A

a', aa or aw (pronounced aw)
A' means all.
It's a' the same tae me.

abeen (pronounced a-been)
Abeen means above.

Aberdeen Angus
Aberdeen Angus is a breed of black hornless beef cattle originally bred in Aberdeenshire and Angus.

Aberdeenshire (pronounced ab-er-dean-sher)
Aberdeenshire is a former county in Northeast Scotland. It is now the name of a single-tier local council encompasing the old county plus Kincardine and most of Banff.

Aberdonian
An Aberdonian is a person from Aberdeen.
The dialect of Scots spoken in Aberdeen is also called Aberdonian.
Something which is Aberdonian comes from, or is typical of, Aberdeen.

ablow (pronounced a-blow)
Ablow means below.
in ablow the sink.

a'body (pronounced aw-bid-ee)
In some parts of Northern Scotland a'body means everybody.
Ssh! We don't want a'body to know aboot it!.

aboot (pronounced a-boot)
Aboot means about.
That's aa you incomers go on aboot.

abune (pronounced a-bin) or abeen (pronounced a-been)
Abune means above.

Academials or Academical
A sports team which has the words Academials or Academical as part of its name was originally formed by pupils or former pupils of a particular academy.
Edinburgh Academials
...Hamilton Academical

academy
In Scotland, some secondary schools are known as academies.
Originally, an academy was a public or private school in a burgh
Bathgate Academy
...St Margaret's Academy

Accies
Accies is an informal way of referring to a sports club with Academials or Academical in its name.
Hamilton Accies
...The result was seldom in doubt as Accies struggled to reach 165 for nine off 55 overs.

ach (pronounced aCH)
Ach is an expression of surprise, disgust, or resignation.
Ach, you don't really notice the smell after a while.

act it
To act it is to behave in a misleadingly innocent way.
He's acting it if he says he didn't know.

ae (rhymes with bay)
Ae means one or a single.
ae fond kiss.

aff
aff means either off or from depending upon how used.
Get aff the grass!.
I got it aff ma sister

afore (pronounced a-fore)
Afore means before or infront of.
I'll get home afore you.

after
If someone says they are just after doing something, they mean that they have just finished doing it.
Wipe your feet, I'm just after cleaning the floor.

agent
An agent is a solicitor acting on a person's behalf, especially in a court hearing.
the defence agent.

ages
Someone who is ages with someone else is the same age as that person.
My James is ages wi her David.

agley (pronounced a-glay or a-gliy)
Agley means squint or askew.
If something goes agley it doesn't happen or work out in the way that was intended or hoped for.
Their schemes had gone irreparably agley.

Ah
Ah is a Scots word meaning I.
Ah said Ah hadnae seen him.

ahint (pronounced a-hint)
Ahint means behind or at the back.
Hing yer coat up ahint the door.

aiblins (pronounced abe-lins)
Aiblins is an old-fashioned or literary word meaning perhaps or possibly.
We'd had a few pints - aiblins a guid few.

ain (rhymes with rain)
Ain means own.
I'm going on my ain.
...He can wash his ain claes.

aince (pronounced eenss)
Aince is a Northeastern word meaning once.

aipple
An aipple is an apple.

airm
An airm is an arm.

airt
An airt is a direction or point of the compass.
From a' the airts means from all over the place.

Alba (pronounced al-a-pah)
Alba is the Gaelic name for Scotland. A number of motorists in Scotland, even non-Gaelic speaking ones, have Alba on the nationality plates on their cars.

aliment
In Scots Law, aliment is maintenance or support claimed by one person from another, especially money paid by one spouse to another when a couple is separated but not divorced.

Andrew, St
St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, and the brother of Peter. His feast day is on November 30^th.

ane
In some parts of Scotland ane means one.
A guid New Year tae ane and a'!.

anent (pronounced a-nent)
Anent means about or considering.
a few remarks anent the meeting.

Angus (pronounced ang-giss)
Angus is a former county in the northeast of Central Scotland, the southern boundry of which is the Firth of Tay and the eastern the North sea. It is now the name of a single-tier local council administering much the same area as the old county.

Arbroath
the Declaration of Arbroath was a letter sent by the Scots nobles to the Pope in 1320, asserting Scottish independence.

Argyll (pronounced ar-guile)
Argyll is an area and former county of Western Scotland, consisting of the parts of the mainland west of the Firth of Clyde as far north as Glencoe, and the islands off this area. It is now administered by Argyll and Bute single-tier local council.

Arranite
An Arranite is a person from Arran, an Island off the Southwest coast of Scotland, in the Firth of Clyde.

as
As is a word meaning than.
mair as yin.

ashet (pronounced ash-it)
An ashet is a large plate or shallow dish, usually oval in shape, used for cooking or serving food.

ask for
To ask for someone is to make enquiries about their well-being or health.
Tell your Dad I was asking for him.

Atholl Brose
Atholl brose is a drink or a pudding made from whisky, honey, oatmeal, and water. Double cream is sometimes added.
The drink is named after an Earl of Atholl who, according to legend, incapacitated one of his enemies by spiking his well with whisky and honey.

at it
To be at it means to be up to no good.
There is a general belief that all politicians are at it and not to be trusted.

atween (pronounced a-tween)
The word atween means between.
a sausage in atween two dauds o' breid.

aucht (pronounced awCHt)
Aucht is a Scots word meaning eight (8).

aucht-day
An aucht-day person or thing is an ordinary or unremarkable one: a Northeastern term.
jist an aucht-day kinna body.

auld (rhymes with bald)
Auld means old..

Auld Alliance
The Auld Alliance refers to the historical links between Scotland and France. These links started in the 14^th century when both nations were the subject of English ambition and endured until the Reformation ranged the two countries on different sides of the Protestant-Catholic divide. During this period France had a detectable influence on the development of Scottish institutions and law as well as customs and manners.

Auld Enemy
In Scotland, the English are sometimes referred to as the Auld Enemy, especially now in a sporting context.
The worst Scots nightmare, a gubbing by the Auld Enemy, was realized..
This phrase refers to the long history of conflict between the two countries.

Auld Reekie
Auld Reekie is a nickname for Edinburgh.
The name means literally Old Smoky.

ava (pronounced a-vaw)
Ava is a word meaning at all.
It's no for the common fowk ava.

avizandum (pronounced av-viz-zan-dum)
Avizandum is the legal term for a judge's or court's private consideration of a case before giving judgment. A judge or court makes avizandum when time is needed to consider an argument or submission.

awa (pronounced a-waw)
Awa means away.

away
To be away to a place means to go there.
I'm away to my work.
Away! is used to indicate disbelief or surprise.
Away wi ye! is used to indicate contempt for a person or dismissal of what they have said.
Someone who is away wi it is very drunk.
Away and... is used in many expressions of dismissal.
Away and chase yourself!
...Away and bile yer heid!

awfy (pronounced aw-fi) or awfu (pronounced aw-fa)
Awfy means either awful or very depending upon usage.
Ah feel awfy.
He's awfy untidy.

aye or ay
1. (pronounced eye)
   Aye means yes..
   Aye, I'll be there.
2. (pronounced iy)
   Aye means always or constantly.
   He's aye complaining

ayeways (pronounced iy-ways)
Ayeways means always.
He's ayeways got a few cans put by.
...Ye can ayeways try again later.

ayont (pronounced a-yont)
Ayont means beyond.
ayont the hills.

Ayrshire (pronounced air-sher or air-shire)
Ayrshire is a former county in Southwest Scotland, on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde. It is now administered by three single-tier local councils: North, South, and East Ayrshire.