Bing Avree

Original Track ID

SA1954.103.A8

Original Tape ID

SA1954.103

Summary

Bing avree, barrie gadgie, here's the hornies bingin tae the glimmer
For the gry it's eatin the granum. Bing avree, barrie gadgie, noo.

This song, in Travellers' cant, is a warning to a man to go away, because policemen are approaching the campfire, and his horse is eating stolen grain.

Followed by an explanation and translation of the song's meaning and a discussion of some cant words. Asked for another word in cant that was a warning signal, Jeannie Robertson suggests that people might say, "Bing avree, there's hantle [non-Travellers] faikin [coming]." However, ordinary people [hantle] would not normally be a reason to bing avree. Jeannie tells Hamish Henderson that he should not think Travellers "did a lot o wrong", but they had to keep an eye out for the police, as some Travellers could be lifted [arrested] for being drunk or fighting.

Item Notes

'Avree' (away) is recently recorded as cant, especially in North-East Scotland. 'Barrie' (fine), 'gadgie' (man, literally a non-Gypsy) and 'gry' are from Romany. The word 'granum' appears not to be recorded in the dictionary record. 'Hornie' is cant for a constable, possibly from the Scots sense of 'devil'.

See:
'The Scottish National Dictionary' (available online [[http://www.dsl.ac.uk]], accessed 31 May 2009)
'Romano Lavo-Lil. Word-Book of the Romany, or, English Gypsy Language' (George Borrow, 1874)

Recording Location

Language

English, Scots, Traveller Cant (Scots/Romani)

Genre

Song Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good