My recent scone failure reminded me of this one. Okay so it’s a Scottish phrase rather than a word and I hadn’t heard it before moving to the east of Scotland so I associate it with the Edinburgh area, but I love it.
In the west of Scotland we normally just say ‘poor wee soul’ – which is universal really so nothing very interesting about that and ‘poor wee scone’ is just a more striking way of expressing the same sentiment. Sometimes scone is used as a term of endearment in the way that ‘hen’ is used. I quite like being called hen but I have a horrible feeling that the usage is dying out.
In France they use the word cabbage as a sort of term of endearment really. Who said the French were romantic?!
In Germany I think it’s usually just babies which are described as little snails. Well I’ve seen some scary looking babies in my day but that’s taking it a wee bit too far.
I think I’d rather be described as a scone than either of those words, even if I’m a poor wee scone!
Yes, scone is much more endearing than ‘little snail’! I like cabbage, though!
Anbolyn,
I do like cabbage to eat, even as a child, and people thought I was very strange! I just think of that phrase ‘I’m not as green as I’m cabbage looking’ though!
My sister always says I’m not so green as you’re cabbage looking! My dad always used to call us daft scones, if we did or said something silly! Another expression I’d forgotten about over the years!!
I like cabbage too – and brussels sprouts and broccoli….
Evee
Evee,
It sounds so sweet ‘daft scones’.
Me too, that’s what comes of being the daughter of a fruiterer I suppose!
Such a colorful language you have other! I am envious:)
Peggy,
No need to be envious, you can use it too. Spread the words!
Yes, Peggy, My “penfriend” in Arkansas uses a load of the Scots words I use in my emails or on IM! And a friend in France thought that blethers were cookies when I said I’d had tea and a blether with a friend! We’d just been having a chat, but for a while after we talked about different flavours of blethers – e.g. beetroot and lemon, peas and porridge…. each trying to outdo the other for silliness!
Evee,
I read that post of yours about different flavoured blethers. I love the idea, I’ve had some very strangely flavoured blethers in my time I’m sure.
I agree w you abou ‘hen’ but no one in Colorado uses that expression!
Nice post that made me smile–thanks.
Jane GS,
I’m glad I made you smile. I don’t think many Scots made it to Colorado (would they survive the heat?) so I wouldn’t expect any of our words to be there. You don’t need to have tartan blood to use them though!
Hi Katrina – do you use ‘pet’?? Its well used in the North East of England! As is ‘love’.
Michelle,
No we don’t use ‘pet’ I even hear that word in a Geordie accent! Mind you when we went to Newcastle a couple of years ago there didn’t seem to be many strong Geordie accents about. The best accent we heard was from a man in Berwick. We would use ‘hen’ instead of ‘pet’ usually.
Actually chou in French means cabbage but it is also a kind of puff pastry. I think calling someone mon chou relates to the pastry. Kind of the same domain as calling someone scone I guess đŸ˜€
Manuel,
My French teacher told me mon petit chou did mean my little cabbage so I have never connected the phrase with pastry. In my Harrap’s French and English dictionary the word chou has two meanings – cabbage and pastry.
Thanks for looking in and commenting.
Regards,
Katrina