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Scottish English Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Scottish English Quizzes, Trivia

Scottish English Trivia

Scottish English Trivia Quizzes

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Scotland has a number of words and phrases which are not heard in other parts of the United Kingdom. D'ye ken?
8 Scottish English quizzes and 80 Scottish English trivia questions.
1.
  Och Aye The Noo    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
As I am a Scot, l thought l would write a quiz about Scottish slang which l use frequently. Can you translate the following words and phrases into standard English for me, please? Good luck!
Easier, 10 Qns, Kalibre, Mar 24 25
Easier
Kalibre gold member
Mar 24 25
235 plays
2.
  The Doric   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The dialect spoken in the North East and mid-North of Scotland is known as the Doric. It varies quite substantially from more common forms of English. This is an attempt to introduce quizzers to this historical and literary form.
Average, 10 Qns, TarquinsDad, Feb 18 25
Average
TarquinsDad
Feb 18 25
128 plays
3.
  Scottish Sayings, Words and Phrases   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Scottish sayings, words and phrases. Can you guess what they mean?
Average, 10 Qns, t_s, Sep 20 23
Average
t_s gold member
Sep 20 23
1273 plays
4.
  Basic Scottish Terminology    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
To understand the Scots, one has to know a few 'Scotticisms' - terms used in Scotland and less frequently used in the other parts of the U.K. Check your Scottish proficiency.
Tough, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Jul 04 13
Tough
flem-ish
1253 plays
5.
  Scotland the Brains - Scottish Words Quiz   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz created by team Scotland the Brains. How well do you know the words used by Scots?
Average, 10 Qns, hmacca, Jul 10 08
Average
hmacca
790 plays
6.
  Scottish English    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Scottish English derives from Germanic and not from Celtic. It is however certainly not degraded Standard English. This quiz is more about some similarities rather than about the differences.
Average, 10 Qns, flem-ish, Nov 13 21
Average
flem-ish
Nov 13 21
1582 plays
7.
  Speaking Scots    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Some more every day words spoken in the Scots tongue. What do these words or phrases mean?
Average, 10 Qns, Twodeez, Mar 23 25
Average
Twodeez
Mar 23 25
1054 plays
8.
  Speaking in the Scots tongue    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The people of Scotland have a rich and varied language; regional dialects, accents and phrases can be different no more than just a few miles apart. See if you know what these words mean.
Average, 10 Qns, Twodeez, Mar 23 25
Average
Twodeez
Mar 23 25
1525 plays
trivia question Quick Question
How do Scots pronounce the ei that occurs in eivil, seiven, streitch and weit?

From Quiz "Scottish English"




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Scottish English Trivia Questions
1. If someone told you it was a "braw" day, which would it mean?

From Quiz Scotland the Brains - Scottish Words Quiz

Answer: The weather is extremely clement today

As Harry Lauder used to say "It's a braw, bricht, moonlicht nicht, the nicht" or "It's a beautiful bright moonlit night tonight" Braw means lovely, delightful as I'm sure the Braw Lads and Lasses of Galashiels would agree. http://www.galashiels.border-net.co.uk/gathering/week.html Thanks to larkydarky for that one.

2. In Scotland, if someone says "I am completely 'scunnered' today!" what does it mean?

From Quiz Scottish Sayings, Words and Phrases

Answer: Fed up

This word is much used in Scotland, it is to be negative about something. Feeling sleepy, starving or cold could result in feeling 'scunnered' but not necessarily.

3. What is a tea-jenny?

From Quiz Basic Scottish Terminology

Answer: someone who drinks a lot of tea

Refers to tea-drinkers of either sex.

4. If someone was a "clipe", what unpleasant characteristic would they have?

From Quiz Scotland the Brains - Scottish Words Quiz

Answer: Tell tale

A clipe is someone who runs to tell authority whenever they see someone doing something they shouldn't be doing. It can also be used as a verb as in "Mum! He cliped on me!" tizzie741 has obviously been cliped on in the past!

