40 Regular words with totally different meanings in Scotland starting with “Greeting”
If you live in Scotland or have Scottish friends then you might know the alternative and often ‘colourful’ meanings behind these everyday English words.
England is not far down South yet to the English people Scotland can seem like a different planet as our colourful expressions and accents could leave any newcomer scratching their head.
Intriguingly, this isn’t just a case of ‘slang’ or Billy Connolly-esque accents as Scotland is considered a multilingual country. Native languages like Scots, Scottish Gaelic and of course English, all come together under an array of beautiful accents and dialects.
If you’re Scottish, or have lived here, then you’ll know well that we have developed our own style when it comes to using English – and so certain words don’t mean what the Collins Dictionary says they do in the context of Scotland.
To spare you asking for translations, here are forty everyday English words and phrases with different meanings in Scotland.
1. Ned
Usually this is a shortened version of the name Edward, like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons, but in Scotland it's used more often to refer to a young troublemaker or foolish person. Photo: YouTube Screenshot via BBC Scotland, popculturegeek on Flickr
2. Steaming
Are we referring to the steaming kettle or the iconic steam train? Nope. Steaming is one of Scotland's (many) words for being drunk e.g., "I'm pure steaming!" Photo: elan7t50/ Damedeeso via Canva Pro
3. Greeting
Although the act of greeting would normally refer to how we greet one another with a "hello" or handshake, here this means to be crying (often from laughter!) Photo: Rgstudio via Canva Pro
4. Ken
The quintessential example of a Scottish word with a different meaning elsewhere; to ken is to know while in Scotland, but usually people associate it with Barbie's equally plastic boyfriend. Photo: Submitted