As I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong) the Scottish do not like to be called Scotch. A more correct term would be Scots-Canadian, or Scottish-Canadian.
Or was (is?) Scotch-Canadian a term which was (is?) acceptable in 1953 (now?)? Can someone in the know (maybe someone who IS S-C) please enlighten me?
Many thanks.
Marion,
I am not S-C, just S.
In Scotland we call whisky 'Scotch' and ourselves Scots or Scottish. We gently chide visitors who use 'Scotch' to describe us but always, in my experience, with a mischievous smile and absolutely no malice. On the other hand, the term 'Scotch' can be used as an offensive adjective, normally preceding a rude noun and sometimes after a football match against other teams whose first language is (vernacular) English. Scotch has other meanings in the English language and it may be that these dual uses and its unique connection with whisky have made the word less attractive as a description of other things or people relating to Scotland.
Thanks for your response, dmcslack. Interesting.
shareI remember Craig Ferguson, back in his stand-up comedy days doing a routine about this.
I think it went something like...
"And by the way, I'm Scottish, ok? Or a Scot...but never Skotch, right?
There are only three things that are called Skotch - whisky, eggs and sticky-tape...and if I cannot drink it, eat it or mend my underpants with it I'm not interested!"
yOU CAN (oops) go to any corner of the world and find a proud scot, so if they are all so proud of Scotland - why have most of them left?
Are the Campbells and the Stewarts still at 'it' over the pond or is that all over with now then? (Bet it aint eh?)
'Trainspotting' hit the nail on the head when 'Ewan' expressed his view upon being a 'jock'. (LOL @ only nation not allowed to fly own flag on it's national day = has to fly Union flag instead.)
Alot of 'proud' scots have done very well for themselves in the ENGLISH football leagues. Is there anywhere in the world that hasn't got a 'proud' scot init as I believe we all know at least one each at least. Oh aye!
And who doesn't love to sing along with LULU, I would even believe a Zulu would join in with 'shout' "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell! u kno u wanna ....
Jock Dr.Who's have been accepted, Jock anything everywhere really.
Anyway.. sod this ..I gotta go to bed (It's 04.32am)
Sorry for the delay in responding. I trust you are still with us?
Of course there are lots of Scots diasporans, but they did not all leave on the same day!
We have 5 million or more living in Scotland too and rather enjoying life. Campbell's and Stewarts/MacDonalds will be at it as long as history continues to be remembered but they don't do it maliciously. The union flag is perfectly acceptable to many Scots, me included. We like our identity, however and revel in the knowledge that Scottishness is so easily understood by most people.