the.com/gallus
Scottish slang for cocky in a way that's almost admirable, almost illegal.
means Bold, cheeky, and full of swagger — someone strutting right up to the edge of trouble and daring you to say something.
from Scots dialect word, likely linked to 'gallows' — the idea being someone so brazen or wild they're practically gallows-bound, destined for a hanging because of their nerve. The leap from 'gallows-worthy rogue' to 'cheekily bold' is the kind of dark Scots wit that turns a threat into a compliment.
- origin theory
- possibly from gallows, as in gallows-bold
- usage
- describes swagger, cheek, and fearless mischief
- region
- especially Glasgow, worn as a compliment
- tone
- admiring insult or insulting admiration, pick one