INCLUDES HUNDREDS OF NEW AND EXPANDED ENTRIES

From ‘Aald Rock’ to ‘Zeenty-teenty’, A Dictionary of Scottish Phrase and Fable is an unputdownable gallimaufry of curious items embracing sayings, put-downs, insults, mottos, traditions, legends, folklore, customs, festivals, games, songs, dances, nicknames – and much, much more.

This new edition features many expanded entries, as well as completely new ones – including Big Tam, the Third Forth Bridge, the Loony Dook and the War of the One-eyed Woman. The result is a kaleidoscopic snapshot of the Scottish nation, both past and present, from the mythical origins of the Scots in ancient Scythia to the foibles of modern Follyrood, from Sawney Bean to Oor Wullie, from ‘The end of an old song’ to ‘Aw fur coat and nae knickers’, from The Heart of Midlothian to ‘Ye cannae shove yer granny aff a bus’.

In more than 4,500 such entries, A Dictionary of Scottish Phrase and Fable weaves an endlessly entertaining tapestry incorporating the texture and fabric of a nation’s ever-shifting sense of itself.

'Wilfully idiosyncratic yet curiously useful . . . A lightly erudite and well-informed work of eclectic scholarship'

'Compelling and quirky . . . under Ian Crofton’s eye, the rollicking spirit of Scotland, old and modern, comes proudly alive . . . A lifesaver for those in need of diversion and enlightenment'

'This is such a linguistic and etymological treasure trove that once picked up it is virtually impossible to put down'

'A book that will provide many happy hours of dipping into . . . A sheer joy'

'It is nigh impossible to reach the item you first set out to read without being sidetracked by other beguiling morsels'

'A fascinating collection of words, phrases and stories'

Ian Crofton was born in Edinburgh. He contributed extensively to Brewer’s Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable and co-authored Brewer’s Britain and Ireland. He has also written a number of works of popular history, including Scottish History without the Boring Bits. His Walking the Border: A Journey Between Scotland and England, was a Daily Telegraph travel book of the year in 2014. His most recent book, Fringed with Mud and Pearls: An English Island Odyssey, was published by Birlinn in 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @IanCrofton.