Glossary

The following is taken from Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland:

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• BABIE, BAWBIE, s. a halfpenny.
• BACHLE, BAUCHLE, s. an old shoe or slipper.
• BACKLINS, adv. backwards. To gae backlins, to walk backwards, like a ropemaker.
• BACKSPANG, s. a trick, or legal quirk; advantage taken by one over another.
• To BACK-SPEIR, v. a. to trace a report as far back as possible; to cross-question.
• BACK-SPEIRER, s. a cross-examiner.
• BADE, pret. of bide.
• BADRANS, BATHRONS, s. a designation for a cat.
• To BAE, v. n. to bleat like sheep.
• To BAFF, v. a. to beat.
• BAFF, s. a stroke or blow.
• BAIKIE, s. the stake to which a cow is fastened in the stall.
• BAILIE, s. an alderman; the deputy of a baron in a borough of barony.
• BAIR, BAR, s. a boar.
• BAIRD, s. a bard or poet.
• BAIRN, BARNE, s. a child.
• BAIRNHEID, s. childhood.
• BAIRNLY, adj. childish.
• BAIRNLINESS, s. childishness.
• BAIRNS-MAID, s. a nursery-maid.
• BAIS, adj. having a deep or hollow sound: bass.
• To BAYT, v. n. to feed.
• BAISEE, BAIVIE, s. a large fire; a great blaze.
• BAKE, s. a biscuit.
• BAKSTER, BAXSTER, s. a baker.
• BALD, BAULD, adj. bold; intrepid.
• BALDERDASH, s. foolish noisy nonsense.
• BALK, BURRAL, s. an elevated ridge, raised by a plough.
• BALLANT, s. a ballad; a song.
• BALOW, BALOO, s. a lullaby; a term used by nurses when lulling children.
• To BAN, BANN, v. a. to curse.
• BANNIN, pr. pa. swearing.
• BANDKYN, s. a species of cloth, the warp of which is thread of gold and the woof silk, and adorned with figures.
• BANDSTER, BANSTER, s. one who binds sheaves after the reapers in the harvest field.
• BANE, s. a bone.
• BANE-FYER, s. a bonfire.
• To BANG, v. a. to change place with impetuosity--as, to bang up, to start to our feet suddenly.
• BANNOCK, s. a cake of barley or pease meal baked on a girdle.
• BANNOCK-FLUKE, s. a turbot.
• BAP, s. a thick cake, baked in an oven, with yeast in it, and made of flour, oat meal, or barley meal, and sometimes a mixture of two of them.
• BARE, adj. lean; meagre; naked; uncovered.
• To BARKEN, v. n. to become hard; to clot.
• BARLA-BREIKIS, BURLEY-BRAKS, s. a game played in a corn-yard, running round the stacks.
• BARLEY, s. a term used by children in games, when a truce, or a cessation for the time, is demanded.
• BARNE. See BAIRN.
• BASSIE, s. an old horse.
• BASTOUN, s. a heavy staff; a baton.
• BAITH, adj. both.
• BATIE, BAWTIE, s. a name applied to dogs, generally large ones, without reference to sex.
• BATS, s. pl. the bots, a disease in horses.
• To BATTER, v. a. to paste.
• BAUCHLE, BACHEL, s. an old shoe.
• BAUGH, adj. ungrateful to the taste.
• BAUK, BAWK, s. a cross beam in the roof of a house.
• BAUK, BAWK, s. a strip of land, two or three feet wide, left unploughed.
• BAUSY, adj. strong; big.
• To BAW, v. a. to hush; to lull in the manner of nursing a child.
• BAW, s. a ball.
• BAWBEE, a halfpenny.
• BAWDEKYN, s. cloth of gold.
• BAXTER, s. a baker.
• BEAR, BERE, s. barley.
• To BECK, v. to curtsey.
• BEDRAL, s. a person who is bedrid.
• BEGRUTTEN, part. pa. having the face disfigured with weeping.
• BEIK, BIKE, s. a hive of bees.
• BEIK, BEKE, BEEK, v. a. to bask, as in the sun.
• BEILD, BIELD, s. shelter; refuge.
• BEIN, BANE, s. bone.
• BIRR, s. noise; cry; force.
• BEKE, BEIK, BEEK, v. a. to bask.
• BELD, adj. bald; without hair on the head.
• BELE, s. a fire; a blaze.
• BELYVE, adv. by and by.
• To BELL THE CAT, to contend with a person of superior rank; to withstand him, either by actions or words, especially the former.
• BELLY-THRA, s. the colic.
• To BELT, v. a. to gird; to flog; to scourge.
• BEN, adv. towards the inner apartments of a house. A room is generally called ben, and the kitchen but.
