First posted 5 October 2003
Thanks everyone for the feedback. As long as it remains lighthearted I’m happy to oblige. First, a few points on that feedback.
I’m grateful to BeatOswald for the extended version of ‘Away an bile yer heid’ (or heed). I’d never heard that before and reckon it must be close to the original. But typically, Glesca folk must have found it too long a phrase, so they just chopped off the second bit and let it stand as that.
Erritserr! (There it’s there!) Jim, now you come to mention it, that may have been the phrase that attracted the attention of the American lady I spoke of last week.
Jeely Pieces. Oh Judy, what memories that stirs up!
“Haw Mammy, gauny chuck iz doon a piece!”
A headscarfed head would appear from the second story tenement window.
“Whit! Anither yin? Dae ye think am made a pieces?”
“Aw pleeze Mammy. Mah pal hiznae goat wan an eez hungry.”
“Awrite haud oan!”
A few minutes later a small package wrapped in newspaper or waxy bread wrapper (Mother’s Pride was a common brand) would come flying out the window and set me and my pal running about like someone on a cricket pitch trying to catch it before it hit the ground. Catching skills were even more important if the wrapper had been omitted or blew off! I was among the last of the Jeely Piece catchers. With the demise of the tenements and the exodus out of the city to the sprawling housing schemes of Easterhouse, Castlemilk and Drumchapel the practise eventually died out. It died out instantly for those who found themselves in the high rise flats! A song written in the 60s (The Jeely Piece Song) captured the essence of all this. More of that later.
The ‘piece’ most often launched out the window was of the jam variety although lard was seemingly popular as well (yuck!) Incidently, ‘A piece’ also referred to your sandwiches/packed lunch that you took to school or work.
“Ah forgoat mah playpiece!” (I forgot my packed lunch for playtime)
Okay, on to our A-Z. Let’s have a look at some ‘Bs’.
back -
The ‘back coort’ (back court) of the tenement, where most of the piece chucking went on. Also refers to the period just after the hour on the clock. “Ah’ll meet ye at the back a five.” (I will meet you sometime after five o clock).
backie -
To let someone ride with you on the back of a bicycle. “Haw Jimmy! Gauny geeza backie?”
baggie minnies -
The wee minnows we used to catch in the local burns and keep in jamjars.
“Mah baggie minnies ur deed!” (The jamjar wasn’t big enough)
bahookie -
Another name for bum or b*m if censorship prevails
“Get yer big bahookie aff mah cher!” (Get yer big backside off my chair) bamstick -
Idiot, ‘nutter’ or generally stupid person. Often shortened to just ‘bam’ as in “erz Tam the Bam!” (There’s Thomas the stupid person)
Barras -
The famous open market, The Barras, in the east end of the city (Gallowgate). Takes its name from the barrow stalls that once made up the market. If you want to hear The Patter, the Barras is the place to go. An hour walking around the stalls listening to the sellers and the Glesca ‘punters’ is the best field trip available for students of The Patter. Also, you can buy anything at the Barras…
“Ah goat a telly fae the Barras: only cost meh a tenner!” (I bought a television from the Barras for £10).
“Ye wir dun, thers a valve missin!” (You were swindled, it lacks an important component)
And now for The Jeely Piece Song
Written in 1967, the dialect is softened somewhat to make it more understandable to a general audience. It remains a classic of Glesca dialect, humour and changes of the time. It went to a catchy tune which, if ye haud yer heid close tae the speaker ye’ll hear meh hummin
Alternatively, try the link at the end to hear some Glesca kids sing a bit of it. Jeely Piece Song
(Adam McNaughton 1967 )
I'm a skyscraper wean; I live on the nineteenth flair,
But I'm no' gaun oot tae play ony mair,
'Cause since we moved tae Castlemilk, I'm wastin' away
'Cause I'm gettin' wan meal less every day:
Chorus
Oh ye cannae fling pieces oot a twenty story flat,
Seven hundred hungry weans will testify to that.
If it's butter, cheese or jeely, if the breid is plain or pan,
The odds against it reaching earth are ninety-nine tae wan.
On the first day ma maw flung oot a daud o' Hovis broon;
It came skytin' oot the windae and went up insteid o' doon.
Noo every twenty-seven hours it comes back intae sight
'Cause ma piece went intae orbit and became a satellite.
On the second day ma maw flung me a piece oot wance again.
It went and hut the pilot in a fast low-flying plane.
He scraped it aff his goggles, shouting through the intercom,
"The Clydeside Reds huv goat me wi' a breid-an-jeely bomb."
On the third day ma maw thought she would try another throw.
The Salvation Army band was staunin' doon below.
"nward Christian Soldiers" was the piece they should've played
But the oompahman was playing a piece an' marmalade.
We've wrote away to Oxfam to try an' get some aid,
An a' the weans in Castlemilk have formed a 'piece-brigade'.
We're gonnae march to George's Square demanding civil rights
Like nae mair hooses ower piece-flinging height.
Hope you enjoyed that. If you’d like a wee taste of what it sounds like go to;
http://www.fortunecity.co.uk/meltingpot ... e_song.htm
Talk tae yeez aw nixt week. Bob.
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Actually I’ll be back amorra wae Patter 3
Bob.
