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ISBN: 9781780277554
Published: 21 Oct 2021
Format: Hardback
Extent: 584
Publisher: Birlinn Ltd
Imprint: Birlinn
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About the Book

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.


The Author

Ian Crofton

After many years working for Collins, Ian Crofton is now a freelance author and editor based in London. His previous bestsellers include Kings and Queen of England and The Little Book of Big History.

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