Social
Gonnae no
GON-ay no
'Would you not' — an all-purpose Glaswegian request to stop doing something, delivered with more warmth than the words suggest.
Bevvy
BEV-ee
A drink, usually alcoholic. 'Going for a bevvy' is the standard invitation, and refusing outright is fine but say why.
Patter
PAT-er
Banter, chat, verbal quickness. Glasgow prizes it above almost anything and 'good patter' is a genuine compliment.
Wee
wee
Small — but mostly a softener attached to anything at all. 'A wee minute', 'a wee bill'. It rarely means literally small.
Daily life
Close
klohss
The shared entrance and stairwell of a tenement. Its cleaning and repair are shared obligations, which is a legal fact and not just a social one.
Factor
FAK-tur
The company managing a tenement's common repairs and billing residents for them. Registered with the Scottish Government, and worth asking about before you sign.
The Subway
—
Glasgow's underground — two circular lines, opened in 1896, one of the oldest in the world. Locals still call it the Clockwork Orange.
PRT
pee-ar-tee
Private Residential Tenancy — Scotland's standard tenancy since 2017. Open-ended, no fixed term, and you can leave on 28 days' notice.
Dreich
dreekh
Grey, damp, cold and miserable — the specific Scottish weather word. Glasgow is wetter than Edinburgh and you will use it more.
Culture
Southside
—
Everything across the Clyde — Shawlands, Strathbungo, Pollokshields. Increasingly where people move when the West End prices them out.
Emergency
999 / 111
—
999 for emergencies. NHS 24 on 111 for urgent but non-emergency medical help. Both free from any phone.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.