20 Glaswegian Sayings You’ll Only Hear in Glasgow

There’s no doubt that Glaswegians, with their cocky attitude and good sense of humor, can come up with some great words. Give it laldy and use this as your go-to guide for Glaswegian sayings so you don’t have a glaikit coupon (face) when you meet this wonderful group. Gaun yersel!

Gallus

Gallus is a persona, a statement, or a character. It is a small word that is a gem. It’s a kind of swag that you either have or don’t have. When you walk into that room with a gallus strut, you can be sure that everyone is looking at you. Like a double-edged sword, it can be used in both bad and good ways.

Bolt Ya Rocket

When someone is putting your patience to the test or making your gears grind, you should tell them to “bolt your rocket.” In other words, it means “jog on,” “bug off,” “go away,” “leave me alone,” etc. You can also use the word “rocket” instead of words like “daft” or “eejit” (another popular weegie word meaning idiot).

Awa’ an bile yer heid

“Go away and boil your head” is what it says in English. Means Get lost. Let’s be honest: Glasgow is full of phrases that tell you where to go. Like some others, this one implies that you have to go for talking nonsense—so much nonsense, in fact, that you have to boil your own head in shame for being so silly.

Gie’in It Laldy

There’s nothing better than gie’in it laldy when you’re about to start an intense karaoke session or that dance routine from your past that you remember so well. In other words, dance like no one is watching, give it your all, go completely crazy, and bounce off the walls. And at the end, you won’t be sorry about anything. That settles it, lady.

20 Glaswegian Sayings You'll Only Hear in Glasgow — © gratisography

Did ye, aye?

“Did you, aye?” is a great way to respond when you need to be sarcastic, especially when you’re talking to someone who’s too big for their boots or talking a bunch of crap. It always shows people where they stand without saying too much.

Pish

This word means urine. But in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland, the word is often used to describe something that makes people feel bad. For example, if the football score isn’t going your way, you might say “it’s a load of pish.”

Havnae a scooby

And you thought that only cockneys liked old slang with rhymes. If you ask a Glaswegian for directions and they say something like this, it means they don’t have a Scooby Doo, or a clue. Not to be confused with the other Scooby in the city, the Mighty Scooby Snack, which is a roll with so much fat that it could feed the king of cartoon dogs himself.

Mad Wae It

They were drunker than ever before. When you’ve had too much to drink or look like what people call a “space cadet,” you’re mad wae it.

Dinghied

To leave, ignore, or give up on someone or something. It’s not a good feeling when your friend dinghies you.

Swally

Swally is a simple word that means “booze” or “bevvy.” When you need a lot of alcohol, you can ask a friend to “Give us a wee swally.” This is not rude. Then, it’s up to that friend to decide how much money to give.

Bawbag

Ah, Bawbag, that beautiful Scottish word that never gets old, thanks to “Hurricane Bawbag” and that famous trampoline video that went viral. Literally, it means “testicle sack,” but in Glasgow, it means a lot more than that. For example, “awright bawbag” is a great way to greet your best friend in the whole wide world when they come to visit. On the other hand, “ya bawbag” can also be used for a rocket that needs to bolt and has a cocky attitude.

Heavy Ragin

Translation: Fuming mad. When someone does something that makes you mad or when you have a day from hell, you tend to be very angry about how things have turned out.

Ginger

Juice with bubbles, soda, a carbonated drink, or a soft drink. It’s juice in Edinburgh, but ginger in Glasgow. Ginger is the best thing ever, whether it’s in Irn-Bru or something else that bubbles.

Gaun Yersel!

Go ahead. “Gaun yersel” is the best way to cheer someone up or give them moral support. If Jenny from Forrest Gump were from Scotland, she would definitely shout “gaun yersel” instead of “run, Forrest, run” to show how much she supported him.

Away An Bile Yer Heid

Get out of here and boil your brain. When someone is talking nonsense or making you crazy with their stupidity, sometimes the only thing you can do is tell them to “go away and spit out your head.”

Happenin?

How are things going for you? There is no need for extra words in Glasgow. When you meet someone, you can just say, “What’s up?” and they will know you want to know how they are doing. It’s not unusual to hear “wee man” or “big man” said after.

Glaikit

Completely and utterly stupid or not able to understand what’s going on. When you tell someone you love them, the last thing you want to see on their face is a glaikit expression.

Pure Baltic

It is absolutely, absolutely, categorically, and categorically bloody cold. When it’s the coldest it’s ever been in Glasgow and you have to scrape the ice off your car in the morning, it’s baltic.

The Dancin’

A place to go out at night. Nothing is better than getting home late on a Friday night after a little dance.

Taps Aff

Take off your top. When on vacation, you can always spot a Scot because they are the ones with their taps aff sunbathing in temperatures that non-Scots would consider pure baltic. Taps may also come loose if the right football team wins.

Topic: 20 Glaswegian Sayings You’ll Only Hear in Glasgow

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