SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 1736 Title : Scots Tung Wittins 85 Author(s): Robert Fairnie Copyright holder(s): Name withheld Text Nummer 85 Dec.2000 Keep a guid Scots tung in yer heid an in yer hert! But mind an uise it tae! Scots Tung WITTINS Eydentlie uphaudin the Scots Leid Campaine e-screive: [CENSORED: emailaddress] Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] Stravaiger Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] Cross Pairty Curn on the Scots Leid Breardit. ON Wadensday 22 November the Cross Pairty Curn on the Scots Leid wis breardit in the Scots Pairlament's Comatee Rm 2 at George IV Brig. Wi the Anniesland by-election bein hauden the neist day, aboot a dizzen MSP's lat it be kent they war intrestit in the curn an sent thair apologies for no bein thare. The fower MSP's that tendit the forgaitherin wis Irene McGugan, Cathie Peattie, Mike Russell an Colin Campbell. Wi aboot 35 fowk at the forgaitherin, maist o the Scots language curns, organisations an upsteerers wis tae the fore wi fore-speakers frae the Scots Leid Associe, SLRC, SNDA, Scottish Airts Cooncil, Saltire Society, Scots Tung, Scotsoun , Merlin Press an ithers. It wis greed the ettles o the curn wad be "Tae forder the cause o Scots, tell maimbers (MSP's) o the cultur an heirship o the language, an pynt oot the want o onie ongauns necessar for the uphaud o Scots." Some o the pynts brocht oot bi the forgaitherin wis that if the Scots language wis tae be hained, it haed tae be gien a muckle sicht mair siller nor it haes seen or noo. Scots shuid be gien a heize frae Pairt II tae Part III o the European Charter for Regional or Minority Leids wi aw the richts that gauns alang wi't. Mair uphaud for the leid in eddication an braidcastin tae fend the likes o mair bairns' buiks in Scots, re-eddication o teachers an TV programs in Scots includin bairns' cartoons dubbed intae Scots. Scots tae tak its place alang wi English an Gaelic on the signage for the new pairlament biggin at Holyrood. The pairts o the Kist that wis noo oot o prent shuid be re-prentit an aw raicent internaitional laws anent linguistic freedom shuid be leukit intae tae see gin oor leid cuid git onie betterment oot o thaim. The neist forgaitherin wis proponed for 31t Januar 2001 an the nicht feinisht aff wi some braw guid sangs, poems an a readin frae "But n Ben A-Go-Go" ~~~ooo~~~ Gaun Yersel But n Ben A-Go-Go! THE first edeetion o Matthew Fitt's buik haes been selt oot an the saicont ane wis lenched at Aiberdeen the same day as the abuin Cross Pairty Curn wis breardit. STW Bids Aw Its Readers a Hertie Yule an a Richt Guid New Year!!! ~~~ooo~~~ Centre for the Languages o Scotland. UNNER the heidin o ACTIONS to promote the languages of Scotland in Rhona Brankin's Creating our future ....... Minding our past, it's proponed the Scottish Executive wad leuk intae seein hou wyce it micht be tae hae a Centre For The Languages of Scotland. This wad kivver Gaelic an the byleids o Scots an tak in the Scottish National Dictionar. Shuid we pey onie tent tae the fack that unner ACTIONS, the SNDA is mintit on its lane but on the page afore, the centre proponed bi the univairsities wis tae fend a hame for the muckle graith hauden on the languages bi sindrie bodies, includin the SNDA uphaudit bi SAC, an the Dictionar o the Aulder Scottish Tongue, uphaudit bi the univairsities? Daes this mean that it's aw richt for the SE tae owerset the SNDA siller frae the SAC tae the proponed new Language Centre but the'r nae wey it's gaun tae pey for the DOST an lat the scant sillered univairsities aff the cleek? A guid wheen watter haes gaed ablow the brig syne the Creating our future document wis furthset. Wi the suddent doolsome daith o wir