• BEN-END, s. the ben-end of a house, the inner end of it.
• BEN, BIN, s. a mountain.
• BENE, BIEN, adj. wealthy; having abundance.
• BENK, BINK, s. a bench; a seat.
• BENORTH, prep. to the northward of.
• BENSHIE, BENSHI, s. a fairy's wife.
• BENT, s. a coarse grass growing on sand-hills.
• BERE, BEAR, s. barley.
• BERN, s. a barn.
• To BESEIK, v. a. to beseech; to entreat.
• BESYNE, BYSIM, s. a bawd.
• BESOUTH, prep, to the southward of.
• BEST-MAN, s. groomsman; best-maid, the bridesmaid.
• BETWEESH, prep, betwixt.
• BEUCH, a branch; a bough.
• BEVIE, s. a great fire.
• To BEWRY, v. a. to pervert, to distort.
• BIB, s. a piece of linen used to keep the breast of a child clean when feeding it.
• BICK, s. a bitch; the female of the canine species.
• To BICKER, v. a. to fight with stones as schoolboys; to run off quickly.
• BICKER, BIQUOUR, s. a small wooden dish, made in the form of a washing-tub, the staves being alternately black and white.
• To BIDE, BYDE, v. n. to wait for; to abide; to endure; to suffer.
• To BIG, v. a. to build.
• BIGGIN, BYGGYN, s. a building.
• BIGGIT, part. pa. built.
• BIKE, BEIK, BINK, s. a nest of wild bees or wasps.
• BILGET, adj. bulged; swelling out.
• BILLIE, BILLY, s. a companion; a comrade.
• BINDWOOD, s. ivy.
• BING, s. a heap; a pile of wood.
• BINK. See BIKE.
• BIRD, BURD, s. a bird; a damsel; a lady.
• BIRDIE, s. a little bird.
• BIRK, s. a birch-tree.
• To BIRK, v. n. to give a tart or sharp answer.
• BIRKIN, adj. of or belonging to birch-wood.
• BIRKY, s. a lively young man; a mettlesome person.
• BIRL, v. n. to ply with drink; to club money for the purpose of purchasing drink.
• BIRN, v. a. to burn.
• BIRS, BIRSE, s. a bristle. His birse is up, he is in a passion. He's a birsie man, he is liable to be irritated easily.
• To BIRSLE, v. a. to broil; to roast.
• BIRSSY, adj. having bristles; hot-tempered.
• To BIRZE, BRIZE, v. a. to bruise; to drive or push.
• BISKET, BRISKET, s. the breast.
• To BISSE, BIZZ, v. n. to make a hissing sound, as hot iron plunged into water.
• BISSOME, BYSSYM, s. an unworthy female.
• BIT, s. a vulgar term used for food. He takes the bit and the buffit wi't, he takes the food and the blow along with it.
• BITTILL, BEETLE, s. a wooden mallet for beating clothes.
• To BLABBER, v. n. to babble; to speak indistinctly.
• BLACKAVICED, a. dark-complexioned.
• BLACK-COCK, s. the black grouse.
• BLACK-FISHING, s. fishing for salmon by torch light.
• BLACK-FOOT, s. a person who makes matches, or goes etween a lover and his mistress.
• BLAD, s. a large piece of anything.
• BLADE, s. the leaf of a tree.
• BLADOCH, BLEDOCH, s. buttermilk.
• BLAE, BLA, adj. livid; used when the skin is discoloured with a blow, or when chilled with cold.
• BLAEBERRY, s. the bilberry.
• BLAIDRY, s. nonsense; folly; silly talk.
• BLAIN, s. a mark or blemish left by a wound.
• BLAIT, adj. bashful; sheepish.
• BLAIT-MOUIT, adj. sheepish; ashamed to open one's mouth, or speak. Ye'r no blait, you are very forward or impudent--used metaphorically.
• BLAITIE-BUM, s. a stupid, simple fellow.
• BLASH, s. a heavy fall of rain.
• BLASHY, adj. deluging, sweeping away, as in a flood; thin, poor, as applied to broth or soup.
• To BLAST, v. n. to smoke. To take a blast, to take a smoke.
• BLATE, BLAIT, adj. bashful.
• To BLATHER, v. n. to talk nonsense; to talk ridiculously.
• BLATTER, s. a rattling noise, such as that made by a heavy shower of rain or hail.
• To BLAW, v. to blow.
• BLEAR, s. to obscure the sight.
• BLEARD, s. dull of sight; having inflamed eyes.
• BLEEZE, v. n. milk is said to be bleezed when it has become a little sour.
• BLEIB, s. a pustule, a blister.
• The BLEIBS, s. pl. the chicken-pox.
