Mineer - hullabaloo. He caused a richt mineer fan he bared his airse. (A commotion occurred on account of a fellow exposing his posterior) Part of the West Germanic language family, Doric shares commonalities with Friesian and Norwegian, but also with Ancient Greece. The name “Doric” was originally applied in Ancient Greece to help distinguish the pure, rural lingo of Doric from the Athenian dialect, and it has sometimes been suggested that the name was adopted by Scots because of the predominantly urban-rural divide between the Lowlands and Highlands. Heartfelt thanks are due to all those who have willingly contributed to the contents of the 'Kist'. There are too many contributers to thank each one individually but we hope that once you have made the acquaintance of these writers you will look for further examples of their work.

Fit Like Yer Majesty? was compiled by children aged from 14 and adults up to 92 years. The artwork for Fit Like Yer Majesty? was produced by artist and illustrator Bob Dewar who used to work at DC Thomson for the Beano and Dennis the Menace. Alternatively, use the guide below to the most common Aberdonian spoken words and Aberdeenshire Phrases: If someone tells you that you are “acting feel” they mean to tell you are behaving silly. So if you have been misbehaving or just acting dopey, they may tell you to “stop acting feel” because they want you to stop acting foolish. Loons and Quines The Fence is the first in this series of post-apocalyptic military survival thrillers from the torturous mind of local horror and science fiction novel writer C.G. Buswell. Foos yer doos?” literally translates to “how are your pigeons?” but if someone says this to you don’t panic, you don’t need to make up some elaborate story about your fake pigeons. They are simply asking how you are. The Doric response to this is usually something along the lines of “nae bad” (not bad) or “jist chavin’ awa” (just working away). Far Hiv Ye Bin?

The truth of the matter is, of course, that by far the largest proportion of work of the slightest literary merit in the Doric has been done not by the "common people" ... but by aristocrats ... Sc. 1974 David D. Murison in G. W. S. Barrow The Scottish Tradition 79:

The Elphinstone Kistwas born of a desire to bring new and fresh writing in North East Scots to the attention of schools. Having made various requests for materials, we found ourselves with an embarrassment of riches: it is marvellous to know that so many people are writing in Scots. It was David Murison who convinced me that we are misusing the word 'Doric' when we adopt it as a label for our North-East speech. Being the Greek scholar that he is, he reminded me that Doric was the dialect of the Spartans and had to do with roughness and coarseness. ... This hint of coarseness perhaps explains why so many well-intentioned people talk about 'lapsing into the dialect'. Is it really a lapse? Sc. 1991 Tom Hubbard ed. The New Makars 1:While the Doric dialect has its roots in farming, the rolling r’s of the language give it a nice gentle flow. Dive into more exciting Doric words covering d through m like ‘deray’ and ‘moulds’. Twis a stammygaster fin a wee Scots pedant screived tae me (fair set on garrin me agree wi him) that the grammar an spellin o Lallans wis fit Scots poetry sud be aa aboot! ... Bit then, I'm a Scots illiterate. I didna learn Doric frae a buikie. I learned it frae ma bluid kin, at kistins, at waddins, at wark an at play, ... Sc. 2001 Sunday Mail 25 Mar 13: From there, the national story runs through rural deprivation, the frustrations of schoolmasters when confronted with dull pupils, the derision and even punishment meted out to accidental users of Doric or Scots, ... Sc. 2004 Herald 15 Jan 19: In June 2007 Grampian police officers were requested not to speak the Doric dialect of the Mither Tongue when using their radios. This was because they had a new UK wide radio system called Airwave. The Grampian Police Doric ban is aimed to make communication easier and readily understood throughout the country and other regions have been told to use standard English rather than local dialects. As an example there was 50 ways to say yes reported throughout the UK. Stonehaven has fallen to a post-apocalypse event. Zombies are rife. People are being killed. The military has only one man in the area, RAF gunner Jason Harper. He hates killing.

Former Royal Air Force Regiment Gunner Jason Harper witnesses this and then his wife, Pippa, telephones him, shouting that she needs him. They then get cut off. He sets straight out, unprepared for the nightmare that unfolds during his journey. Everyone seems to want to kill him. Loons and quines are boys and girls. You might hear these words being added on to the sayings above: “fit like, loon?” or “far hiv ye bin, quine”. These words are also useful to know as they may just be the only way for you to differentiate between the ladies and gentlemen bathrooms. Teuchter and Toonser

Phrase of the day...

Rowie/buttery - savoury bread roll. Far's ma rowie, mither?(I've misplaced my salty baked comestible, mater. Could you assist in its relocation?) Along the way, he pairs up with fellow survivor Imogen. But she enjoys killing the living dead far too much. Will she kill Jason in her blood thirst? Or will she hinder his journey through this zombie filled dystopian landscape to find his pregnant wife? A Festival of Doric culture is to be held next year by Gordon District to promote the North-east dialect. The festival in October 1994, by Gordon District Council, could become an annual celebration of Doric entertainment and culture, Jim McDonald, the council's director of leisure and recreation, said. The district is planning a range of other activities to promote the Doric. Sc. 1993 Scotsman 31 Aug 10: Can they reach the survivors before the infected kill them and survive themselves? Will Jason finally get through the fence that has been erected around Aberdeenshire to keep the zombies in and reach his wife and unborn baby? Can he trust Imogen to keep him safe?

Don't forget to share your adventures in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to social media! You can tag @visitABDN or use the hashtag '#visitABDN' on your posts for a chance to be reposted on our channels. Keep in touch via VisitAberdeenshire's other channels: Were she to stay much in the country, she would acquire some knowledge of our Doric dialect which (I mean in books) is too much neglected by a fastidious generation. Sc. 1900-11 T. E. Dwelly The Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary (1994) : Scunner - to irritate. Come doon fae there, ya scunner. (Your aptitude for climbing is become bothersome, you annoying person) Now here’s where you’ll really feel like you are learning a new language. If someone asked you what a “teuchter” was with no context behind it, you would most likely be baffled, yes? But fear not, we can help. A teuchter is simply someone who hails from the country whereas a “toonser” is someone who comes from the city. Historically used to refer to the dialect of Lowland Scots, Doric was adopted in the north-east during the 20th century, but the word itself possesses a somewhat unexpected etymology.Heid-bummer - boss. The heid-bummer at ma work looked unca revelt. (My line manager adopted a confused expression) But it turns out the Doric-speaking community currently have plenty to shout about. For the dialect, maligned for so long, is undergoing a revival. Teuchter - rural dweller. Yon teuchter is baaldie-heidit. (The gentleman from the country is experiencing hair-loss) The practice of adding a "y" to virtually any word or description is also recognised as very Aberdonian, eg shop to shoppy,