Today, Scots all over the world will celebrate Scotland’s best-known and much-loved poet, or bard, Rabbie Burns. The celebrations traditionally take the form of a banquet – the Burns Supper – involving a lot of music (bagpipes), alcohol (Scotch whisky) and of course haggis (traditionally eaten with mashed turnip (neeps) and potatoes.

Before eating, grace is said:

Some hae meat an’ canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it.

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae the Lord be thankit.

When I was about eight or nine, I won the Burns prize at school in Edinburgh for reciting poetry. The poem was ‘The Sair Finger’ by Walter Wingate. I still remember most of it!

So today, to celebrate the Bard, a few lovely Scottish words, in no particular order.

Bardy: cheeky, bold as in ‘ya bardy wee besom!’ (you cheeky little monkey).

Cuddy: a donkey, as in ‘gaun doon the beach an’ ride the cuddies’.

Bahoochie: bottom or backside, as in ‘sit doon on yer bahoochie an’ haud yer wheesht!’ (sit down and be quiet).

Courie or coorie: it means to cuddle in or snuggle up to.

Skelp: a smack.

Not only are these words still in daily use in Scotland, but some are even experiencing a hipster revival! Apparently ‘Coorie’ is now a Scottish wellness trend. I can’t wait to see cuddy therapy or bardy training😊