︎Scottish cringe
n.— «Over the past week, as it became clear a decision on Megrahi’s future was imminent, many Scottish pundits and opposition politicians were consumed by what is called the Scottish cringe—the idea that some decisions are just too big for bonny wee Scotland and that Scots will inevitably make a mess of them. The handling of the affair has variously been described as a shambles, a mess and an embarrassment with accusations of spin and even deception, courtesy of the Liberal Democrats, chucked in for good measure.» —“ The Scottish cringe factor” by Ewan Crawford Guardian (United Kingdom) Aug. 20, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Homer in Kingsport, Tennessee, says that when Homer came in after curfew, his dad would say, “You guys have been out swarping, haven’t you?” Swarping is related to a variety of dialect terms in Scotland and Northern England that...
Understanding the varieties of conversational styles can mean the difference between feeling you’re understood and being insulted. “High-involvement” speakers interrupt or talk along with someone else to signal their enthusiasm...