5. In Scotland, if someone says "What are you 'gauping' at?" what does it mean?

From Quiz Scottish Sayings, Words and Phrases

Answer: Staring, open mouthed

For someone to be doing this they would be open mouthed, looking at something or someone with a silly vacant expression. Sniffing, yelling or sobbing loudly is not the definition of this expression in this case.

6. What do Scots mean by a dominie?

From Quiz Basic Scottish Terminology

Answer: a schoolmaster

In Dutch dominee (from Latin dominus or Sir) is a protestant minister. In Scotland 'dominie' traditionally referred to another person of some importance: the schoolmaster whom you also address with 'Yes, sir' 'No, sir'.

7. According to William Graham's 'Scots Wordbook', what is the pronunciation of Scottish English words such as faither, cairt, raither and yaird?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: Same sound as in gate

Scottish English does not always signal the differences in pronunciation with Standard English. Broun, flouer, hous and mous are actually pronounced with the oo of soon, and not with the sound of loud as they are in English. Not the ou of soul either.

8. When in Dundee, if you are told to turn left at the "Circle", what are you looking out for?

From Quiz Scotland the Brains - Scottish Words Quiz

Answer: It's a roundabout

Dundee is full of these junctions, known elsewhere in Britain as roundabouts, but to Dundonians they're "Circles". They're certainly circles to tizzy741

9. What are clans subdivided into?

From Quiz Basic Scottish Terminology

Answer: septs

Skerries are small rocky islands. Shinty is a game played between two opposing teams of twelve players. It has some common traits with hockey in that you don't 'kick, catch or throw the ball', but hit it with a stick called the 'caman'. Shenachies were those employed by the clan chiefs to record the history of the clan. Now the word refers to anyone with an extensive knowledge of Gaelic history and folktales.

10. Mull, hull, whup and whustle would not have a u in standard English, but an ___?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: i

Other examples are wrunkle for wrinkle and whurl for whirl.

11. In Scotland, if someone says "That man was fairly going his 'dinger' the other day!" what does it mean?

From Quiz Scottish Sayings, Words and Phrases

Answer: Losing his temper

This expression means that someone is having a temper tantrum and is very angry! Ringing a bell does not mean this phrase, although in some way the origins of this phrase must come from the bell source somewhere along the line. Slipping on a banana skin or losing a race may cause someone to do this on occasion depending on the person!

12. What is meant by "Cullen skink" in Scottish cookery?

From Quiz Basic Scottish Terminology

Answer: it refers to a kind of fish-soup

The soup is made from smoked haddock, potatoes, onion and milk. In this context the name skink means "watery soup" or "essence". Cullen is a fishing-village on the shores of the Moray Firth. Skink is normally the Scottish word for shin of beef, related to "shank" and to Dutch "schenkel". In this context no such "skink" is used.

13. What is the consonant that is dropped from the English model in words such as fummle, grummle, mummle and trummle?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: b

The dropping of B after m is much more frequent in Scottish English than in standard English, which leaves the b unpronounced in lamb, dumb, comb, etc. but still writes it. Other consonants that create funny effects are: r that often changes position within the word: buRnt becomes bRunt and keRb becomes cRib.The other way round: scRatch becomes scaRt and and chRisten becomes kiRsen.

14. What would you do with a "syboe"?

From Quiz Scotland the Brains - Scottish Words Quiz

Answer: Eat it

You would eat it raw. Syboes are spring onions (or green onions in the US), delicious in salads. maygrayuk could tell you all about them.

15. When visiting someone in Scotland and they say "You are at your auntie's house" what does this mean?

From Quiz Scottish Sayings, Words and Phrases

Answer: Make yourself comfortable, relax and raid the cookie tin

This phrase means "relax and make yourself at home!" whilst eating all the cookies without having to be polite! There is no need to sit still and not touch anything, the skies the limit!. Doing all the housework to save old auntie from doing it is allowed of course! If amnesia or the 'one too many drinks' is the situation, then raiding the cookie jar and drinks cabinet is, in effect, ok too!

