(no subject)
when my mum gets frustrated with me, it's not unusual to hear her revert to the scottish, "och, ye're a wee besom!" i know there are parts of my personality she wishes were more...invisible?...different?...less likely to be evoked by my family? something like that. i also know that she secretly likes that i'm exactly like that.
besom (biz-um), noun
dialect, chiefly scot
1. obstreperous girl or woman; female upstart. as in, "dinnae pou' yer brither's hair, ya wee besom!"
2. woman of low moral standing; a hussy. "thon yin's a right mucky besom."
3. broomstick or scourge; any broom made from loose twigs.
4. a comet or its tail.
my sister, otoh, is more likely to be called a wee blether:
blether (ble-thir)
dialect, chiefly scot
1. n. person who chatters incessantly; one who babbles on and on. "that wee yin o' yours is an awfy blether gettin'."
2. v. to engage in conversation, long-winded or idle talk. "ah met yer granny doon the toun, we hud a richt guid blether the gither."
i can't say for sure that my mum is secretly happy that karen is such a blether -- the definition fits, oh yes it does! -- but i rather doubt that she is. i can say with 100% certainty though that if given the choice she'd take the blether over the obstreperousness (is that a word?) any day! ;)
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- these definitions come from some novelty items my mum bought years ago when she was visiting her brothers and then presented to karen and i (with other items, like crisps and flakes!) on her return. i have no idea whether my brothers got their own versions of same....
- besom. sometimes i sit quietly and repeat that word over and over in my head. i like it. the definition fits me, although maybe less often, or not as intensely(?), as it has in the past. (oh no! i'm not mellowing with age, am i? shoot me now -- i've always wanted to be the cranky and totally inappropriate granny!)
besom (biz-um), noun
dialect, chiefly scot
1. obstreperous girl or woman; female upstart. as in, "dinnae pou' yer brither's hair, ya wee besom!"
2. woman of low moral standing; a hussy. "thon yin's a right mucky besom."
3. broomstick or scourge; any broom made from loose twigs.
4. a comet or its tail.
my sister, otoh, is more likely to be called a wee blether:
blether (ble-thir)
dialect, chiefly scot
1. n. person who chatters incessantly; one who babbles on and on. "that wee yin o' yours is an awfy blether gettin'."
2. v. to engage in conversation, long-winded or idle talk. "ah met yer granny doon the toun, we hud a richt guid blether the gither."
i can't say for sure that my mum is secretly happy that karen is such a blether -- the definition fits, oh yes it does! -- but i rather doubt that she is. i can say with 100% certainty though that if given the choice she'd take the blether over the obstreperousness (is that a word?) any day! ;)
--------------------
- these definitions come from some novelty items my mum bought years ago when she was visiting her brothers and then presented to karen and i (with other items, like crisps and flakes!) on her return. i have no idea whether my brothers got their own versions of same....
- besom. sometimes i sit quietly and repeat that word over and over in my head. i like it. the definition fits me, although maybe less often, or not as intensely(?), as it has in the past. (oh no! i'm not mellowing with age, am i? shoot me now -- i've always wanted to be the cranky and totally inappropriate granny!)