Date: 07 November 2009 18:30:42
This news story about an English translation company trying to recruit translators who understood Glaswegian caused some amusement (not to mention bemusement) up here a few weeks ago. I was reminded of it this week at work, listening to my colleagues talking to clients in the clinic and also amongst themselves about jags. For the uninitiated, 'jags' is what they call 'jabs' (injections) up here - all over Scotland, not just Glasgow. And it got me thinking - saying 'jags' doesn't come at all naturally to me, but it is the term that is used by politicians, professionals and most importantly the people I'll be working with, so it would make most sense for me to use it. But it feels so unnatural, I almost feel when I say it like they'll think I'm taking the ****, putting on a cod Scottish accent, wearing a See You Jimmy hat (complete with comedy ginger hair) and adding "the noo" onto the end of my sentences. Of course in reality they probably won't notice it at all or give it a second thought, but I've found myself really agonising over it! It's the weirdest thing.