First Meenister, the umquhile Donald Dewar, owerance for cairiein oot whit's proponed in the document is raxed ower frae Rhona Brankin as Depute Meenister for Cultur an Sport tae Allan Wilson as Depute Meenister for Sport an Cultur. Nae prizes for seein hou cultur haes come doon in the warld in compare wi sport. It's ower airlie tae tell gin Allan Wilson, wi Sam Galbraith as his maister, will be onie mair hertie tae the Scots leid nor Rhona Brankin wis but we can aye howp. If the final ootcome o Creating our future leaves Scots wi mair or less the same 9p a heid that it haes the noo in compare wi Gaelic's £147 a heid, is thair gaun tae be onie better for us in bein thrummelt intae a wee neuk ablow the stair in a centre hoatchin wi ful time Gaelic offeecials? We hear tell the Scottish Executive haed pit by £7m for the Scottish Airts Cooncil tae cairie oot the hail cultural strategy program frae the document but the wis sic a muckle stushie an heckle ower it they haed anither thocht an eikit anither £11m. This gies the SAC aboot £18m tae kivver the hail program – juist aboot hauf the siller that's spent on Gaelic the noo. ~~~ooo~~~ Scots Tung WITTINS on the wab. The Scots Tung Wittins can be vizzied or doon-loadit an prentit (noo in HTML format forbye) frae the wab-steid o :- The Scots Speikers Curn, Glesca. Wab-steid backin :- http://www.mlove.free-online.co.uk/ A hard copie o STW is sent free o chairge tae aw maimbers o Scots Tung. Maimbership subscreivins is £5 peyed ilka September. (£6 furth o United Kinrik) ~~~ooo~~~ The'r aye Scowth for the Offeecial Uiss o Scots. THE follaein letter wis gotten frae the Heid Projecks Officer o the East Lothian Landscape Design Depairtment. [NOTE: image here of the letter in original] The text o the letter reads:- "Mony thanks fir yer letter aboot the new reddin up o Murdoch's Green, Musselburgh and the possibility o a walcome sign in the guid Scots Tongue. A'll pit this maitter afore the nixt meetin o the officers warking group whaur dealing wa this projeck when they meet at the end o this month. Thanks fir yer interest in this maitter." The'r nae guarantee this group will gaun aheid wi pittin up a sign in Scots but the fack they've taen the bother tae gie thair repone in Scots maun shuirlie be taen as a hertenin sign. Anither letter wis gotten frae East Lothian Cooncil's' Director o Eddication on the same heidit paper an screivit in seemilar Scots whaur he signs hissel at the fit as "High Heid Yin O Education and Ither Stuff." ~~~ooo~~~ Spikkin Proper. TWA three year syne, the P&J reportit anent a wifie seen walkin alang Union Street in Aiberdeen. She wis haudin her five year auld bi the haund an wis seen giein the bairn's airm a rug, leukin doon an sayin, "Dinna aye keep on sayin 'Eh?'. Lairn tae spik proper an say 'Fit?'." ~~~ooo~~~ Cosmopolitan Scots. ANE o wir maimbers frae the nor-aist wis telt o a relation that haed tae veesit a ferm ae day the time o the war. He cam on a hantle Eytalian POW's the side o a park an speirt ane a quaisten. "I no ken." wis the repone, "Speir the fermer." ~~~ooo~~~ A message laddie warkin in a shipyaird in the late 40's wis sent oot tae a kenspeckle Leith chip shop for some o the men's denners. When he got tae the shop, Tony haed haen tae gaun oot for a meinit an left his auld mither tae leuk efter things. Afore the laddie cuid apen his mooth, the auld wifie threapit, "Tattie chipsa no redd. Cuma backa five meinit." ~~~ooo~~~ Copiericht. Copiericht for awthin screivit in this wittins blat bides wi R. Fairnie. The Scots Tung Wittins can be fotie-copied in hail or in pairt athoot leemit o nummers an this hauds guid an aw for onie pairt o the wittins blat that's furthset in onie ither publication. ~~~ooo~~~ Countra