A Paisley Buddie

Why are People from Paisley called Paisley Buddies?

We have posted this before but its a question I am still asked even by Paisley Buddies.

As far as I can read up on in the books that I have its an old Scottish Quote saying that people from the Highlands called themselves Highland Gentlemen and they also mentioned Lowland Farmers and Paisley ‘Bodies’ “pronounced Buddie” it was just a way that described someone from a town.

It has nothing to do with the American saying of Buddy “Pal, Friend” it is an old Scottish word simply meaning people, or folk.

We are apparently more reserved than our City neighbours Glasgow and suspicious of strangers but I think that’s rubbish and that we are the most friendliest wee ‘Toon’ in Scotland with a rich and colourful History. Discover more of Paisley’s History here.

“Buddie” is the old local prononciation for “body”. It is said that during a local meeting, in the past, the speaker referred to Paisley as a town of 10,000 souls. He was corrected by a shout of ” you mean 10,000 bodies” from the crowd.
( taken from: Paisley, a history by Sylvia Clark, suggested on Facebook by Anne Marie Fraser)

Also another visitor to our Facebook page George Adam said that through Family history he heard that there was a political meeting in the town- no idea who, what, where or why. But during this meeting one of the speakers said something that caused some discussion. A member of the audience was then alledged to have asked,” what about aw buddie?”. Which was incorrectly interpreted to mean ,”what about all the buddies?”. What was meant was, “what about everybody else?”. Since then we’ve all been called buddies