A story set in Scotland would be
jiggery pokery without its share of Scottish words and phrases. And crivens,
“Brave” has plenty! But it would all be for naught unless accompanied by a
proper glossary, so here goes…
Indigenous, native
v Taught to
filmmakers by Emma Thompson (voice of Queen Elinor), who used it to describe “Brave’s”
Castle Dunbroch because it appears to have grown right out of the earth.
BLUE WODE
A blue dye extracted from a cabbage-type plant used by inhabitants of
ancient Scotland to paint their bodies
v Lord
MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin paint their bodies in blue wode to proclaim that
they are ready for battle at any moment.
BRAE
Hill
BUNCH OF GALOOTS
Many fools
· galoot =
clumsy, oafish person
CARNYX
A Celtic trumpet with a bell shaped like a boar’s head. Held vertically
so it can be heard in large crowds, a carnyx was used during wartime to send
troops into battle.
v In
“Brave,” it signals the start of the Highland Games.
CRIVENS, YOU’RE FIERCE
Wow! You’re cool or ferocious or tough!
· crivens =
expression of surprise or shock
DANCING TATTY BOGLE
· tatty = shabby, cheap
· bogle, boggle or bogill = ghost or folkloric being
DORIC
A dialect from the Aberdeenshire region in Scotland
v Elgin
native Kevin McKidd (voice of MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin), who learned Doric
from his grandfather, proposed to filmmakers for Young MacGuffin to speak the
incomprehensible dialect in “Brave.”
DREADFUL COLLYWOBBLES
Unwanted stomachache or a bad case of the nerves
· collywobbles
= upset stomach; intestinal disturbances
or a feeling of apprehension
FOR NAUGHT
For no reason
FINISH WHAT HE GUDDLED IN THE FIRST PLACE
Fix, clean up or otherwise remedy something that’s been horribly
mishandled.
· guddle =
make a mess of it
GAMY SPELL
An unfortunate bit of magic
· gamy =
bad
GLEN
Small, narrow, secluded valley
GOOGLY OLD HAG
Outlandish, unattractive senior
· googly =
strange, odd
GIANT HAVING A JIGGER IN THE BLUEBELLS
Similar to Dancing Tatty Bogle, something
that’s absurd or fantastical
HAGGIS
Though some will joke that a haggis is a small animal native to
Scotland, it is actually a traditional Scottish pudding made with sheep’s
heart, liver and lungs, encased in a sheep’s stomach and cooked for several
hours. Often served with “neeps and tatties" (turnips and potatoes).
HIGHLAND GAMES
Festivals that celebrate Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage,
especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Includes competitions in piping and
drumming, dancing, archery, caber tossing, stone put and other Scottish
athletics, plus entertainment and exhibits.
Nonsense
JINGS
CRIVENS HELP MA BOAB
Oh my!
Exclamation of bewilderment or exasperation
KILT
A pleated and draped tartan fabric garment worn by Scottish men
v During
the production of “Brave” director Mark Andrews and several animators wore
kilts to work on Fridays—dubbed Kilt Fridays—to get in the spirit of Scotland
and the film’s characters.
LASS
Girl
LAD
Boy
LOCH
Lake
MANKY DOGS
Unsavory person or being
· manky = dirty,
worthless or in bad taste
MICHTY ME
Wow! Holy cow!
An exclamation of
surprise, shock or being overwhelmed
NUMPTY
Useless individual
NUT ‘EM
Head-butt ‘em
SCAFFY WITCH
A tricky or slick being with magical powers
· scaffy =
trickster
SCARED SIMPERIN’ JACKANAPES
Belittling
description of a goofy and unworthy opponent
·
simpering = silly smile
· jackanape
= an insulting reference to a monkey or ape; a
braggart; a mischievous
child
SCUTTLE THE VIKING LONGSHIPS
Sink Viking ships by making holes in the bottom
STUFF HER GOB
Eat with abandon
· gob =
mouth
TARTAN
A specially designed woven fabric that identifies a clan. April 6th
is National Tartan Day in the United States.
TOSSING CABERS
A test of strength and skill seen in Highland Games in which the competitor
raises a pole vertically with the small end down, and then throws it
· Caber = a
long, tapered section of a tree trunk
TUMSHIE
Turnip… or foolish person. Or both.
WEE
Small
WE’LL BILE YUR HEED WAE DUMPLIN’ BREED; TAE MAKE AN URSINE STEW
· bile yer heed (boil your head) = don’t be
ridiculous. Also used as an exclamation if someone is doing something stupid
and it's annoying
v In “Brave” King Fergus sings what he’ll do to the
demon bear Mor’du when he catches him to avenge his lost leg. Not only will he
boil his head, but he’ll add dumplings to make a bear stew.
WILL O’ THE WISPS
Ghostly lights or small blue spirits that lead the way to treasure or
doom.
v In
“Brave,” the will o’ the wisps lead Merida to change her fate.

































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