Give it Some Welly!

This week is the start of Piping Live 2012 leading up to the World Championships on Saturday at Glasgow Green.

This was the Johnstone Pipe Band entertaining the crowds in George Square at lunch time. Their ambition is to break into the World Top 10.

I thought the slogans on the back of the guys' T Shirts were very appropriate, and therefore made a feature of them in the picture. Some translation may be required.

You may think that Welly is short for Wellington Boot and you'd be right, but there are some other derived meanings.

'Give it some Welly' means to put some extra/additional effort or enthusiasm into a task. Initially it would have referred to 'putting the foot down (accelerating) or possibly the extra effort given in a Welly Throwing Competition (yes, we have these as well!).
Appropriate here as it could refer to the effort put into playing the pipes with gusto.

'Gettin Wellied' This tends to mean getting rather inebriated or drunk. Again it may be appropriate as the main sponsor of Piping Live is Glenfiddich Whisky ( a highly recommended Single Malt).