Scottish Vocabulary

noun a Scottish or Northern English dialect word for a child

• The bairn was born healthy and strong.
• I can't wait to meet your new bairn!
• The wee bairn is so cute!
• The project was like a bairn, requiring constant care and attention.

noun a fireplace or hearth, especially a large one in a medieval hall

• The fireplace in the living room has a cozy ingle where we gather on cold winter nights.
• Come sit by the ingle and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate.
• Let's chill by the ingle and watch a movie tonight.
• The ingle of friendship warms our hearts and brings us together.

noun understanding or perception

verb to know, understand, or recognize

• His extensive ken of the subject matter impressed the panel of experts.
• I don't have much ken about that topic, can you explain it to me?
• She's got mad ken when it comes to fixing cars.
• His ken of human nature is truly remarkable.

noun a girl or young woman

• The young lass was well-mannered and polite.
• Hey lass, wanna grab a bite to eat?
• That lass is totally chill and easy to hang out with.
• She danced like a lass in the wind, graceful and free.

noun a Scottish term for a fellow or lad

• The chiel of the department was responsible for overseeing all the projects.
• Hey chiel, can you pass me that pen over there?
• That chiel knows how to throw a party!
• He was known as the chiel of the neighborhood, always looking out for everyone.

noun a commotion or fuss

verb to cause a commotion or fuss

• The political scandal caused quite a stooshie in the government.
• There was a big stooshie at the party last night when the cake got ruined.
• I can't believe you caused such a stooshie over a small misunderstanding.
• Her unexpected resignation created a stooshie among the staff members.

adjective Dreich is an adjective that describes something as gloomy, bleak, or dreary, especially when referring to weather.

• The dreich weather persisted throughout the entire week, with constant rain and overcast skies.
• I can't stand this dreich weather, it's been gloomy and wet for days.
• This dreich weather is a real downer, I wish the sun would come out for once.
• The atmosphere in the office was dreich after the news of layoffs was announced.

noun a noisy disturbance or commotion

verb to cause a noisy disturbance or commotion

• The committee meeting ended in a stramash when members couldn't agree on a course of action.
• There was a huge stramash at the concert when the crowd started pushing and shoving.
• The party turned into a real stramash after everyone started drinking too much.
• The political debate quickly devolved into a stramash of conflicting opinions and heated arguments.

adjective a Scottish term meaning strange, odd, or eccentric

• The uncoordinated efforts of the team led to a lack of progress on the project.
• He's so unco when it comes to dancing, but he still has fun.
• She's always been a bit unco on the basketball court.
• His uncooperative attitude was like a thorn in my side during the entire meeting.