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Scots Language Centre Centre for the Scots Leid

Need to do a jobby?

5th May 2016

 

A handyman business in England has left Scots rolling about with laughter this week. The firm which is called Mr Jobby is based at High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, north of London and it provides a service to those needing maintenance done around the garden, house or office. The promotional video for the firm announces at the end If DIYs not your hobby, dont despair call Mr Jobby. This has caused a great stir in the internet, among Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and other users, because the word jobby (or even jobbie) commonly means a turd in the Scots language. It was reported in the press that Scots were left in hysterics after reading on the firms home pages that We cover almost everything...You can hire a jobby for a whole day for 199.

Jobby, which is generally considered the polite word in Scots, is one of a number of words in the language equivalent to the English turd. However, it is also true that in North East Scots (or Doric) a jobby can also mean exactly that - a little job or task.

Truly language can be a quirky thing.