Lesson 3 Moods, Feelings and Clothes
In this lesson, you will learn:
- moods, feelings & characteristics
- words for items of clothing
- talking about appearance
- traditional Ulster & Scots dress
- clothing & characteristics in Scots & Ulster-Scots poetry
MOODS, FEELINGS AND CHARACTERISTICS: BASIC VOCABULARY
Adjectives
- Happy
- blythe
- Sad
- dowie
- Cheerful/ lively/bubbly
- sonsie
- Gormless/vacant
- glaikit
- Irritable
- crabbit
- Intelligent/quick witted
- quïck oan tha uptak
- Clumsy
- hanless
- Miserly
- nerra
- Impudent/cocky
- crouse
- Awkward
- thran
- Sly
- sleekit
- Lacking manners
- coorse
Verbs
- Cry
- greet
- Laugh
- lach
- Stare/glare
- glower
Nouns
- Person
- boadie
- Girl
- lassie
- Young man
- loon, lad
- Woman
- wumman
- Helpless person
- cratur; craiter
- Fool
- coof; eedyit
- Loud-mouth
- blaa
Read the following dialogue (1) in which two people discuss a neighbouring family. Then try to answer the questions following. (Answers at the end)
- Sarah
- Yon Mary’s a richt sonsie lassie.
- Tam
- Aye, she's quïck oan tha uptak, haes mair wut nor tha brither, the yin the' caa Rabin. He’s a glaikit loon.
- Sarah
- Sarah: There’s anither brither. The' caa him Boab. He’s five yeir ouler nor Rabin, an’ he’s a coorse coof.
- Tam
- The mither wus aye a gey crabbit wumman an’ he taen efter her.
- Sarah
- Crabbit an coorse she wus. An’ whit aboot the faither? He wus a crouse, sleekit boadie so he wus.
- What word is used to make Mary sound an attractive character?
- What expression is used to make a comparison between Mary’s intelligence and her brother’s?
- What word is used to emphasise how irritable the mother was?
- From the comments in the above dialogue, which of the family members probably deserve to be described as ‘thran’?
Note:
To form a superlative adjective (showing someone has the greatest amount of a particular quality in relation to others) use 'maist' or add 'est'. Eg. Mary's the quïckest o' the femlie.
Literary link
The great Scots poet Robert Burns used some of the above descriptive adjectives in his famous poem ‘To a Mouse’, which he claimed he wrote after startling the creature when he turned over its nest with his plough:
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi’ bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle.
scurrying clatter
plough-staff
Clothes
- Duncher
- cap
- Neck
- collar
- Wurkin claes
- work clothes
- Breeks
- trousers
- Poakit
- Frack
- frock; dress
- Aipern
- apron
- Jaiket
- jacket; coat
- Gansey
- jumper
- Shuin
- shoes
- Simmet
- vest
- Sark
- shirt
- Toorie bunnet
- woollen hat
- Skippit bunnet
- cloth cap with a stiff peak
- Shift
- A Woman's Slip
- Weel riggit oot
- smart; well dressed
- Peerie heels
- high heels
- Sacks
- socks
- Go tae meetin claes
- ‘best outfit; ‘Sunday clothes’
Mary and Joan are preparing for a night out. Here is their conversation as they get dressed.
- Mary
- Whit ye gan tae weer?
- Joan
- Seein it's a cauld wunter's nicht, A'm fur weerin ma jaiket.
- Mary
- A hae naethin tae pit oan me.
- Joan
- Hae ye luk’t ava?
- Mary
- A wud tak a len o a wee frack. Thon rid yin's gye guid-lukkin.
- Joan
- Get yersel hirselled up. Busk yersel!
Which means
- Mary
- What are you going to wear?
- Joan
- It’s a cold winter’s night so I’m going to wear my jacket.
- Mary
- I have nothing suitable to wear.
- Joan
- Have you looked at all?
- Mary
- I wouldn’t mind borrowing a dress. That red one’s quite pretty.
- Joan
- Hurry up and get dressed. Get ready!
Later, when they are out, they see a mutual friend.
- Joan
- Luk at tha cut o thon! Whit a pit-oan!
- Mary
- Thon wee skirt's ower shoart fur her.
- Joan
- Aye an leuk at her fancy tappin.
- Mary
- Whit daes she leuk like?
Which means
- Joan
- What a sight! What an outfit
- Mary
- That skirt’s far too short for her.
- Joan
- Yes and look at her fancy hairstyle.
- Mary
- What does she look like?
Here is a conversation in a clothes shop.
- Assistant
- Yis gettin? Can A dae ocht fur ye?
- Mrs Donald
- Am jist haein a wee leuk.
- Assistant
- Nae bother.
- Mrs Donald
- D’yis hae oany blek shirts? Its fur ma man.
- Assistant
- Whit size o neck wud he tak?
- Mrs Donal
- Twuntie.
- Assistant
- Thon yins is on a wee offer.
- Mrs Donald
- The’ leuk grann. A’ll tak twa.
- Assistant
- That’ll be twuntie fower pun an fiftie pence, please. Monie thanks. Hae a guid day, noo.
Can you work out how to ask/say the following? (Answers at the end)
- If there is some way you can help someone.
- I’m just looking
- Do you have any....?
- I’ll take one.
- Thank you.
Literary links
The Edinburgh poet Robert Fergusson (1750-74) who was greatly admired by Burns wrote a poem ‘To My Auld Breeks’. It was typical of Fergusson and other 18th century Scots poets to draw a moral lesson by meditating on an unlikely subject in a humorous or whimsical fashion. In the following extract, he hopes his shabby, poorly mended trousers that are only fit to be thrown out, will one day remind him of his poverty if he ever becomes rich and famous, and encourage him to live within his means:
Or if some bard in lucky times,
Should profit meikle by his rhymes,
And pace awa’ wi’ smirky face,
In siller or in gowden lace,
Glowr in his face, like spectre gaunt,
Remind him o’ his former want,
To cow his daffin and his pleasure,
And gar him live within the measure
greatly
silver, golden
lay low, foolish behaviour
make
The Ulster poet Samuel Thomson (1766-1816) wrote a poem in praise of his old shoes: ‘Elegy, To My Auld Shoen’, just before he threw them away. True to the tradition of Fergusson, he drew a moral lesson from the fate of his cast offs
Adieu my pumps, your days are done;
Ah wae is me your race is run!
Now to the mools, my worthy shoen,
I’m forc’d to send ye!
The cobbler has declar’d ye gone –
He canna mend ye!
But why shou’d I at fate repine?
‘Tis just the same wi a’ man kin’:
Then let us a’ to heaven resign;
For, like our shoen,
From life’s meridian we decline
Until we’re done.
lit. ‘earth of a grave’
Ulster tartan
The kilt is internationally recognised as a symbol of Scotland, and each Scottish clan is fiercely proud of its own distinctive tartan pattern. See the website of the Scottish Tartans Authority for more details. However, there is also an Ulster tartan, based on the pattern on a pair of trews found near Dungiven and dating from the 17th century, which are part of the Ulster Museum Collection. A reproduction of the cloth in the trews was made using two shades of brown with a red overcheck. This pattern has been registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority as the Ulster Tartan.
Answers to Dialogue 1
- sonsie
- haes mair wut nor
- crabbit
- Bob and his mother
Answers to 'Can you ask/say'
- Can A dae ocht fur ye?
- Am jist haein a wee leuk.
- D’yis hae oany...?
- A’ll tak yin.
- Monie thanks.
