Gutcher,

My wife, who's from The West Riding of Yorkshire (RIP) would understand exactly what you meant.

I'm originally from Aberdeen, though I have lived nearly all my life in England (my Father's a Yorkshireman but was in the RAF so we moved around a lot). When I first met my wife, I was struck by how many terms she used that were in common with terms used by my grandparents because she was quite broad and her mother used quite a few dialect terms.

I sing a number of Scots songs and I find that a fair number of the Scots words are also in common use in the North of England, but there are others that I am unfamiliar with and I have look up. I think it's important to understand what you are singing so I have a Scots Dictionary bookmarked in my browser.

When I sing a Scots song, I don't consciously put on a Scots accent but some people have told me one comes out. Someone once even asked how come I was singing in an Aberdeen accent, so I reckon the fact that much of my earliest years were spent in Aberdeen have left a mark, even if it was buried away. It does sometimes worry me a bit because I wouldn't want a Scot to think I was putting the accent on.