Poor- oots at weddings

[Hibbyradge]

I'm not going to explain what they are/were, it can be an oldies secret, but are they a thing of the past?

If so, why have they disappeared?

Traffic too busy? People too mean? Kids too rich? All of the above?

[Saturday Boy]

I'm not going to explain what they are/were, it can be an oldies secret, but are they a thing of the past?

If so, why have they disappeared?

Traffic too busy? People too mean? Kids too rich? All of the above?

Health and Safety gone mad.

I’m sure I read it in the Daily Mail that they’d been banned because of the risks 😄

[lyonhibs]

https://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/view/id/4538

For any fellow young whippersnapper who'd never heard of this.

[lapsedhibee]

I'm not going to explain what they are/were, it can be an oldies secret, but are they a thing of the past?

If so, why have they disappeared??

Same as the reason for banning low-level letterboxes in newbuilds - far, far too dangerous for people to bend down.

[Hibee87]

I am 31 and been to I think 3 weddings that had a scatter (not a poor-oot :wink:)

I think the tradition just died out really. I remember 2 happening outside the church and one bizarrely on the dance floor at the reception. This was my favourite one as I realised most of the coins rolled under the drapes of the buffet table so I crawled under and scooped up a decent wee wedge for a 10 year old :thumbsup:

[jonty]

I am 31 and been to I think 3 weddings that had a scatter (not a poor-oot :wink:)

I think the tradition just died out really. I remember 2 happening outside the church and one bizarrely on the dance floor at the reception. This was my favourite one as I realised most of the coins rolled under the drapes of the buffet table so I crawled under and scooped up a decent wee wedge for a 10 year old :thumbsup:

:agree: SCATTER!!!!!!!

[Jim44]

I’ve always referred to it as a ‘poor oot’ but my wife who was a Fifer always insisted it was a ‘scoor oot’. Can anyone confirm this?

[lapsedhibee]

:agree: SCATTER!!!!!!!

:bitchy: Poor oot! Poll!

[JeMeSouviens]

I remember them being called "scrambles" in the 70s. Or "poor-oot" by *really* old folk. :wink:

[speedy_gonzales]

Another one for "scramble".

I reckon they've died out because the bridal party doesn't always leave from the Bride's parents house as much. Always thought it was the father of the bride that threw the cash,,,,

[s.a.m]

And another for scramble. That was Ayrshire, though.

[stoneyburn hibs]

I'm in team "poor-oot" .
Scatter was for the more affluent area's of Edinburgh 😁

[Sylar]

I'm in team "poor-oot" .
Scatter was for the more affluent area's of Edinburgh 😁

I grew up in Bathgate and it was definitely a scatter there.

"Poor-oot" sounds like someone disapproved of their reception champagne!

[ronaldo7]

Poor oot for the canagotions.

[hibsbollah]

I am 31 and been to I think 3 weddings that had a scatter (not a poor-oot :wink:)

I think the tradition just died out really. I remember 2 happening outside the church and one bizarrely on the dance floor at the reception. This was my favourite one as I realised most of the coins rolled under the drapes of the buffet table so I crawled under and scooped up a decent wee wedge for a 10 year old :thumbsup:

:greengrin

[overdrive]

I was an usher at a wedding that had a scramble. I had no clue what was happening and assumed it was a Weegie thing since the wedding was in Lenzie and the bride and groom are both Weegies.

[HappyAsHellas]

As a bairn it was your duty to hang around outside any church when there was a wedding. Seem to remember it was always just before the cars took off to go to the reception by which time half the ragamuffins in Leith were jostling for position for the poor oot. We might end up running on the road itself but the drivers knew what was happening and never heard of any accidents.

[Hibbyradge]

https://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/view/id/4538

For any fellow young whippersnapper who'd never heard of this.

Boo! You'd be crap in the masons.

[Allant1981]

I grew up in Bathgate and it was definitely a scatter there.

"Poor-oot" sounds like someone disapproved of their reception champagne!

Yip im from bathgate also and was definitely a scatter, loved it when there was a wedding near us back then!!!

[stoneyburn hibs]

I grew up in Bathgate and it was definitely a scatter there.

"Poor-oot" sounds like someone disapproved of their reception champagne!

Whereas scatter was probably shouted by guests from Edinburgh at the end off a Bathgate wedding 😂😂

[Fife-Hibee]

I hear they still do poor oots at tynecastle. It doesn't even need to be a wedding event.

[Smartie]

Scramble where I grew up.

At school, any time someone dropped a handful of change accidentally the cry of "scramble" went up as everyone scrambled to help themselves to the poor victim's money.

