Glossary

Armstrong-Siddley, motor manufacturer

bizzim, disruptive child

Burroo, Unemployment Bureau

C & A’s, chain store

charrin, domestic cleaning

chinas, mates, friends

clip cloots, cut cloths

close, entrance to a tenement

cooried, settled, cuddled

Copey, Co-operative Association store

coppers, coins, small change

croshay, crochet

done, exhausted, expired

dunny, outhouse in tenement back court

gant, yawn

gey, somewhat, very

grate, metal section of fireplace

grun, ground

hale, whole

hechin awa, panting

humph, comes up their, when it suits them to do something, when something occurs to them

jawin, talking

jeely, jelly

jookin, dodging

Kelvinside, affluent district of Glasgow

kill, get yer, to die laughing

loss the heid, go mad, daft or angry

merriet, married

midden-bin, dustbin

Mission, charity institution

nebs, noses

nyaff, orig. a small dog, a twisted or stunted person

pickchers, the pictures, cinema

piece, sandwich

pie-eyed, drunk

Poly, dance hall

rammy, crush, crowd

rive, rent, tear

soor-dook, sour mouth, bitter

steamie, public laundry

TB, tuberculosis

tate, piece

tattie, potato

tink, tinker

Treat, party for children

tumphy, stupid person, idiot

veloory, velour, form of velvet

wally dug, china dog, ornament

wean, child

winnins, profits

wireless set, radio