111+ Scottish Sayings: The Language of Whisky, Kilts, and Bagpipes! (Images)

Scottish culture is steeped in rich traditions and a lively heritage, and one remarkable component that defines the essence of the Scots is their distinct lexicon of “Scottish sayings.”

These linguistic treasures have been passed down through the centuries, providing a glimpse into Scotland’s language and every character.

From humorous proverbs to colorful idioms, the world of Scottish sayings is a treasure trove just waiting to be discovered.

This article will examine some of the most intriguing and significant Scottish sayings, illuminating their origins and wisdom.

Scottish Sayings & Proverbs

“Lang may yer lum reek.” – May you have a long life.

“Awa’ an bile yer heid.” – Go away and boil your head (basically, get lost).

“We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns.” – We’re all equal.

“Haud yer wheesht!” – Be quiet!

“Dinnae teach yer granny tae suck eggs.” – Don’t try to teach someone something they already know.

“Dinnae fash yersel.” – Don’t worry about it.

“Bletherin’ skite.” – Someone who talks nonsense.

“Ye cannae make a silk purse oot o’ a sow’s lug.” – You can’t make something good out of bad materials.

“Dinnae be a dobber.” – Don’t be a fool.

“If it’s for ye, it winnae go by ye.” – If something is meant to be, it will happen.

“A nod’s as guid as a wink tae a blind horse.” – Subtle hints are often sufficient.

“A watched pot never boils.” – Impatience won’t make things happen faster.

“Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye.” – What’s meant to be will happen.

“It’s a braw bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht.” – The weather is good for a change.

“Guid gear comes in sma’ bulk.” – Quality is more important than quantity.

“Lang may yer lum reek.” – May you have a long and prosperous life.

“Dinnae marry for money; ye can borrow it cheaper.” – Don’t marry someone solely for their wealth.

“Keep the heid.” – Stay calm and composed.

“Nae matter how muckle ye feed a moose, it’ll no gie milk.” – Some things are just impossible.

“Mony a mickle maks a muckle.” – Many small things add up to a large one.

“Ye cannae mak a fat sow wi’ aye a gully wame.” – You can’t make a fat pig with an empty belly.

“Lang may yer elbuck jink and yer lum reek.” – May you have long-lasting happiness and prosperity.

“If ye dinnae ken, ye cannae tak a note.” – If you don’t know, you can’t take a hint.

“Mair by luck than guid guidance.” – Achieving success by chance.

“Ye dinnae miss the water till the well runs dry.” – You don’t appreciate something until it’s gone.

“Tak the high road.” – Choose the noble or morally right path.

“In the midst of life, we are in death.” – A reminder of life’s unpredictability.

“Better a wee bush than nae bield.” – Something is better than nothing.

“A rolling stone gathers nae moss.” – People who frequently change jobs or locations don’t build wealth or stability.

“The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley.” – Plans often go awry.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” – You can only judge something by trying it.

“A penny for your thoughts.” – What are you thinking about?

“The early bird catches the worm.” – Being prompt and early leads to success.

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” – Nothing is truly free; there are always hidden costs.

“Whaur’s yer troosers?” – An expression of surprise or disbelief.

Scottish Quotes

“O’ what may man within him hide, though angel on the outward side!” – Robert Burns

“Wha’s like us? Damn few, and they’re a’ died.” – Scottish saying

“The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft a-gley.” – Robert Burns

“Lang may your lum reek.” – Traditional Scottish toast (May your chimney smoke long.)

“Whit’s fur you’ll no go past ye.” – Scottish saying (What’s meant to be will happen.)

“Dinna fash yersel.” – Scottish saying (Don’t worry yourself.)

“A nod’s as guid as a wink tae a blind horse.” – Scottish saying

“Haste ye back, we loue you dearly.” – Sir Walter Scott

“A friend’s eye is a good mirror.” – Scottish proverb

“We take our stand, wherever we land, and if they come, we meet them man to man.” – Scottish saying

“We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns.” – Scottish saying (We’re all equal.)

“Gie me a spark o’ nature’s fire, that’s a’ the learning I desire.” – Robert Burns

“It’s a braw bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht.” – Traditional Scottish saying

“Lang may your lum reek.” – Traditional Scottish toast (May your chimney smoke long.)

“Freedom come all ye.” – Hamish Henderson

“Every man dies; not every man really lives.” – William Wallace (in the movie “Braveheart”)

“Dreich” – Scottish word for a bleak, dreary, and overcast day.

“A day to me as Guid’s owre night.” – Robert Burns

“The best things in life are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

“Lang may your lum reek.” – Traditional Scottish toast (May your chimney smoke long.)

“Monie a mickle maks a muckle.” – Scottish proverb (Many small things make a big thing.)

“Guid gear comes in sma’ bulk.” – Scottish proverb (Good things often come in small packages.)

“Where the heart is, the heels are swift.” – Scottish proverb

“As long as a Scotsman can say ‘Hoots Mon!’ he can feel he is a free man.” – Norman MacCaig

“The love of the small is the root of all.” – William Carlos Williams (inspired by Scotland)

“A nod’s as guid as a wink tae a blind horse.” – Scottish saying

“Where there is love, there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi (inspired by his visit to Scotland)

“Better a wee fire to warm ye than a big fire to burn ye.” – Scottish saying

“Ne’er cast a clout till May be out.” – Scottish saying (Don’t shed your winter clothing until May is over.)

