Tam O Shanter Glossary

Scots	English
chapman billies	street traders
drouthy	thirsty
gate	road
nappy	beer
fou	drunk
unco	mighty
ae (yay)	one
skellum	good-for-nothing
blethering	chattering
blellum	babbler
ilka	every
melder	meal-grinding
naig	nag (horse)
ca’d a shoe on	shod
warlocks	wizards
mirk	dark
gars me greet	makes me weep
ingle	fireplace
reaming swats	foaming ale
cronie	friend
clatter	gossip
rair	roar
lades	loads
skelpit	raced
dub and mire	puddles and mud
sonnet	song
glow’ring	staring
houlets	owls
smoor’d	smothered
birks	birches
meikle	big
whins	gorse
ilka bore	every opening
tippenny	ale
usquabae	whisky
noddle	head
boddle	farthing
winnock-bunker	window-seat
tousie tyke	shaggy dog
gart them skirl	made them squeal
presses	cupboards
cantraip	magic
gibbet-airns	irons
bairns	babies
gab	mouth
heft	handle
cleekit	linked arms
carlin	old woman or witch
swat	sweated
reekit	stank
coost her duddies	threw off her rags
sark	short dress
creeshie	greasy
flannen	flannel
breeks	trousers
droll	weird
rigwoodie	lean, bony
spean	wean
louping	jumping
flinging	kicking
crummock	stick or staff
brawlie	well
wawlie	attractive
core	company
bear	barley
cutty sark	mini-dress
harn	coarse cloth
vauntie	proud
coft	bought
pund	pounds
maun coor	must hold still
lap and flang	leaped and kicked
een	eyes
fidg’d fu’ fain	fidgeted excitedly
hotched	jerked
syne	then
tint	lost
bizz	buzz
fyke	fuss
pussie	hare
eldritch	unearthly
brig	bridge
feint	none
ettle	aim
hale	whole
claught	seized
wha	who
meare	mare