What does laldy mean?
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In Scottish slang, a laldy is a "beating" or "thrashing." The expression to give it laldy means doing something with lots of energy and vigor, e.g., with gusto.
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Examples of laldy
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Examples of laldy
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Where does laldy come from?
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The word laldy comes from late 19th-century Scottish English. The origins of the word are somewhat uncertain. One source might be the Old English lael, “whip.” Another is that laldy is meant to sound like a whipping.
We're loving seeing all these Scottish Words on Twitter for #AneYinWan and #InternationalMotherLanguageDay!
We reckon 'Braw', 'Clarty' and 'Gie it laldy' sum up Scottish Scouting! Got any of your own faves? pic.twitter.com/vO2zMNdFmX
— Scouts Scotland (@ScoutsScotland) February 21, 2019
Laldy originally was a noun for “a beating.” One could get a laldy, meaning “get a beating,” or give (gie in Scottish) a laldy. It could also signify more generally “punishment” and was sometimes rhyming-reduplicated to laldy daldy.
At least by the 1950s, giving it laldy (or giein/geein it laldy, in Scottish) became a way to say “doing something with great energy or enjoyment,” e.g., The singer was giving it laldy all night.
With yer man @pipercami geeing it laldy in Hamburg ⚫️🔴 pic.twitter.com/87cdOEmVdH
— Grant Cassidy (@CameronianRant) November 4, 2015
Perhaps it’s not unlike the black slang going ham, or “doing something all out.”
Leith house party in full swing now, someone's got an early Xmas karaoke present! Someone's giving it laldy to a bit of Sweet Caroline #Leith 🕺🕺🎤🎤
— Richard (@RichardE1875) December 1, 2018
Who uses laldy?
The original sense of laldy, a “beating,” may still be seen in Scottish English, but it’s more often found as an expression meaning most commonly in the phrase giving it laldy. That expression is particularly associated with the slang of Glasgow.
Definayely you don't take on the fam not mess with us we don't go silently we do not to quietly we fight we stand strong and we give it as they say I'm Glasgow we get it some laldy
— KateOconnorFam36f (@KateOco97670765) March 26, 2018
It's rather busy, can't get to the front. I can hear you though, givin it laldy @AamerAnwar ✊🏽❤️💪🏼🏳️🌈#TrumpVisitUK #Glasgow #DumpTrump pic.twitter.com/dik3MJIGag
— Victoria Heaney (@Vvfabs) July 13, 2018
While giving it laldy can refer to doing anything with enthusiasm, from sports to politics, although it’s often used online for for “singing your heart out.” For example, the expression give it laldy appeared in Irvine Welsh’s 1993 Scotland-set novel Trainspotting, in which an old man is “giein it laldy” as he belts out tunes in a pub.
Trainspotting 2 orange hall scene, Ewan giving it laldy to "there were no Catholics left"😂 fukn place was in stitches. If only it were true
— David Kerr (@itstimefor55) January 28, 2017
Additionally, a 2017 western Scotland literary journal put out by Clochoderick Press is entitled Laldy!
The dictionary definition of gie’in it laldy
— Jen (@cyborgjenny) November 30, 2018
According to a 2015 article in The Scotsman, the newer slang word yaldi, which is used to express excitement, possibly comes from a take on or mispronunciation of laldy.