First Posted 28 September 2003
From time to time on the forum certain words, phrases and poems appear that echo that dialect peculiar to Glasgow. Whilst these may produce reactions of amusement, nostalgia, or disdain, I suspect many people are simply bewildered. So I thought, as a native Glaswegian, I might attempt to throw some light on the matter by offering some guidelines on one of the most daunting of local dialects - ‘The Glesca Patter’.
Many of you researching your Scottish ancestors will have traced them back to ‘working class’ industrial Glasgow of the 1800s and early 1900s. Places like the Gorbals, Govan, Townhead (‘Toonheed’) and that oldest of industrial Glasgow’s tenement settlements, the Garngad (now known as Royston). These were the incubators for what was to become the Patter that still thrives today and your ancestors would almost certainly have spoken it to some degree.
Generations of Glaswegians have done a real hatchet job on the english language. Sentences, words and letters are compacted down till they scream for mercy. Words, letters and sounds are changed, removed or added, a raw humour is often injected into the mix, then the whole thing is rattled out at a speed that would leave Concorde standing on the runway (come to think of it Concorde IS standing on the runway!)
The result is a dialect like no other, instantly recognisable all over the world. When standing in Times Square last year, totally confused and frustrated as to how to get to my destination, I lapsed into my native tongue when talking to my wife. An American lady came over “I just love that accent” she cried “ You folks from Glasgow?” (She pronounced it Glasgouw as in cow!) She then helped us with directions and got us talking more Patter before going on her way. We made her day! Everybody recognises the ‘Glesca accent’ although not everyone can understand it, or keep up with it.
Given all of the above please appreciate how difficult it is to put the dialect on paper. Saying is much easier than writing, but I’ll do my best. So, now for the first lesson. Tighten your seatbelts and listen up because I might ask questions later
First, let’s start with a few Glesca phrases;
1. ‘Away an bile yer heed’
2. ‘Diz yoor mammy know yer oot?’
3. ‘Pick yer windae yer leavin!’
These are classic Glesca put downs (pootdoons). For those moments when you’ve just had enough of some one’s behaviour or rantings. Translation;
1. "Away and boil your head." Doesn’t quite have the same effect in english does it? So don’t try it, you’ll just get laughed at. But say it in the Glesca dialect to any Glaswegian and they’ll get the message. Don’t ask me what it actually means or where it comes from - I haven’t a clue.
2. “Does your mother know you’re out by yourself?” Again loses something in the translation but a great one for that irritating sod who’s getting on your nerves. Insinuates they are childish and require parental guidance. This can be a real showstopper at senior management meetings. Not a good career move though, believe me!
3. “Pick your window you’re leaving” Subtle threat for use in a pub. It translates quite well into english but make sure you’re up to the task before you open your mouth. Also be prepared to pay ‘fur the broken windae’.
A-Z Glossary
a -
replaces the word ‘of’ as in “Two pints a mulk (milk)”
ah -
means ‘I’ as in “Ah wiz oot wae Jimmy” (I was out with Jimmy)
am ur -
means ‘I am’ as in response to “Yer no gaun” (You’re not going). “Aye am ur” (Yes I am).
at -
often replaces the word ‘that’ as in “Pass meh at hammer” (Pass me that hammer). Now, it needs to be noted that the ‘t’ is most often left out, replaced by a glottal sound, confusing the unfamiliar ear even further!
aw -
replaces the word ‘all’ as in “At’s aw yer gettin aff a me” (That’s all you’re getting off of me) or it can be substituted for ‘as well’ as in “Ah want tae come an aw” (I want to come as well) Note that pronunciation of ‘want’ is as in ‘cant’.
So, ur yer heeds nippin yit? Ah’ll stoap ther fur noo.
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Patter 2 Tommorrow