• To BLENK, BLINK, v. n. to open the eyes as after slumber; to throw a glance of regard.
• BLENK, BLINK, s. a gleam of light.
• BLENT, s. a glance as in the quick motions of the eye.
• To BLETHER, v. n. to stammer, or speak indistinctly, or nonsensically.
• BLIN, adj. blind.
• BLINK. See BLENK.
• To BLIRT, v. n. to burst out a-crying or weeping.
• BLOB, BLAB, s. 1. anything circular and turned; 2. a blister.
• BLOBBIT, part. pa. bloated; blurred; blotched.
• BLUBBER, s. a bubble of air.
• To BLUBBER, v. a. to cry, to weep.
• BLUE-GOWN, s. a pensioner. Formerly all pensioners received a blue gown on the king's birthday.
• BLUID, s. blood.
• BLUIDY, adj. bloody; bloodthirsty; covered with gore.
• BLUITER, BLUTTER, v. n. to make a rumbling noise.
• BLUNTIE, s. a stupid fellow; a sniveller.
• BOAL, BOLE, s. a small aperture or press in a house for the reception of small articles; a small opening in a wall for the admission of light or air.
• BOB, s. a curtsey.
• To BOCK, v. a. to make a noise with the throat, as persons will frequently do before vomiting.
• BOD, BODDY, s. a person of diminutive stature.
• BODDUM, s. bottom.
• BODE, BOD, s. an offer made prior to a bargain; a proffer.
• BODEN, BUDDEN, v. offered; proffered.
• BODLE, s. an old copper coin of the value of two pennies Scots, or third part of a penny English.
• BOGILL, BOGLE, s. 1. a hobgoblin; a spectre; 2. a scarecrow; any made-up imitation of a spectre.
• BOMBILL, BUMBILL, s. buzzing noise.
• BOMBILL-BEE, s. a drone.
• BONIE, BONYE, BONNY, adj. beautiful; having a fine countenance.
• BONIEST, adj. the most beautiful.
• BOOL, s. an ironical name, as applied to an old man.
• BOONMOST, adj. uppermost.
• BOORDLEY, s. strong; large; broad; having a manly appearance.
• BORDEL, s. a brothel.
• BOS, BOSS, BOIS, adj. hollow.
• BOT, BUT, conj. but; without anything.
• BOTHE, BOOTHE, s. a shop made of boards.
• BOTHIE, s. pl. a cottage; such a one as is occupied generally for the use of servants.
• BOTTINGS, BUITINGS, s. half boots, or leathern spatterdashes.
• BOUCHT, BOUGHT, BUCHT, s. a small pen used for milking ewes.
• To BOUCHT, BUCHT, v. a. to enclose.
• BOUK, BUIK, s. the trunk of the body; bulk.
• BOUKIT, adj. bulky, large. No muckle boukit, not of much size or dimensions.
• BOUN, adj. prepared; ready.
• BOUR, s. the private chamber of a lady in ancient times.
• BOURTREE, BOUNTREE, s. common elder-tree.
• BOW, s. a boll; eight pecks.
• BOW, s. the arch of a bridge; a gateway; a crooked path.
• BOWIE, s. a small cask or barrel; a milk pail.
• BOWSIE, adj. crooked; applied to a crooked person, who is called a bowsie.
• BRACE, s. the chimney-piece.
• BRACKEN, BRAIKEN, BROCKEN, s. the fern.
• To BRACK, v. a. to break.
• BRACKIT, BRACKET, BRUCKIT, adj. speckled.
• BRAE, s. tho side of a hill; an acclivity.
• To BRAG, v. a. 1. to defy; 2. to reproach.
• BRAID, BRADE, adj. wide; broad.
• BRANDNEW. See BRENTNEW.
• BRANDER, s. a gridiron.
• To BRANDER, v. n. to broil.
• BRANG, part. pa. brought.
• BRANKS, s. a swelling in the glands of the neck.
• BRAT, s. a coarse apron.
• BRATCHET, BRATCHART, s. an opprobrious term, equivalent to whelp.
• BRAW, BRA, adj. fine; gaily-dressed.
• BRAWLY, BRAVELY, adv. very well.
• BRAWS, s. fine clothes; a person's best suit.
• BRAXY, BRACKS, s. a disease in sheep.
• BREADBERRY, s. pap, used as food for children.
• BREAK (of a hill,) s. a hollow cleft in a hill.
• BRECHAME, BRECHEM, s. the collar of a horse.
• BREE, BRIE, BREW, BROO, s. broth; soup.
• BRE, BREE, s. the eyebrow.
• BREEKS, BREIKS, s. breeches.
• BREER, BREARD, s. the first blades of grain which appear above ground.
