Poverty

• "He's a tick man."

  Davie is defined by his job - a debt collector, a thankless, emotionally draining occupation.
• "No selling enough. No collectin enough. No gettin much over the basic." 

  Davie is struggling to make ends meet. Bleak job prospects lead to a pessimistic outlook.
• "Best part ae a week's wages."

  Davie has lost a large amount of money to the bookie. His desperation to escape poverty has made him reckless.
• "You'll get out using your brains."

  Davie recognises that, for Alec, education is his ticket to a better future.
• "What have you got when ye come right down tae it. Nothin."

  After being fired, Davie is crushed. His is a life of loss and rejection. Any optimism he has fades.
• "Got it on tick. Pay it up. Nae bother."

  Davie is broke but buys a school blazer for Alec on credit. Risky, but a sacrifice he's willing to make to help his son achieve his potential.
• "Had to sell them. Coupla quid for the lot."

  Davie is clearly very hard up. His record collection goes for next to nothing in his desperate effort to make ends meet.
• "Electricity got cut off son. Couldnae pay the bill."

  Davie is really struggling.
• "Ma bursary money'll be comin through this week, can pay it wi that."

  In a role-reversal, Alec becomes like a supportive parent. He sacrifices the money that's supposed to support his education.
• “There was gonnae be nothing left after ah’d paid the light bill. Had tae take a chance."

  Davie, instead of paying the bill, has gambled the money. He is desperate for better things and this fuels his reckless behaviour.
• "Ah'll get some themorra, when the dole money comes."

  There's no coal and, like with other things, Davie promises that "soon" he'll sort it
• "Ah'm better on the broo than daen that, any day."

  Davie feels hopeless. He remembers how unpleasant his job as a tick man was and would rather take benefits than endure it again.
• "Hardest wood in the world. Should burn nice an slow."

  Davie's fine tools, once the heart of his trade as a sailmaker, are burnt as fuel to heat the flat - worthless, just like Davie feels.