26-04-2025
- Climate
- The Herald Scotland
Scots Word of the Week: Wheech (be quick or it will be gone)
In January 1948, the Forfar Dispatch used the term to depict the aftermath of fierce winds: 'The Granny [chimney cowl] on the lum-heid [on top of the chimney] gaed wheekin up ee air afore it fell throwe the sky-licht ee washin-hoose'.
The vagaries of the Scots' spelling dilemma are illustrated by Sheena Blackhall in Wittgenstein's Web (1996): 'I dinna recollect ae relation, stoppin mid-ben a spikk an wheekin oot a dictionar tae see gin a wird wis richt standart Scots or nae!'.
In 2000, the term appeared in Davie Kerr's A Puckle Poems: 'As the tourists wheech thro', they wad gey aften fail ti appreciate, caa'in it 'Sweet' Armadale.'
Of course, such a handy term remains in widespread use in the 21st century. Take this example from the Dundee Courier in December 2022 which perfectly captures the spirit of the post-Christmas period: 'Notes carefully written to thank absent, distant relatives for their kindness. Videos and photos taken to capture moments that would otherwise wheech past in the blink of an eye'.
Scots Word of the Week comes from Dictionaries of the Scots Language. Visit DSL Online at
