calima

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September 16, 2004

mingin'

I've learned a lot of words here in Glasgow....lots of slang. I remember writing an email to a friend back in the States informing him of all the differences in language.

cookie = biscuit
biscuit = yorkshire pudding
fries = chips
chips = crisps

etc etc.

I was talking to the Irish girl downstairs about all the different phrases we've learned and had to 'unlearn' when we went back home to visit.

One of my favourite words I learned is 'mingin' ' To say that I don't have any idea what this word means would be incorrect. It just has a lot of meanings, and you can use it to describe nearly anything that is foul.

Dirty dishrag that smells = mingin'
drunk person = mingin'
puke on the sidewalk = mingin'
dirty anything = mingin'

There's a girl I work with at the theatre who says 'pure mingin' ', which I find to be a bit of an oxymoron. (Just a 'bit' of an oxymoron...not a complete oxymoron). Pure mingin'.

Yeah, so I was out last night wi' mah friends and I was pure mingin' I was like 'at [makes a face]

So, I've picked up some other phrases round here. 'You's' for one. As in See yous later if you're talking to more than one 'you'.

'sorry' is one of those that means the same and is spelled the same, but is just pronounced differently. Now...I can spell it 'sorry' and you colonials will pronounce it how it's spelled. But here, it's pronounced (similar to) 'soddy'. Not quite a roll of the 'R' but close. Say it out loud: Soddy.

Another I've had to get used to hearing (but not saying) is 'hen'. Older women, I find, especially will call a younger girl 'hen'. As in That's alright, hen. The first time I heard it, I was a bit taken aback. Pardon me? Did you just call me a hen? It's an endearment...or close to it. Nothing to be offended by.

Often time you'll hear people talking about their 'mates'. i.e. Friends. I can honestly say that I don't use this word often, if at all. I used it once a long time ago (a year ago?) and I sounded like such an arse when I said it that I haven't been able to bring myself to say it again.

Arse is a lovely word and should be used frequently. You'll also get a few giggles from those around you if you say it with your American accent.

And that concludes our language lesson for today.

See yous later.

x

Posted by calima at September 16, 2004 01:21 PM