been used as a derogatory word indicating something rather lacking in taste and only used by those who know no better and therefore to be cast aside as worthless.
It would be such a shame were this area to lose something which is so much a part of it's heritage.

**Cedric Farthsbottom III** · 25-May-06, 00:09

Know what ye mean about a lot of dialects being lost.My gran used to always say to me and my brother in Ayrshire that we were not speaking properly and that we should use proper English.

We both would say at the same time,"Ach away and bile yer heid!!!!!".Man,she laughed her head off at that.

**plutonio** · 25-May-06, 10:22

chiel- man

**mccaugm** · 25-May-06, 10:58

Originally Posted by laguna2

.. so does that mean that "Halkirk chickie" is really "Halkirk Jickie

I guess it does....

**Billy Boy** · 25-May-06, 11:21

peelie-wallie , ill-looking

breek's , trouser's

neep , turnip

wallie's , false teeth

midden , dunghill

hairy-brottag , caterpillar

**Billy Boy** · 25-May-06, 11:36

semmit=vest

blin-drift=snow

lug=ear

dirdie-wicker=someone fae wick

**Billy Boy** · 25-May-06, 12:03

btw anyone know how/why the slang word dirdie-wicker got started

**Rheghead** · 25-May-06, 12:33

Some Caithness terminology for their birds.

Borray : Razorbill
Cootrie or Tommienorrie : Puffin
Faap : Curlew
Horse Gowk : Snipe
Jocktibeet or Stonechecker : Stonechat
Kittiefake : Kittiewake
Lairag : Skylark
Malimak : Fulmer
Maws : Seagulls
Muir Hen : Red Grouse
Oakie or Awpie : Guillemot
Pikternie : Tern
Scarf : Shag or Cormorant
Shochad : Lapwing
Skooty-allan : Arctic skua
Skorry : young seagull
Solan : Gannet
Sprowg : Sparrow
Stirler: Starling
Teetlen : Meadow pipit
Willie beeb : Sandpiper
Yarlin : Yellowhammer

**Dusty** · 25-May-06, 20:22

Originally Posted by Mr & Mrs Billy Boy

btw anyone know how/why the slang word dirdie-wicker got started

I heard or read somewhere that the word Durdie meant "hard working" and was applied to the folk that worked in the herring fishing businesses around Wick. So...Durdy Weeker. Which at times was used as "Durty Weeker".

**Dusty** · 25-May-06, 20:26

Some words my Dad who was a Gleeber used:
Trock = rubbish, Hippen = nappy, peeping = crying, Bowgie = belly, Paling Stab = fence post, Dowg = dog, Skail = spill, Browg = Bradawl (device for making holes in leather), Peedy = small. Fousom = unclean.

**connieb19** · 25-May-06, 20:28

Garrad- Attic

**Rheghead** · 25-May-06, 20:31

Originally Posted by Mr & Mrs Billy Boy

btw anyone know how/why the slang word dirdie-wicker got started

According to my sources, the most likely explanation is that your spelling has slightly changed through modern myth from the original 'Daatie' which was a term of endearment meaning 'Darling'. It may have been given extra association with the 'silver darlings'.