• To BREER, v. n. to germinate.
• BREID, s. breadth.
• BRENT, adj. high; straight; upright.
• BRENTNEW, quite new.
• BRIG, BREG, BRYG, s. a bridge.
• To BRIZE, BIRSE, v. a. to bruise; to drive or push.
• BROCHAN, s. oatmeal boiled to a consistence thicker than gruel.
• BROCK, s. a badger.
• BROCKED, BROCKET, adj. streaked and spotted, as a brockit cow.
• BROCKLIE, adj. brittle.
• BROD, s. a flat piece of wood; a board.
• To BROG, v. a. to pierce.
• BROGUE, s. a coarse kind of shoe made of horse leather with the hair on, used by Highlanders.
• BROK, s. refuse; fragments.
• BROO, s. broth.
• BROONIE, s. a spirit supposed to haunt farm-houses, and which, if treated well, performed the duties of the servants while they were sleeping.
• BROSE, s. a kind of food made by pouring hot water on oatmeal, and mixing them together. Kail-brose is made by substituting broth for water.
• BROWST, s. the quantity of malt liquor brewed at one time.
• BRUGH, BURGH, s. a borough; a circular encampment; the hazy circle round the moon.
• BRUSE, BROOSE, BRUISE, v. a. To ride the bruise, to run a race on horseback at country weddings. Metaphorically--to contend; to strive.
• To BRUSH, v. a. to rush forth with speed.
• BU, BOO, s. a sound often made use of to excite terror in children. Bu-man, the devil, or a goblin; an imaginary evil being; a phrase used to keep children in subjection.
• BUBBLY, adj. snotty.
• BUBBLYJOCK, s. a turkey-cock.
• BUCHT, s. a fold; a bending; the fold of a ribbon.
• BUCKIE, BUCKY, s. any spiral shell.
• BUCKIE-INGRAM, s. the soldier-crab, Cancer bernardus, which always inhabits the shells of other animals.
• To BUCKLE, v. a. to join together, as in marriage.
• BUCKLE-THE-BEGGARS, s. a person who marries others in a clandestine manner.
• BUCKTOOTH, s. a tooth jutting out from the others.
• BUFF, s. a stroke; nonsense.
• BUFFER, s. a foolish fellow.
• BUFFET, s. a blow.
• BUFFETS, s. pl. swellings in the glands.
• BUFFIE, adj. swelled; blown up; puffed up.
• BUIK, s. the body; the chest.
• BUIK, BUK, BUKE, s. a book.
• BUIRDLY, BURDLY, adj. large and well-made; stately.
• To BULLER, v. n. to make a noise like water rushing to and fro in the cavity of a rock.
• To BULLIRAG, v. a. to abuse; to tease; to rally in contempt; to reproach.
• BULYIEMENTS, s. habiliments.
• To BUM, v. n. to make a sound like that of bees; the sound emitted by a bagpipe.
• BUMBAZED, adj. stupified.
• BUMBEE, s. the humble bee; a wild bee; a drone.
• BUM-CLOCK, s. the common flying beetle.
• BUN, BUNN, s. a cake commonly used at New-Year time, composed of flour, dried fruits, and spices.
• To BUNG, v. n. to make tipsy.
• BUNKER, BUNKART, s. a low and long chest, frequently placed in front of a bed in cottages, and used as a press, and also as a seat.
• BUNTLING, s. a bantling; a bird.
• BURD, s. a damsel; a lady.
• BURDALANE, s. used when a person is left solitary, as a child the inmate of a strange family.
• BURDE, BOORD, s. a table; a board.
• BURIAN, s. a tumulus; a mound of earth.
• BURLAW, BYRLAW, BIRLEY, s. a court consisting of country neighbours who settle local disputes, etc.
• BURLY, s. a crowd; a brawl.
• BURN, s. a small stream; a rivulet. Burnie, burny, is used as the diminutive of burn.
• BURR, BURRH, s. persons are said to have the burr who pronounce the letter r with a whirring sound, as the Northumbrians.
• BURSIN, BURSTEN, part. pa. burst; overpowered with fatigue.
• To BUSK, v. a. to dress; to attire.
• BUT, prep, without; towards the outer apartment of a house, or kitchen.
• BUTER, BUTTER, s. the bittern.
• BYGANES, s. what is past; used in quarrels, as, Let byganes be byganes; let what is past be past.
• BYRE, s. a cow-house.
• BY-RUNIS, s. pl. arrears; past debts.
• BYSPRINT, part. pa. besprinkled.
• BYSSYM, BISSOM, s. an unworthy female.

A B C D E-F G H-J K-L M-N O-P Q-R S T U-Y