Greenock Gets A New School
Waterloo Road (UK tv programme about a school) comes to Greenock!
The programme is to be filmed and edited here in town. It has given everyone here something new to talk about. Until last week the top four topics of casual conversation in Greenock were -
1. weather, 2. weather, 3. the buses, 4. weather.
Last week's top four -
1. weather, 2. Waterloo Road, 3. weather, 4. weather
The programme has taken over a school just along the road from where I live - it used to be Greenock Academy - both my sons went there. I worked there for a short time, so it will be interesting to see how it has been changed. The place has been a hive of activity for the last few months and last weekend the new school sign went up ready for filming to start.
The views of the river Clyde from the school are stunning and I hope that they show how amazing the scenery around here is.
It occurred to me that some of the "incomers" might need a wee bit of help in translating Greenock-speak - so here goes - get rolling your rs!
aye (pronounced eye) - means yes .......... and right - means ok
BUT
aye right - (usually uttered in a sarcastic tone) means I doubt it/that'll be right! Example
Hubby - I thought I'd give the golf a miss this weekend and wallpaper the spare room and clean out the loft instead.
Wife - Aye right!
An important word for this programme since it is set in a school is -
weans (pronounced wanes) - it means children.
Example - Ma maw'll pick eh weans up frae school eh day.
Translation - My mother will pick the children up from school today.
Now, a word which is used a lot around here is wee - which usually means small as in - I'll have a wee cuppa. But it can also mean younger - for example if you know two people called Jean, usually the younger one will be - wee Jean and the older - big Jean. Even if big Jean is 4'11" and wee Jean is 5'11" this is what they will be called.
Phew, are you still with me?
messages - shopping (usually groceries)
Example - Ah'm goan doon eh toon fur ma messages.
Translation - I'm going into town for my shopping.
Some words have very different meanings!
Gie's wan a they pokes - give me one of those ice creams.
(Poke can also mean paper bag, as in - a poke of sweets.) Did you really think I was being rude?
The more I think about it, the more examples I can come up with - I could go on for ever!
Now, I wonder if they need a wee (as in small) tea cosy for the staffroom - in school colours, of course!
Love, Liz
Comments
Love from Mum
xx