Glossary for William Ridley and the Celtic Cross
While this is not an exhaustive list, here in the glossary you’ll find words and phrases that might be unfamiliar to you as used in William Ridley and the Celtic Cross.
GLOSSARY
- Acrach – Hungry
- Aye – Yes
- Away with the fairies – giving the impression you are mad, distracted or just in your own little dreamworld
- Bairn – Child
- Braw – Very fine, Excellent or Handsome
- Boggin – Disgusting, Filthy, Stinky or Smelly
- Bum – Bottom
- Biscuit/s – Cookies, baked treats like Penguins or Jaffa Cakes
- Cannae – Cannot
- Chuffed – Pleased or delighted
- Claidheamh Mor/Claymore – Scottish 2-handed sword
- Co-là-breith math – Happy Birthday
- Come fae – Comes from i.e. Where do ye come fae?
- Crackin’ / A Cracker – Fantastic or very good
- Cuppa – A cup of tea/coffee hot beverage
- Daft – Out of one’s mind (away with the fairies)
- Didnae – Didn’t i.e. Ah didnae dae that!
- Dinnae – Don’t
- Dinnae Ken – Don’t know
- Disnae – Does not
- Easy-Peasy – Simple or Easy (learned this one from my friend Stewart!)
- Eejit – Idiot or Dunce
- E’er – Ever
- Fae – From
- Feasgar breagha – lovely evening
- Firth – A narrow inlet
- Firth of Forth – the estuary of the River Forth
- Flannel – Wash cloth
- Football – In the USA it’s called soccer, but in the UK, it’s always been football
- Ghillie brogues – Highland dress shoes
- Gutted – Disappointed or upset
- Havering – Whining or complaining
- Haud yer weesht – Impolite way of saying, “Be quiet!”
- Ken – Know, knew or to know
- Knackered – Tired out (Human) or Broken (Objects)
- Lad – Boy or young male
- Lass or Lassie – Girl or female
- Mate – Friend
- Minging or Mingin’ – Very bad, unpleasant, smelly
- Mum – Mom/Mother
- Nae – No or not
- Ne’er – Never
- Numpty – Foolish or stupid person, has no idea what they’re talking about
- O’er – Over
- Off his or her head – Someone who acts crazy
- Peely Wally – looking pale or sickly
- Sark – Shirt, essential layer or foundation of men’s kilted outfit
- Sporty – Excels in, or is Sports minded
- Tae – to i.e. “Where ye going tae?”
- Uilleam – William (in traditional Gaelic)
- Wabbit – Tired
- Wean – Child or infant
- Wee – Small or tiny
- Wisnae – Was not
- Weesht – Hush
- Glossary for William Ridley and the Celtic Cross
The Bass or Bass Rock
Long ago this strategic fortress, just offshore from Tantallon, offered sanctuary to the 8th-century hermit, Baldred, and later served as a prison for Covenanters and Jacobites. However, the longest standing residents are the world’s largest colony of gannets. The lighthouse built by David Stevenson in 1902 still stands. While it was automated in 1988, it is the backdrop for William’s friends, The Keepers of the Bass.
Cuppa
A nice cup of tea or coffee – hot beverage
Football
AKA Soccer in the USA. Here’s the team leader’s photo I was gifted when our Butler H.S. band played the half-time show for the Cosmos. Wow! Was that ever exciting! Pictured – Georgio Chinaglia, Pele & Franz Beckenbauer
Highland Coo
A coo is as you might have guessed, a cow. This lovely ginger fella and many of his relatives can be found in some of the most unlikely places, but definitely along the roads in the highlands
I pressed my fingers to the Celtic Cross, wondering once more at the hand of God. What might He ask of me next, and if this was preparation, would I be strong enough to endure it?”