Scottish Phrases of Endearment Hen– being perhaps the most widely recognised. Not to be confused with the feathery fowl, but instead referring to a female, often a younger lady, used as a Scottish term of endearment, much like honey or sweetheart might be used further South.
What does calling someone a hen mean?
a usually middle-aged or older woman, especially one who is considered to be petty or gossipy: Let’s get out of here and leave the hens to their blather. Informal.
What do you call a girl in Scottish?
A lass is a girl. Your Scottish folk dance teacher might announce, “Lads line up on that side, lasses on this side!”
What does calling a woman a hen mean?
Calling any female “hen” is a Scottish colloquialism and is a gentle term of endearment used by both males and females.
What’s the most Scottish thing to say?
Perhaps the most famous Scottish sayings of all time is “Auld Lang Syne”. This was made famous by Robert Burns’ song, sang globally at New Year. The translation can be taken as “old long since” or “old long ago” meaning “days gone by” and when sung at New Years really means “let’s drink to days gone by”.
Why do British people call it a hen?
So why in the UK do we say “hen”? In formal english hen signifies a “female of any bird species” and was first coined in the early 14th century. However in slang hen means woman, this term dates from 1620s. Depending on which part of the UK you come from referring to a woman as a “hen” can have different effects.
Why do people call others hen?
Hen – To most of the world, a hen is a female chicken, but in Scots the word is used to mean a woman or girl. Example: Gie us a kiss hen / you aright hen? Mind – Refers to a person’s ability to think and reason, but in Scots the word can also mean remember.
What do the Scottish call their wife?
Scottish Word: Geggie.
What do you call a pretty girl in Scotland?
Bonnie. Female | A quintessential Scottish name that will never go out of fashion, Bonnie is the Scots word for beautiful, pretty, stunning and attractive. Bonnies tend to have an inimitable personality.
What do Scots call babies?
Bairn
Bairn is a Scottish or Northern English word for child.
What is the female version of hen?
A female chicken is known as a hen when it is an adult, and it is known as a pullet as a female juvenile. An adult male is known as a rooster, while a juvenile male is called a cockerel.
Why is a bride called a hen?
A common misconception is that the terms ‘hen’ and ‘stag’ both originate from simple social stereotypes. In fact, it’s more likely that the word hen hasn’t always meant female chicken, in middle English, hen could mean the female of any bird and so a hen party was a party exclusively for ladies.
What does chick mean in British slang?
slang. a young woman. This word is considered offensive by many women.
How do Scots say hello?
‘Hello’ in Scottish Gaelic
In Scottish Gaelic, you greet others with ‘halò’! Pronounced hallo, this phrase has you covered for greeting passers-by if you visit a Gaelic-speaking community. Alternatively, you could say good morning which is ‘madainn mhath’, pronounced ma-ten-va.
What are Scottish cuss words?
Scottish Insults
- Tube – Idiot.
- Doolally – Not the full shilling.
- Hackit – Ugly.
- Howlin’ – Smelly.
- Naff – Boring, rubish.
- Scabby – Dirty.
Why do Scots say Ken instead of know?
Ken. Pronounced as written. Although it technically means ‘know’, some Scots will use it to punctuate their sentences till the point where it feels like it has lost all meaning. Often used in conjunction with ‘ye’ meaning ‘you’ and ‘fit’ which means ‘what’.
Why do Brits say Guv?
(slang) A contraction of “governor”, used to describe a person in a managerial position e.g. “Sorry mate, can’t come to the pub, my guv’nor’s got me working late tonight”. Heard mostly in London.
What do British people call mac and cheese?
British Vs. American English: Food Terminology
| British English (BrE) | American English (AmE) |
|---|---|
| Kebab | Gyro |
| Macaroni cheese | Mac and cheese |
| Minced meat | Ground meat |
| Porridge | Oatmeal |
What do the British call a fridge?
Traffic Words, Other Common Words in the US
| American English word | British English equivalent |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Fridge |
| Sneakers | Tennis Shoe / Sports Shoe |
| Tortilla | |
| Bubbler | Drinker Water Fountain |
What does Tilly mean in Scotland?
hillock, knoll
Other Gaelic place name elements which have a wide distribution in Scotland include kil- (Gaelic cill ‘church, churchyard’), tully or tilly- (Gaelic tulach, ‘hillock, knoll’) and knock (Gaelic cnoc, ‘hill’).
Why do Scots say how instead of why?
Using ‘how’ instead of ‘why’ when asking a question
Perhaps it comes from the old adage that says ‘Don’t ask why, demand how’, or is just short for ‘how come’.