Jined-up letters: a Scots metaphor

Posted by: Stuart Mudie

25 Jun 08 - 08:09

Ma wee lassie, wha's no lang tirnt five, has jist startit lairnin tae scrieve in jined-up letters at the scaill. "En attaché", they cry it here in Fraince.

"Dad," she sayz til iz the ither day, "gonnae show iz hou tae scrieve 'Daddy' en attaché?"

Whit a scunner! I had tae tell her that Daddy, him it kens awthin in his bairn's een, cannae richt scrieve in jined-up letters. Whaun I wis wee masel, I yaist tae scrieve that bad that the dominies endit up tellin iz tae gie up ma unco, ugly shot at scrievin jined-up letters and jist scrieve ilka ane on its ain instead o pentin aw thon spiders in ma jotter. So's fowk wuid ken whit I wis sayin, they tellt iz.

Noo, gin I try tae yaise jined-up letters the day (like in ma signature), it disnae come oot richt, disnae feel natural, disnae flow like it shuid fir the simple reason I nivver lairnt hou tae dae it.

And the rest o the time? Well, thank Goad fir Microsoft Word!