Document 1696

Scots Tung Wittins 45

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Nummer 45
November 1997

Scots Tung WITTINs

Eydentlie uphaudin the Scots leid Campaine
E-mail:[CENSORED: emailaddress] Ph.[CENSORED: phonenumber]

New Whisky Ad!!
[NOTE: image here of the advertisement in original]

The abuin advert kythed in Scotsman "Weekend" Supplement on Seturday 8t. November. A ken that ae Scots wird yaised fower times in an advert isna muckle tae craw aboot but, A'm stertin tae get the souch that some o the seeds we'v aw been sawin ower the years, shuirlie maun be stertin tae breard noo. Ower the laist twa year, roon aboot this time, we'v aye seen some o the whisy ads makkin guid yiss o the auld leid an A wunner gin the Macallan wull be follaed bi onie o the ithers this year agane.

1997 Yule cairds.
The sellin o oor new Yule cairds is noo weel on its wey wi weel ower a quarter o thaim gien oot areddies an that's jist atween fower maimbers. Ae thing that wisna makkit clear on the brochure wis that, wi the price o Blithe Yule, fowk coffin 10 or mair need pey anelie £4.50 for a poke o 10 onless the cairds wis haein tae be posted. Cairds that wis bein bocht throu the post wad still cost £2.50 for pokes o 5 or £5.00 for pokes o 10.

Forby haein baith oor cairds up for sale in the Post Office at Stoneybank this year agane, we'v perswaddit the Musselburgh Card Centre, neist tae the auld Toun Ha, tae pit thaim up an aw. No jist that tho, bit the Card Centre is in a richt kenspeckle stance an thai'v pit up twa o oor adverteesin caird posters forby. That's no the brochure that wis sent oot tae the maimbers but anither yin lik the yin ablow.

[NOTE: image here of a brochure saying 'Scots Language Yule Cairds. celebrate Referendum Year (1997) bi sendin aw yer freens yin o Scots Tung's Yule Cairds aw scrievit in yer ain Mither Tongue' in original]

We keep on howpin that furthsettin Scots language Yule cairds ilka year is daein some guid in giein the scrievit leid mair exposure an haein some effeck wi giein fowk the inlat tae lat thair een catch up wi thair mooths an lugs whaur the kennin o Scots is concairned.

A'm richt shuir it dis muckle guid an wee stories keeps comin tae ma lugs ilka noo an agane. A nummer o fowk his pintit oot that monie a Yule caird sent tae a freen his kythed a scrievit repone aither speirin whaur thai got it fae or tellin hoo pleased thai wur tae get yin scrievit in Scots.

Anither wee bit o wittins tae reach ma lugs is anent Janet's furst pome "Yule" that kythed inower oor furst Yule caird "Behaud a Muckle Starn." A dinna ken gin Janet kens o this or no, but thon Christmas, the meinister o Saughtonhall Kirk yaised her pome as a foond for his sermon.

Mair Media Bittocks.
Radio Scotland's "Good Morning Scotland" on Thursday mornin hid a wee aboot the Scots language wi Billy Kay reponin tae quaistens. Appearinlie, some cheil wis on the wireless laist week an maun hae yaised the owerword "Bell the cat" an naebodie kent whit it meant nor whaur it cam fae.

Coorse, Billy wis able tae tell thaim it micht hae come fae the Greeks an wis taen up bi baith the English an Scots leids. The crack then heftit intae the uswal gait wi quaistens anent Scots bein a byleid or a leid an wis thir a standart Scots. Billy sayed that the Lothian byleid yaised tae be weel on the wey tae settin intae a standart leid till the Union o the Crouns. The wifie speirin the quaistens reponded, "Oh, I prefer the Doric myself." John Milne soondit a wee thocht heich-heidit whan windin up an taen the dunce's kep aw tae hissel wi sayin, "I wasn't sure which accent he said it in." (Speikin aboot the cheil wha sayed "Bell the Cat.") Puir Jock disna ken the diffrence atween a language, a byleid or a souch tho naebodie else spoke o a souch at aw sea, aiblins it micht be his lugs that's wantin an no his hairns efter aw.

That verra same day, Fordyce Maxwell in the Scotsman Diary mintit aboot Douglas Kynoch haein twa new buiks oot anent the Doric. Bi Fordyce Maxwell's wey o it, the books is cried "Doric for Swats." an "Doric Proverbs and Sayings." baith tae be coffed fae Scottish Cultural Press for £4.95 apiece. A dinna aye ken hoo tae tak Fordyce at times for he aye ettles tae mak a baur oot o awthin an ye canna aye lippen on aw his wirds bein sicker. Bi his wey o it, here is yin or twa exemplars o Doric proverbs that F.M. threaps is jist the same as the Scottish yins excep thair scrievit in Doric. "Pottie canna cry black airse tae the pannie." "Mony haans mak licht wark."" "Like doggie wi twa tails." "Keep the pottie bilin."

Fae the stert o "Nine Gweed Rizzons." he quotes, "Melpomene wis mumpin, an her een war rubbit reid." an he his Kynoch speirin the quaisten, "Fit wye wis Melpomene sae doon-at-the-moo?"

Neist Forgaitherin:-
Mon.24t Nov. 7.30pm tae 9.00pm.
Comatee Rm C, Brunton Ha, Musselburgh.

Information about Document 1696

Scots Tung Wittins 45