England is not far down south but sometimes Scotland can seem like a different planet - as our colourful expressions and accents could leave any newcomer scratching their head.
Intriguingly, this isn’t just a case of ‘slang’ or Billy Connolly-esque accents as Scotland is considered a multilingual country. Native languages like Scots, Scottish Gaelic and of course English, all come together under an array of beautiful accents and dialects.
If you’re Scottish, or have lived here, then you’ll know well that we have developed our own style when it comes to using English – and so certain words don’t mean what the Collins Dictionary says they do in the context of Scotland.
To spare you asking for translations, here are 40 everyday English words and phrases with different meanings in Scotland.
37. Bump
Unlike the usual meaning which refers to bumping into someone, to bump something in Scotland means to steal it. Photo: Elnur via CanvaPro
38. Swatch
This is known as a brand of watches, but in Scotland if you tell someone to "have a swatch at that" you're basically saying "look over there!" Photo: Bielbienneboy via WikiCommons
39. Messages
Texts on your phone? Nah. Here we can use the word "messages" to refer to our shopping items, if you have a Scottish loved one then let them know you're "heading out for your messages" next time you're off to the shops - they'll get it! Photo: yanukit via CanvaPro