Glasgow Patter: tenement life
dunny A term for the area below the common stair in a tenement building. Such places are well-known for being dark and spooky: 'Ah dare ye to go doon the dunny at Halloween'. midden This can mean a dustbin or the area behind a tenement block where the dustbins are kept. It is also applied to places or people considered slovenly or unclean: 'The dirty aul midden hasny had a bath for months', 'Get this midden of a room tidied up right now'. Lucky middens is a slang term for bins where substantial luckies are likely to be found. Also extended to describe an area where such middens are the norm: 'I hear you've moved to Newton Mearns; that's you up in the lucky middens now, eh?'. ©Michael Munro	The stone-built tenement is a major feature of Glasgow's urban landscape. Built in large numbers from the mid-1800s to the early years of the 20th century to accommodate the city's growing population, many disappeared after the war as a combined result of decay and eager urban planning. In recent years there has been a policy of sensible rehabilitation of this architectural style.

Glasgow Patter: tenement life

dunny: A term for the area below the common stair in a tenement building. Such places are well-known for being dark and spooky: 'Ah dare ye to go doon the dunny at Halloween'.
midden: This can mean a dustbin or the area behind a tenement block where the dustbins are kept. It is also applied to places or people considered slovenly or unclean: 'The dirty aul midden hasny had a bath for months', 'Get this midden of a room tidied up right now'. Lucky middens is a slang term for bins where substantial luckies are likely to be found. Also extended to describe an area where such middens are the norm: 'I hear you've moved to Newton Mearns; that's you up in the lucky middens now, eh?'.

©Michael Munro

The stone-built tenement is a major feature of Glasgow's urban landscape. Built in large numbers from the mid-1800s to the early years of the 20th century to accommodate the city's growing population, many disappeared after the war as a combined result of decay and eager urban planning. In recent years there has been a policy of sensible rehabilitation of this architectural style.

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