You Missed Yersel’

Scotland is awash with brilliant phrases and slightly bonkers use of language. ‘You missed yersel’ refers to when a person hasn’t been around when a good time has been had by others. It has always made me chuckle in my slightly pedantic way: how can you miss yourself? You are with you all the time.

Another one I have continuously failed to get my head around is Pure Black Affronted meaning extremely embarrassed.

In spite of having been English born I am very much Scottish bred – plain not pan. I am often asked where I come from: to the English I have an unidentifiable twang and to the Scots I am English, mostly but not entirely.

When I had a role as Guidance teacher several years ago and we were covering the topic of Discrimination, I would ask the class how long they thought I had lived in Scotland. Most would reply within 5 years. The thing is when we were kids we would speak English at home but the moment we were on the bus on the way to school we would switch to a West Coast accent in order to blend in. I think I was quite good at it and even now can imitate accents and expressions quite well.

Many years ago my dear and very English friend, P asked me what I meant when I said I was ironing. I didn’t understand what she was getting at until she said the word is              ‘i-oning’ not ‘i-Roning’. Of course it’s i-Roning I retorted it has an R in it. We laughed. And in spite of having lived here practically all my life, I still learn new words and phrases that sum up life.

So tomorrow night while we are singing along to ELO at the SSE Hydro I fully intend to Gie it laldy! meaning “Give it everything  I’ve got!”

You Missed Yersel – a poem

Remember those days, just us two,

alone in your room with nothing to do

but sing through the words of our favourite tunes

long after the sun had replaced the moon?

I saw an album cover the other day

King Crimson, I recognised immediately:

A red shrieking face, eyes looking afraid

tonsils and teeth – it was played and played,

until word perfect and proud we would go and have tea

returning to learn another LP.

Tomorrow a great band we both enjoyed

will play some tunes, I’m sure we destroyed

with our teenage warbling, but hey ho

Horace Wimp was your favourite from ELO.

I miss you Emma.