16. The Beltane is an old Celtic fire festival. On which day of the year is it celebrated?

From Quiz Basic Scottish Terminology

Answer: 1st or 3d of May

31st of December is Hogmanay, the Scottish name for New Year's Eve. Lammas, one of the Scottish quarter- or termdays is celebrated on the 1st of August. Candlemas, another of the four quarterdays, is on 2nd of February. The other quarter-days are Whitsunday and Martinmas (11th of November). Note: these quarterdays are not specifically Scottish.

17. How do Scots pronounce the ei that occurs in eivil, seiven, streitch and weit?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: sound as in feet

Other basic phonetic rules are that British English -all mostly becomes -aw, also spelled -aa. Examples: baw, caw, faw and waw for ball, call, fall and wall.

18. In Scotland, if someone says "That 'wean' playing in our garden belongs to the lady across the street, it needs to go home now!" what does it mean?

From Quiz Scottish Sayings, Words and Phrases

Answer: Small child

It normally means small child in Scotland If it were a small cat - it would be 'wee cat' If it were a small dog - it would be 'wee dug' If it were a small yak - although not entirely impossible, it would be amazing and improbable to find a yak (big or small) playing in one's garden in Scotland!

19. There are many songs about bonnie lasses in the Scottish music tradition. But what exactly is a 'bonnie lass'?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: a pretty girl

It's a mistaken belief that all bonnies are 'over the Ocean' in America these days.

20. If in Scotland, and one asks a person where they are going for this year's annual vacation or holiday and they reply "Oh! its 'hameldaeme' this year" where is this place?

From Quiz Scottish Sayings, Words and Phrases

Answer: Nowhere

This word in translation is 'home will do me!' so it means they are going nowhere and staying at home. The north coast of Scotland and south of France have many nice places to visit for vacation but not with this name. 'anywhere' is 'anywhere'! and not necessarily home.

21. Haggis is eaten with neips (also spelled neeps) and tatties. Tatties are potatoes of course, but what are neips?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: turnips

Neeps is a shortened form of turnips. What is actually most commonly used is the swede, a yellow turnip that gets its name from its Swedish origin. It is elsewhere called a rutabaga. As should be clear from the name cock-a-leekie soup, neips are not leeks. Cabbage is Scottish english keil and comparable with standard English kale. In spite of all the horror stories about the haggis, the dish can be neatly presented and charmingly arranged as a kind of yellow, brown, white national 'flag'. Probably Scottish nouvelle cuisine.

22. The widespread surname Halliday is of Scottish origin. What does it mean?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: holiday

Possibly a foundling (abandoned orphan) found on a holiday.

23. What would be wrong with someone if they were "beelin"?

From Quiz Scotland the Brains - Scottish Words Quiz

Answer: They are angry, get out of their way.

If someone is beelin they are annoyed, angry even. It is usually modified by the adverb fair (which in this case means very) - "She's been stood up by that numpty and now she's fair beelin" translates as "She has been left waiting for her beau, and now she is extremely annoyed".

24. What does the name Auld Reekie refer to?

From Quiz Basic Scottish Terminology

Answer: nickname for Edinburgh

Perth may be famous for its Lady of Perth, but not for its cigars. Aberdeen, the Granite City may smell of fish and North Sea oil, but is not called Auld Reekie. A famous 'Smokie' is Arbroath smokie which is smoked haddock. There is also the finnan haddie, also a smoked haddock. Another famous 'auld' phrase is the Auld Alliance, which refers to Scotland and France teaming up vs. England - until the rise of protestantism changed the political chess game.

25. What does a Scotsman mean when he calls the weather dreich?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: dull and dreary

There is also a Scots Gaelic word draik that means 'wet weather'.

26. Who or what is Atholl Brose?

From Quiz Basic Scottish Terminology

Answer: a famous pudding or drink made with whisky and honey

The other ingredients are oatmeal and water.

27. Baxter is another wide-spread surname of Scottish origin. What profession does it refer to?

From Quiz Scottish English

Answer: baker

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Last Updated Mar 24 2025 10:41 PM
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