I think it was always given back, although it wouldn't be unheard of for someone to have to "chuck a benny" before being reunited with their change amidst various levels of s******ing and sympathy.

In terms of a scramble at a wedding, I've never been at a wedding where one took place, I thought they only happened in the Broons?

[Colr]

https://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/view/id/4538

For any fellow young whippersnapper who'd never heard of this.

Called a scramble in weegiestan

[hibsbollah]

Scramble in the 70s.

[Mibbes Aye]

Definitely 'scramble' growing up in Edinburgh in the Eighties

[weecounty hibby]

Was always a scramble in Alloa. Not seen one or even heard about one for years, until this thread popped up.

[bigwheel]

Poor-oot in seventies Leith....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[lyonhibs]

Scramble where I grew up.

At school, any time someone dropped a handful of change accidentally the cry of "scramble" went up as everyone scrambled to help themselves to the poor victim's money.

I think it was always given back, although it wouldn't be unheard of for someone to have to "chuck a benny" before being reunited with their change amidst various levels of s******ing and sympathy.

In terms of a scramble at a wedding, I've never been at a wedding where one took place, I thought they only happened in the Broons?

The school era definition of scramble I recognise for sure.

[Bangkok Hibby]

Poor oot in sixties and seventies Leith. Always thought "scramble" was a weegie term

[lapsedhibee]

So, it's starting to look a wee bit like …

Leith: poor oot
West Lothian: scatter
The Weege: scramble
Edinburgh:

[Peevemor]

Another 'scramble' here (Kingsknowe/Longstone).

[Sylar]

Whereas scatter was probably shouted by guests from Edinburgh at the end off a Bathgate wedding 😂😂

I still visit Stoneyburn on a weekly basis, so shoosht! :greengrin

[patch1875]

St Mary’s in Leith was a goldmine when I was a boy.

[Hibbyradge]

St Mary’s in Leith was a goldmine when I was a boy.

You must be old. It's always been a church in my memory.

[stoneyburn hibs]

I still visit Stoneyburn on a weekly basis, so shoosht! :greengrin

Haha, I escaped to Costa del Broxburn two years ago 😁

[patch1875]

You must be old. It's always been a church in my memory.

The leprechauns had one hidden underneath.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I'm in team "poor-oot.

Me too! 👍

[Rocky]

Scramble where I grew up.

At school, any time someone dropped a handful of change accidentally the cry of "scramble" went up as everyone scrambled to help themselves to the poor victim's money.

I think it was always given back, although it wouldn't be unheard of for someone to have to "chuck a benny" before being reunited with their change amidst various levels of s******ing and sympathy.

In terms of a scramble at a wedding, I've never been at a wedding where one took place, I thought they only happened in the Broons?

Chuck a benny is a phrase I've not heard in a long time! Does anyone know the origin of the phrase? The other one that used to get used at my school was eppy which was clearly in very poor taste relating to epileptic fits and very much not suitable for bringing back into common parlance. It was also conceivable to have a full benny-eppy back in the day.

On topic, it was a poor oot in Penicuik. Although that may be because my folks are from Lochend and Leith.

[Peevemor]

Chuck a benny is a phrase I've not heard in a long time! Does anyone know the origin of the phrase? The other one that used to get used at my school was eppy which was clearly in very poor taste relating to epileptic fits and very much not suitable for bringing back into common parlance. It was also conceivable to have a full benny-eppy back in the day.

On topic, it was a poor oot in Penicuik. Although that may be because my folks are from Lochend and Leith.

Crossroads - Benny Hawkins was a lovable character (a bit simple) who was prone to tantrums when his friends were threatened in any way.

[Rocky]

Crossroads - Benny Hawkins was a lovable character (a bit simple) who was prone to tantrums when his friends were threatened in any way.

Ah of course, how could I forget Benny and his green tea cosy hat.

[Smartie]

Chuck a benny is a phrase I've not heard in a long time! Does anyone know the origin of the phrase? The other one that used to get used at my school was eppy which was clearly in very poor taste relating to epileptic fits and very much not suitable for bringing back into common parlance. It was also conceivable to have a full benny-eppy back in the day.

On topic, it was a poor oot in Penicuik. Although that may be because my folks are from Lochend and Leith.

We had the even-worse spakatak which was often shortened to spak.

These are words that have a horrendous origin, most certainly should not come back into common parlance but in reality they evolved to mean something totally different and in many ways innocent.

There were people who would spak all the time, to the point that it ceased being funny. If you could rile up someone who was mild-mannered and quite big into a full-blown spakatak however...