Clatter. Bi William G. Johnston o Udny NOO than, A ken aat A hivna deen a Countra Clatter for a lang, lang time, ay, an A hiv tae say aat A've bin weel telt aboot it an aa be a gweedly nummer o fowk! Bit michty, A jist dinna ken far e time gyangs tul jist noo. Some fowk, of coorse, wid say aat it wis becis A wis gettin aul, bit ye ken, A'm maist unwillin tae gree wi aat, fit, wi me feelin like a young thing A'm jist waitin for her tae come alang!!?? Weel, weel, there his bin an aafa lot o ongauns for e maist o es eer bit we'll jist keep tyauvin awa, it'll seen get better. There wis a twa three days at e beginnin o October fin A fair thocht A wid hae tae tred in ma aul car for a boat. Michty, whit a waater er wis, ay, nae maitter far ye gid, waater aa ower e place. As A screeve es fyow wirds (21t. Oct.), w've already hid ower 95mm's o rain sae far es month, aat's weel on t' fower inches in oor hameower leid. On een o e warst days, een o yon days fin it jist felt as if ye wis stannin in ablow e Niagara Faa's, A hid tae drive ower tae Banchory tae gie a talk tae a group o disabled fowkies. Whit a tyauve A hid ar A got there, wi e winda-wipers gyaun ful blast, heid-lichts on, mony a time A wis doon tae a craal tae get throwe some o e puddles. Roon aboot Dunecht ere wis roads closed becis o floodin, then fin A got tae e ither side o Echt, jist efter e Cullerlie Road eyn, e hull aat A wis gyaun hae tae ging up lookit mair like a river. E waater wis fair gushin doon't A can tell ye. Weel, weel, A pluckit up courage, drappit doon a gear, n aff A wint!!?? M'aul car didna lat m' doon n tae m' great del;icht n relief, in nae time A fun m'sel breestin e tap o e hull. E rest o e journey wisna afa bad n as A drew up ootside e hall far A wis spikkin, a wumman's heid lookit oot o e door. Fin she saa m' gettin oot she spoke back ower her shooder tae e fowkies in e hall, "Ay, he's jist arrived. He's nae afa late!!" Ye ken, A didna think she believed m' fin A telt her aat A hid jist braved e rapids o Echt tae get there! At wir hoosie at Mossies wiv been gettin a wee conservatory biggit ontil e front o't. Noo wi aa e mineer aat's been goin on wi foundations bein dug oot, hole bein bored n doors stannin open, asweel as e hairstin bein deen, A'm sheer ye can guess fit happened. Ay, aat's richt, moosies fun their wye in! Hooiver, as far as w'cwid see, they hid only got intil e kitchen, so Operation Moose wis pit inta motion! Twa traps wis set, each een wi a bittie cheese fixed ontil't. E followin day e cheese wis gane frae baith traps bit nae moosie hid been teen! Ay, ay, A says tae m'sel, A doot A've got a fecht on m'hans. E traps wis set again bit es time A melted e cheese on tae them bi e deft eese o a spunk. Neist day, success. Ae moosie in ae trap bit e cheese wis gane frae e ither een so they baith wur set again n ower e coorse o e neist fower days anither five o e little deevils wis teen, makin it sax aa igither. Bein a canny kyn o a billie, A've left e traps set jist in case! Ye ken, it wid appear aates maun o bin a gweed eer for moosie becis on twa different mornins fin A wis feedin e hens, A've fun deid moosies floatin in e hen's waater dishes. Tae eyn wi – Hiv ye heard e story aboot e postie fa wis deliverin e mail doon es street in a weel kent Buchan toun? Aa e hoosies hid nummers on their doors except een at hid e capital letters S Y N on it. Noo e postie wis fair puzzled ower e heids o es letters or wis it a name? Hooiver, ae day he his a package aat wis ower big tae ging throwe e letter box so he chappit on e door. An aul lad opened e door n e postie, efter he hid handed ower e package, speired e mannie fit did e letters or e wird mean. "Mercy Postie!", said e aul lad, "Aat's afa easy. If ye