“Braw new warld.” – Scottish saying (A brave new world.)

“Here’s tae us. Wha’s like us? Damn few, and they’re a’ died.” – Scottish toast

“And then there’s the most dangerous risk of all: the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” – Randy Komisar (inspired by Scottish ideals of freedom)

“It’s a braw bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht.” – Traditional Scottish saying (It’s a beautiful bright moonlit night tonight.)

“There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing.” – Robert Burns

“We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns.” – Scottish saying (We’re all equal.)

Old Scottish Sayings

“Whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye.”

“Lang may yer lum reek.”

“Dinnae teach yer granny tae suck eggs.”

“We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns.”

“Awa’ an bile yer heid.”

“Better bend than break.”

“Mony a mickle maks a muckle.”

“A nod’s as guid as a wink tae a blind horse.”

“Haud yer wheesht!”

“Heid bummer.”

“Ye canna mak a silk purse oot o’ a sow’s lug.”

“Whit’s for ye won’t go by ye.”

“It’s a braw bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht.”

“We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns.”

“Fools look to tomorrow; wise men use tonight.”

“Gin the cap fits, wear it.”

“He’s in his ain hoose, but he’s no at hame.”

“Ye can tak’ a coo tae the water, but ye canna mak’ her drink.”

“Dinnae look a gift horse in the mooth.”

“Gie it laldy.”

“Keep the heid.”

“Lang may yer lum reek.”

“Dinnae cast a clout till May’s oot.”

“Money canna buy happiness.”

“There’s no’ much meat on her, but whit’s there is cherce.”

“Awa’ an bile yer heid.”

“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men.”

“If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”

“It’s a sair fecht, but ye can win through.”

“A watched pot never boils.”

“Dinnae fash yersel.”

“Ye cannae mak’ a silk purse oot o’ a sow’s lug.”

“You cannae mak’ a sow’s lug out of a silk purse.”

“In the midst of life, we are in death.”

“It’s a far cry to Loch Awe.”

Scottish Words

Bonnie – Meaning “beautiful” or “attractive.”

Ken – A term for “know” or “understand.”

Wee – Small or little.

Lass – A young girl or woman.

Lad – A young boy or man.

Haggis – A traditional Scottish dish made from sheep’s offal.

Loch – A Scottish term for “lake.”

Ben – A Scottish term for “mountain” or “hill.”

Bonnie lassie – A term for a beautiful girl.

Bonny lad – A handsome young man.

Aye – Yes.

Nae – No.

Bairn – A child.

Hogmanay – The Scottish word for New Year’s Eve.

Bonnie Scotland – A poetic nickname for Scotland.

Neeps – Turnips, often served with haggis.

Tatties – Potatoes.

Canny – Shrewd or cautious.

Muckle – Meaning “big” or “large.”

Sassenach – A term used by Scots to refer to an English person.

Wee dram – A small drink of whisky.

Dreich – A word describing dreary, wet, and miserable weather.

Glaikit – Stupid or foolish.

Kilty – Wearing a kilt.

Swally – A drink or alcoholic beverage.

Scran – Food.

Heid – Head.

Haar – A coastal fog.

Hoolie – A wild or stormy wind.

Twa – Two.

Quine – A girl or young woman (mainly used in the northeast of Scotland).

Loon – A boy or young man (mainly used in the northeast of Scotland).

Twa-facer – Someone who is two-faced or deceitful.

Dunderheid – A foolish person.

Braw – Meaning “fine,” “excellent,” or “good.”

Scottish Phrases

Auld Lang Syne – A traditional Scottish song often sung on New Year’s Eve.

Bonnie – Meaning beautiful or attractive.

Wee – Small or little.

Bairn – A child.

Laddie – A young boy or young man.

Lassie – A young girl or young woman.

Ken – To know or understand.

Guid – Good.

Blether – To chat or talk nonsense.

Braw – Fine or excellent.

Hoots – An exclamation of surprise or amazement.

Dreich – Referring to dull, dreary weather.

Hogmanay – New Year’s Eve celebrations in Scotland.

Glaswegian – A person from Glasgow.

Nae bother – No problem.

Yer bum’s oot the windae – You’re talking nonsense.

Gie it laldy – To do something with enthusiasm or vigor.

Haver – To talk nonsense or babble.

Glaikit – Foolish or clueless.

Bonnie lass – A lovely girl.

Haggis – A traditional Scottish dish made from sheep’s offal.

Neeps and tatties – Turnips and potatoes, often served with haggis.

Loch – A Scottish word for a lake.

Bonnie Scotland – A term used to express affection for Scotland.

Tartan – The traditional Scottish plaid pattern.

Twa – Two.

Bonnie wee beastie – A term of endearment for a small animal.

Tattie scones – Potato scones, a Scottish breakfast food.

Skirl – To make a high-pitched sound, often referring to bagpipes.

Twa-faced – Two-faced, not trustworthy.

Bonnie Prince – A handsome or charming young man.

Och aye – An exclamation of agreement or understanding.

Awa’ an bile yer heid – Go away and boil your head, a dismissive expression.

Home – Home.

Wheesht – Be quiet or hush.

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