The Outlandish Companion - Diana Gabaldon [141]
a mhic an diabhoil (Gaelic) [A vihc an diavail]—“You son of the devil.” A serious Gaelic curse.
garbel (Scots)—to rumble, as an empty stomach
moil (Scots)—a difficulty or trouble
sark (Scots)—a shirt. An ordinary sark was a long, capacious garment, reaching at least to midthigh. A shortened version of this was referred to as a “cutty sark.”
blowzabella (English)—an attractive woman, not necessarily a whore, but sexually approachable.
wean (Scots)—child
sennight (English)—ancient form of “seven nights”—a week
kine (Scots)—cattle.
cockchafers (English)—cockroaches.
A charaid, bi sémhach. (Gaelic) [A kharaid, bi saavak]—“My friend, be quiet.”
ban-druidh (Gaelic) [Ba-un druii]—female sorceror or worker of magic.
coneys (English)—rabbits.
mo nighean (Gaelic) [Mo nee-an]—my girl, my lass.
codless scut (English)—a coward, literally, a “ball-less cunt.”
sluire (Scots; typo—should be “sluit”)—a sloven or slut.
quim (English)—female genital opening (cunt).
ecchymosis (Latin) (medical term)—an escape of blood into tissue from ruptured blood vessels.
doits (Scots)—small copper coins.
Samhain (Gaelic) [Savain]—the ancient Scottish equivalent to the feast of All Hallows; Halloween; October 31.
asafoetida (Latin)—an aromatic (very) compound, worn in a bag around the neck to ward off infection.
ratten (Scots)—a rat; also a small person or animal; also a term of endearment.
clattie imp (Scots)—variant of “clarty”; “dirty imp.”
poolie (Scots)—a louse.
neffit qurd (Scots)—“neffit” = pigmy, “qurd”; a clot of excrement.
hiddie-pyke (Scots)—a miser or niggard.
knivvle (Scots)—to beat or thrash.
ked (Scots)—a sheep-louse.
whoreson (English)—son of a whore.
skrae-shankit skoot (Scots)—a spindle-legged braggart; term of contempt.
mo nighean donn (Gaelic) [Mo nee-an down]—my brown one; my brown-haired lass.
kittle-hoosie (Scots)—whorehouse, brothel.
hubbies (English)—breasts.
kivvers (Scots)—covers, bedding.
skelloch (Scots)—a shout, scream, or cry of alarm.
nez de Cléopatre! (French)—“Cleopatra’s nose!” Exclamation of alarm or annoyance.
N’est-ce pas? (French)—“Is it not so?”
fille de joie (French)—prostitute; literally, “girl of joy”
crottin (French)—dung, horse dropping.
anker (English)—a large, tub-shaped cask, used to ship brandy.
chuckie (English)—slang term (relatively inoffensive) for a prostitute, used in direct address.
cochon (French)—pig. Used in insult, unless you refer to a real pig.
Horreurs! (French)—“Horrors!”
spiled casks (English)—(IMT: “I remember in my youth as a sometimes bartender, handling beer in wooden casks, spiling was a step in the process between taking it from storage to dispensing it. A hole was drilled in one of the bungs and a porous wooden spile was driven into the hole to relieve pressure at a controlled rate for a day or two prior to using it. One had to estimate how many spiled casks’ to have on the rack at any given time.”)
punked wine (English)—flavorless or
worthless wine. Post coitum, omne animalium triste est (Latin)—“After sex, all animals are sad.”
a bhalaich (Gaelic) [a valaik]—boy (vocative case).
dégustateur de vin (French)—a professional wine-taster.
wame (Scots)—the belly.
nez (French)—“nose”; a professional wine appraiser.
ma petite saucisse (French)—my little sausage.
abigail (Scots)—a female servant.
“Eirich ’illean! Suas am bearrach is teich!” (Gaelic) [Airik illan, sooas am bearrak is tiak]—“Up, lads! Over the cliff and run!”
kebbie-lebbie (Scots)—a commotion.
Stramash (Scots)—a wrangle or fight.
lang-nebbit (Scots)—“long-nosed,” figuratively; a nosy person.
collieshangie (Scots)—an uproar or squabble.
neb (Scots)—nose.
tais-toi (French) [tay TWA]—shut up; be quiet.
mo nighean dubh (Gaelic) [Mo nee-an dooh]—my black-haired lass; my dark one.
bruja (Spanish) [BROO-ha]—witch or sorceress.
bai-jai-ai (Mandarin)—mustard seed.
shen-yen (Mandarin)—kidneys.
shan-yu (Mandarin)—eels.
hotel de joie (French)—literally, “house of joy”; a