I once got "big Shady" to spak, by repeatedly moving the goalpost to stop his shots going in when we were playing 2-a-side tourneys. It remains the Holy Grail of spaks, and we chuckle about it to this day (when we're together but "big Shady" isn't there).

As an adult I'm quite often praised for my ability to remain calm under pressure. That's because there is absolutely nothing that adult life could throw at me that could possibly annoy me as much as the c***s that I grew up with going out of their way to wind me up. By way of balance, I still find it remarkably easy to wind folk up.

The playground was tough and not always fun, but it didn't half prepare you for what comes later.

[Bristolhibby]

Poor-oot for me. I did one at my wedding.

Pulled a muscle in my back with my backhand toss out of the carridge.

Not sure anyone had a clue what was going on in rural Wiltshire, but my wee cousins were in like a shot.

We are from Edinburgh if you want a geographic reference.

J

[Peevemor]

Poor-oot for me. I did one at my wedding.

Pulled a muscle in my back with my backhand toss out of the carridge.

Not sure anyone had a clue what was going on in rural Wiltshire, but my wee cousins were in like a shot.

We are from Edinburgh if you want a geographic reference.

JWas it caught on camera? I'm surprised you weren't arrested.

[southsider]

Me too! 👍
I once got a half crown ( 2 and 6) about 12 & half pence. At a pour oot at the church at the foot of Grange Rd. Bought chips and juice outa Greezy Rizy’s for ma pals.

[Pete]

South-West Edinburgh and it was a pooroot.

In my case, it was what my parents told me it was so maybe their background is more relevant 🤔

[Hibrandenburg]

Scramble in the 70s.

Scatter in the 70's.

[Lemonade]

:agree: SCATTER!!!!!!!

Scramble !

[One Day Soon]

Scramble and poor-oot in 1970s South East Edinburgh.

I remember coming out of primary school one day in 1975 and there was a wedding coming out of the church opposite. The newlyweds got to the gate and then he lobbied a handful of coins into the air towards all the gathered kids watching. I remember I got a thrupenny bit which was instantly converted to various sweeties.

Twenty four years later in 1999 I was married in the same church and made sure there as a scramble that day too: including a specially sourced thrupenny bit to give back what I'd got. I doubt the kid who got that was quite so happy as I was - but I made sure it was in among a lot of £1 coins.

[The Pointer]

It was a poor-oot in Eskbank when I was wee (and my dad was from Morningside!) and I only heard the name 'scramble' when I moved to Argyll.

We had one when we got married in Kintyre but I'm not sure the bairns there knew why we were chucking coins out the car!

[lyonhibs]

Scramble and poor-oot in 1970s South East Edinburgh.

I remember coming out of primary school one day in 1975 and there was a wedding coming out of the church opposite. The newlyweds got to the gate and then he lobbied a handful of coins into the air towards all the gathered kids watching. I remember I got a thrupenny bit which was instantly converted to various sweeties.

Twenty four years later in 1999 I was married in the same church and made sure there as a scramble that day too: including a specially sourced thrupenny bit to give back what I'd got. I doubt the kid who got that was quite so happy as I was - but I made sure it was in among a lot of £1 coins.

Was 1975 not post decimalisation? :confused::greengrin

[Killiehibbie]

A poor oot when I was young. Heard both scramble and scatter through here.

[s.a.m]

Was 1975 not post decimalisation? :confused::greengrin

Don't remember ever using a thruppeny bit, but pretty sure sixpences carried some sort of monetary value for a number of years after decimalisation. I can remember using them in the 70s.
It's also possible the happy couple were just cheapskates, chucking out their redundant coins :greengrin

[Bangkok Hibby]

Scramble and poor-oot in 1970s South East Edinburgh.

I remember coming out of primary school one day in 1975 and there was a wedding coming out of the church opposite. The newlyweds got to the gate and then he lobbied a handful of coins into the air towards all the gathered kids watching. I remember I got a thrupenny bit which was instantly converted to various sweeties.

Twenty four years later in 1999 I was married in the same church and made sure there as a scramble that day too: including a specially sourced thrupenny bit to give back what I'd got. I doubt the kid who got that was quite so happy as I was - but I made sure it was in among a lot of £1 coins.

Threepenny bit ceased to be legal tender in 1971

[lapsedhibee]

Don't remember ever using a thruppeny bit, but pretty sure sixpences carried some sort of monetary value for a number of years after decimalisation. I can remember using them in the 70s.
It's also possible the happy couple were just cheapskates, chucking out their redundant coins :greengrin

Aye, 2 and a half p. I'd completely forgotten there was a new half p coin. When did Brussels ban that?

[Curried]

Scramble at Moulin Kirk and the West when I was a lad.