"High heid yin"

Oct. 25th, 2025 03:09 pm
vivdunstan: Photo of little me in a red mac at Hawick (hawick)
Advance reading something, and passed the words "high heid yin". One of my all time favourite Scots expressions, especially when used in the plural, that I still say regularly, including just a week ago when talking to Martin about something in our kitchen. I've also deployed it when asking an audience question 20+ years ago at a history research seminar at Dundee University, though I then felt the need to translate it for the visiting Welsh prof! For non-Scots friends it means someone in authority, a leader.

Checking back here I have mentioned this expression in a friends-locked post before, but it's well worth repeating!
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Sherlock Holmes reread: The Greek Interpreter

May. 20th, 2025 09:36 pm
vivdunstan: Sidney Paget drawing of Holmes and Watson in a railway carriage (sherlock holmes)
Going into quite a significant story, that I'd forgotten much of! ( spoilers )
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New Scots word: perfyte

Dec. 4th, 2023 03:38 am
vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
Well new to me. As used in the 1648 will I'm transcribing e.g.

"or thair severall mantenance until the sd tyme of thair marriage or perfyte age"

and elsewhere it seems to specify that latter age as "xxi yeirs complett" i.e. 21.

This is all reminding me of the Madame de Pompadour Doctor Who episode - "She is not complete!"

Here is the relevant Scots dictionary definition.
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Final Edinburgh Book Festival 2023 recordings watched

Sep. 25th, 2023 03:11 am
vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
Got through my final two Edinburgh Book Festival 2023 recordings, nicely ahead of the 3AM on 30th September deadline to view them online!

Here are the latest two talks I watched:
  • Kübra Gümüşy, R F Kuang & Irene Vallejo: A Short History of Language - a fascinating panel discussing language, translation, culture, colonialism and power
  • David Greig & Alan Warner: Scottish Legends Retold - two authors of recent novellas set in Scotland in the 9th and 18th centuries, with an insightful discussion about the writing process, historical research, dealing with imposter syndrome and aiming for historical fidelity
I was especially wowed by the latter panel, which had a great discussion between the two authors and chair Sally Magnusson. And I very much want to read their two books, reimagining the stories of the theft of St Columba's bones and Bonnie Prince Charlie's flight across the Highlands and Islands.

Digital tickets are still available for a huge number of 2023 Edinburgh Book Festival events, but you have to watch the recordings by 3AM on this coming Saturday, so time is tight!
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Dubbed to non dubbed

Aug. 1st, 2023 08:39 am
vivdunstan: Test card (television)
Continuing my watch of Turkish fantasy series The Protector, I finished season 1 last night. It ran for 4 years, so I have lots of episodes still to watch. Last night, though, for the last 3 episodes of the first year I switched to the original Turkish dialogue with English subtitles. This comes across vastly better acting wise than the English dubbed version I’d heard in earlier episodes. Season 1 ends on a cliffhanger, and I’m curious to see what happens next. They’ve also upped the jeopardy stakes considerably.
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vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
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