Scots medical terminology

[TheBrus]

Friends, we all know Scots is a rich, colourful language. We also know that some of the greatest physicians have been Scots. To tickle my nursing school chums, I would like to compile a brief wordlist of Scots medical terminology. Examples of terms I have collected so far:
1. Peelie wallie
2. [Feeling] wonky (okay, that might be more British-English slang, but it's humourous.)

Can you give me more? Be sure to include a definition with your vocab word.

Thanks
Jared

[Jock Scot]

Doctor/Nurse ask patient; "How's it going?"---- Reply(always apparently): "I'm getting there"...............even if they are, sadly, not!

I asked a doctor and two nurses from two Highland hospitals and they all agreed that is the standard question and answer up here.

[TheBrus]

Jock, my favorite reply to that question comes from my granddad. He would always say something smart-alecky. His best was "I'm so good, I should be twins." Then he'd wink, if the nurse was pretty. He was a naughty old man.

[neloon]

Around the North East of Scotland, being ill is described as having the "nae weelies".
Alan

[Liam]

Friends, we all know Scots is a rich, colourful language. We also know that some of the greatest physicians have been Scots. To tickle my nursing school chums, I would like to compile a brief wordlist of Scots medical terminology. Examples of terms I have collected so far:
1. Peelie wallie
2. [Feeling] wonky (okay, that might be more British-English slang, but it's humourous.)

Can you give me more? Be sure to include a definition with your vocab word.

Thanks
Jared

Growing up we had an English couple as neighbours who used the term "wonky" when one wasn't feeling well. So I suspect this is a south of the border thing, but it sure does describe the dizzy feeling that goes along with the flu. It also describes a wheel that is about to fall off.

[Tarheel]

My mother (emergency room nurse) used to ask patients from the "back woods of NC." to "make a creek" when she needed a urine sample. The reference to water flowing downhill in the North Carolina Piedmont Highlands.
There were many terms I heard as a young child in the 1950's and 60's, but will have to get back to you on more.

[Peter Crowe]

Peelie Wallie where I come from (Uddingston - seven miles south-east of Glasgow city-centre) means to be pale or off colour.

[neloon]

If you really want to go the whole hog, you could look here.

Section 9 (Physical states) of The Scots Thesaurus - sub-section 9.19 is 'Bad health' and 9.22 is 'Injuries' but other relevant items are scattered through other sub-sections such as 'Eyes, sight' and 'Breathing, respiratory diseases'. Order here http://www.scotsdictionaries.org.uk/HowToOrder.html - links to UK and US Amazon sites. £16.99 or $24.85 new.

You can also search for relevant defining words (such as 'disease') in http://www.dsl.ac.uk/, which combines the two major dictionaries of Scots, The Scottish National Dictionary (which covers the language from 1700 on) and A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (for the earlier period). In Advanced search, choose 'Full text of entries' but say 'yes' to 'Exclude quotations' in order to limit the search mostly to definitions (though headwords & variants, and etymologies will also be caught). Choose 'SND (from 1700)' to exclude the medieval language.

Be aware if relying extensively on the dictionaries that they have rights in their material.


Maybe that's more than you wanted!!

Alan

[tky58]

I am afraid I am not too familiar with Scottish terminology, but two of my favorite from residency in Florida was:
"I have a 'rise-in'" (spelled phonetically) meaning they have a raised lesion on the skin, and men who say they have a problem with"their nature", meaning they want Viagra.

When patients say "I'm fine", my usual answer is to reply, "Good, I don't have to be here" and turn around for one step before turning back in and beginning the real interview. I have found a little humor helps people relax and makes the office visit go more smoothly.

Steven Wilson, MD

[Liam]

My wife's Scottish born Mother would tell her she had a "ghillie" nose when she had a cold, and not let her go back to school until she was able to "Hoover" her room.