tak a look at e back o e door on e inside here it says, "S Y Oot!!!" The Neist Forgaitherin Monday 4t. December 7.30pm tae 9.00pm Comatee Rm. C. Brunton Ha, Musselburgh. ~~~ooo~~~ Come alang an hear Haddington's kenspeckle makar, Peter McCulloch, giein a readin frae his ain wark. ~~~ooo~~~ Mair on Fergusson. JAMES Robertson haes brocht oot the first walit edeetion o Robert Fergusson's wark for ower thertie year an, bi aw accoonts, it's richt braw. Robert Fergusson, Selected Poems. Bi James Robertson, furthset bi Birlinn at £8.99. ISBN 1 84158 084 8. Gin ye dinna hae the siller, ye ken whit tae speir for at yer ain local library. ~~~ooo~~~ FREENDS o ROBERT FERGUSSON is ettlin tae ingaither twintie thoosan pound tae hae the bard's statue pitten up in Edinburgh's Auld Toun. Up tae the time o screivin, the follaein gifts includin siller frae ongauns rin bi Dr. George Philp o Scotsoun, stauns at £750. Forbye that, £2000 haes been giftit frae the Edinburgh City Cooncil an a faurer £500 frae the Scots Leid Associe. Juist anither £16750 tae come. Gin oniebodie ettles tae chuck in a anither bawbee or twa, contack [CENSORED: phonenumber] or [CENSORED: phonenumber]. As a kenspeckle muckle-mercat aye threaps, Ilka wee bit helps! ~~~ooo~~~ Yule Cairds. ANITHER twa thoosan "Snaw Ower The Ochils" cairds haes haed tae be prentit. Makar's Neuk The "Standart Habbie" stanza is parteeclar tae the Scots language an isna uised in the leeteratur o onie ither leid. It wis first uised bi Sir Robert Sempill in his poem anent Habbie Simpson, the piper o Kilbarchan an later on bi Allan Ramsay, Robert Fergusson an Robert Burns. Tak tent on hou the Inglis spelt words "dread" an "dead" haes tae be moothit the Scots wey for tae rhyme wi "greed". ~~~~~~~~~~~~ooo~~~~~~~~~~~~ And whan he play'd, the lasses leugh, To see him teethless, auld and teugh, He wan his pipes beside Barcleugh, Withouten dread: Which after wan him gear eneugh, But now he's dead. Alas! for him my heart is sair, For of his springs I gat a skair, At every play, race, feast and fair, But guile or greed. We need not look for piping mair, Sen Habbie's dead. Sir Robert Sempill (1595 – 1660) This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Audience size: N/A Text details Method of composition: N/A Word count: 2560 General description: monthly newsletter Text medium Leaflet/brochure (prospectus): Text publication details Published: Publisher: Scots Tung Publication year: 2000 Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: Scots Tung Wittins Text type Article: Prose: nonfiction: Other: mixed text type Author Author details Author id: 95 Forenames: Robert Surname: Fairnie Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1930 Educational attainment: College Age left school: 16 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Consultant Marine Structural Engineer (Retired) Place of birth: Musselburgh Region of birth: Midlothian Birthplace CSD dialect area: midLoth Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Musselburgh Region of residence: Midlothian Residence CSD dialect area: midLoth Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Fisherman Father's place of birth: Musselburgh Father's region of birth: Midlothian Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: midLoth Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Fishwife Mother's place of birth: Musselburgh Mother's region of birth: Midlothian Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: midLoth Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: At work Language: German Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: In Germany to communicate with two grandsons Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Wherever Scots is understood