Glossary

A

• a right soor pus (Scots): a really grumpy face
• a wee homer (Scots): a small household chore or job, done for cash
• Auchtermuchty: a town in Fife, Scotland

B

• Bar-l (slang): Barlinnie, Scotland’s largest prison
• Battle of the Boyne: a battle that took place in 1690 (see Historical context for more information)
• bairn (Scots): baby or young child
• bisum (Scots): an unruly girl or woman
• Bluenose (slang): a fan of Rangers Football Club (FC)
• Billy Boys (slang): a term that some fans of Rangers FC use to describe themselves. ‘The Billy Boys’ is also a banned football chant
• Bridezilla (slang): a demanding bride-to-be
• bromance (slang): a bond between male friends
• Bucky (slang): Buckfast, a kind of fortified wine

C

• Celtic Park: the home stadium of Celtic Football Club (FC)
• Celts (slang): fans of Celtic FC
• chav (slang): derogatory term for a brash person perceived to be lower class
• Costa del Sol: a region in the south of Spain

D

• done a runner (slang): run away
• doing your nut in (slang): being annoying

F

• fenian (slang): a derogatory term for someone perceived to be a supporter of Irish nationalism
• fife: woodwind instrument, like a flute
• fitbaw (Scots): football
• FTP (slang): F*** The Pope

G

• gies me the shudders (slang): makes me shudder
• greetin’ (Scots): crying
• gutless (slang): cowardly

H

• Hampden: Hampden Park, Scotland’s national football stadium
• have a gander (slang): have a look
• Heidy: Headteacher
• Hunny (from Hun; slang): a Rangers FC fan

I

• Ibrox: the home stadium of Rangers FC
• IRA: Irish Republican Army (see Historical context for more information)
• it’s mince (Scots): it’s rubbish

J

• Jaffas (slang): Orangemen (see Historical context for more information)

K

• kura domowa (Polish): housewife

L

• lassie (Scots): young woman

M

• messages (Scots): grocery shopping
• mono-blocking: a type of garden paving
• mortal (Scots): drunk

N

• nearly got scalped (slang): avoided a bad head injury

O

• Old Firm: a collective name for Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs
• Orangemen: members of the Orange Order (see Historical context for more information)

P

• Paddy (slang): a derogatory term for an Irish person
• Parkhead: the area of Glasgow where Celtic Park is located
• Pete Tong (rhyming slang): wrong
• polis (Scots): police
• prodigal son: a person who rashly leaves their home, but then returns
• punny eccy (Scots): punishment exercise

R

• rammy (Scots): a fight
• rig: offshore oil platform

S

• Scotland’s shame: a term sometimes used to describe sectarianism in Scotland
• Shalom (Hebrew): Jewish word meaning peace or peace be with you. Also used instead of hello or goodbye
• smarmy pus (slang): smug face
• steamin’ (slang): drunk
• stooshie (Scots): a fight
• strip: football strip

T

• Tap End or Bottom End (slang): nicknames for different areas of the same town
• the F word: see fenian
• the Force (slang): the police force
• the Lodge (slang): Masonic Lodge, a meeting place for fraternal organisation the Freemasons
• The Sash: short for ‘The Sash My Father Wore’, an Irish ballad sometimes sung by fans of Rangers FC
• Tim (slang): a fan of Celtic FC
• tinks (slang): a derogatory term for Irish or Scottish Travellers
• toerag (slang): a worthless person
• Tottenham Hotspur: an English football club with a large Jewish following

U

• Ulster: a province in Northern Ireland

W

• wean (Scots): a small child

Y

• Yid (slang): derogatory term for a Jewish person. Also used to refer to fans of Tottenham Hotspur
• youse (slang): all of you

Z

• Zachor and Shamor (Hebrew): ‘remember’ and ‘observe’, the two commandments of the Jewish Shabbat, or day of rest