Parliamo Scotch?

Don't ever, ever say that. At least, after eight years in Scotland I have learned that one. Scotch is what you drink.

Today I realised I had to go out and do my messages. At the shop counter I was asked, "Is that you then ?", to which I replied, putting my messages in my bag, "Aye, that's me". The crazy thing is, I didny even think about it and I am as English as buttered toast. God knows what they will think I am when I finally move back down South. I shall have to remember not to ask for a sengle fesh.

For those of you who are thinking of visiting, watch the following. (The clip disallows embedding)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMnKPnPhhYw

4 comments:

Jim Baxter said...

Yiz went yer ain messages? Zatno hellish no? Mrs Jim gets sent oot furra punna mince an totties furrer man's tea. That's hur wance shizgoat thon.

I saw some prat of a Lahndahn Times reviewer complaining of the 'impenetrable accents' in Peter Mullan's new film, 'Neds'.

Nae doot she prefers French.

It wid gie ye the dry boak soatwid

Foxy Brown said...

Oooohh, I thought you were Scottish!!
Also, didn't Dr. Johnson use the term?

Jim Baxter said...

It's correct English to refer to anything of Scottish origin as 'Scotch'. 'Scots' is a 'Scots' word. A person is Scots', an object is Scotch, in Scots. Scotch whisky is correct in Scots, as is Scotch mist. Scotchman is not: in Scots, the word is 'Scotsman'. But any Scotsman who objects to being called a 'Scotchman' by an English person does not respect the English person's right to speak their own language.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Thank you Jim. So now we both know. Foxy, Johnson was English, his biographer, Boswell, was a Scot. Johnson did a tour of Scotland with Boswell. All I can say is about that narrative is, thank goodness for the locals that he was not writing for tripadvisor.