durragan | applied to a dour, chubby person who sits quietly in a corner without contributing to the conversation. |
croiseadh | a word associated with woollen industry. Means to bind or twist strands of wool together. A variant on ‘toinneamh’. |
[sìde] | “Sìde iomlanach, cha bhith [sic] i uair sam bith air an aon ròdh.” – a saying used in changeable weather conditions. |
ceum | a footpath. |
cinneachadh | gathering. |
bàl ciutaig | a dance whereby the entrance fee was a pair of socks, usually handmade. These were then given to needy or more deserving people. |
tùrling | falling. “Thùrling e far an àraidh.” |
spliachdadh | to stare or gaze at something or other. “Bha e a’ spliachdadh ùine mhór ’san uinneag.” |
[leannan] | Fuath a ghiollain a cheud leannan. – an old Gaelic expression which turns its English equivalent on its head. Implies that a first love is not forgotten but for reasons other than romantic nostalgia. Rather this saying says that a first love is hated thereafter. |
oil-eas | fuss and commotion over an incident. [NOTES: note added in pencil: fuaim is litreachadh?] |
[miann] | Chan eil miann deise an aona mhìos. – a saying meaning that not everyone has the same tastes or preferences. |
[cloimh] | Nach ann chloimh chiannda an amhaich. – an expression used for people who were related to each other. Usually referred to when similar characteristics or mannerisms surfaced between two people. |
sgeith | vomit (animal). [Cf. dithiort.] |
dithiort | vomit (human). [Cf. sgeith.] |
bonnach pòisidh | prior to the advent of modern day wedding cakes, people used to make their own cakes. Mrs C. MacLellan, Lochcarnan, South Uist remembers this tradition too whereby a sponge cake with sultanas was baked covered with icing. [NOTES: ‘pòisidh’ corrected to ‘pòsaidh’.] |
[fead] | Chan e fead a bhainne a tha muigh. – an expression used on a windy day. Literally the wind was stronger than the gentle wisps of air which you feel around your hands when milking. |
sprogan | a double chin. |
clomhan | a latch on older type door. Same word as ‘cluamhain’. |
[latha] | Suipeir soillse latha latha Fhéill Brìde, ’s dinneir soillse latha latha Fhéill Pàdruig. – A saying which refers to the lengthening of the available hours of daylight. [NOTES: note added in pencil: a question mark and an arrow showing that the words ‘suipeir’ and ‘dinneir’ should be the other way round.] |