Scots Language Centre

Word of the week

neb n. a person’s nose; the beak of a bird; a projecting point or tip

on 25th Aug 2008

Neb first appears in Scots in the late fourteenth century, where it refers to a bird’s beak, as in John Barbour’s Legends of the Saints (c1380): "As scho (she) mad this prayere, … Than com a dou...

slitter v. work or eat messily, splash about; smear or stain (with something)

on 21st Aug 2008

Slitter is a word often associated with minor domestic accidents, particularly in the kitchen or at the dinner table. An illustrative quotation from Ayrshire, found in the Dictionary of the Scot...

hirple v. hobble, limp, walk unsteadily; move unevenly

on 12th Aug 2008

Hirple is a word of unknown origin, recorded in Scots sources from the late fifteenth century onwards. It is also found in some dialects in the north of England. In early literary texts, hirple ...

feeze v. twist, cause to revolve; wriggle, wag; ingratiate oneself (with someone)

on 05th Aug 2008

Feeze is a word that seems to be on the decline, so if you know it, we would be very interested to hear from you. The noun fize, meaning a screw, is recorded from the seventeenth century in a nu...

Word of the week

neb n. a person’s nose; the beak of a bird; a projecting point or tip

slitter v. work or eat messily, splash about; smear or stain (with something)

hirple v. hobble, limp, walk unsteadily; move unevenly

feeze v. twist, cause to revolve; wriggle, wag; ingratiate oneself (with someone)

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