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THE
ONTARIO ARCHIVES
DESULTORY NOTES
ON
JAMIESON'S
SCOTTISH DICTIONARY.
DESULTORY NOTES
ON
JAMIESON'S
SCOTTISH DICTIONARY
t> BY
J. B. MONTGOMERIE-FLEMINO
OF KELVINSIDE
/£
/ (-'"i
\L.
GLASGOW AND EDINBURGH
WILLIAM HODGE & COMPANY
1899
522277
10 • S- SI
PE
PREFATORY NOTE
THE subjoined letter to the editor of the
Glasgow Herald will explain how these
somewhat desultory and very incomplete
Notes on Jamieson first came to be put
together. When the editor of the Herald
kindly gave them a place in his somewhat
crowded paper, a number of my friends
were kind enough to say that they thought
some of the Notes were of value, and asked
me whether I would not think of getting
them printed in a collected form. I have
accordingly done so.
These Notes do not claim to be anything
like a revisal or correction of Jamieson, nor
do I claim to have any very intimate acquaint-
ance with pure Scotch. They are simply
jottings made from time to time which,
for the present purpose, I have somewhat
amplified, and, as will be seen from many
of the Notes, I am myself only seeking
for information which I shall be glad to
get from those who are better up in " guid
braid Scots" than I am.
iv Prefatory Note
If these Notes, fragmentary though they
be, give to some others the same pleasure
as I have had in hunting up references in
connection with them, I shall be amply
repaid for any trouble I have taken in
the matter.
Throughout these Notes frequent refer-
ence is made to the Historical Eno-Hsh
o
Dictionary, edited by Dr. James A. H.
Murray and Mr. Henry Bradley, and printed
at the Clarendon Press at the expense of
the University of Oxford. So far as it
has gone — that is, to the beginning of the
letter " H " — I have found it a remarkably
good Scotch dictionary.
This stupendous national undertaking is
not receiving anything like the amount of
support it merits. It is said of many a
book that "no library is complete without
it." That can certainly be said, with the
utmost truth, of this great work. I sup-
pose most men with incomes of £1000 or
£2000 a year and upwards would consider
their libraries incomplete without a copy
of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, or some
other very good Encyclopaedia. Their
Prefatory Note v
libraries are equally incomplete if they
have not on their shelves the Historical
English Dictionary. It is a patriotic duty
to support this great national undertaking.
The University of Oxford has hitherto
supported it at a loss up to date of, I
understand, about £50,000, but it is
the duty of every man who can afford
it to support it also, and he will be
well repaid for the performance of that
duty.
Of course, as a whole, it will be an
expensive work, but it is coming out in
parts, and the expense is distributed over
a series of years.
The unbound parts I have at present are —
F— Fang,
(No date
given),
£0
2
6
Fanged — Fee, -
1st April
, 1895,
0
2
6
Fee— Field,
1st Oct.,
1895,
0
2
6
Field— Fish, -
1st April
, 1896,
0
2
6
Fish— Flexuose,
1st Oct.,
1896,
0
2
6
Flexuosity — Foister,
1st April
, 1897,
0
2
6
Foisty — Frankish, -
1st Oct.,
1897,
0
5
0
Frank-Law — Gain-Coming,
1st Jan.,
1898,
0
5
0
H. — Haversham,
1st April
, 1898,
0
5
0
Haversiue— Heel, -
1st July,
1898,
0
2
6
£1 12 6
Surely an expenditure such as this, spread
over so many years, is not very killing to
men with incomes such as I have indicated.
vi Prefatory Note
I hope many of those into whose hands
these Notes may come will kindly interest
themselves in this matter, and not only
themselves become subscribers to this most
valuable work, indispensable to every decent-
sized library, but also try to induce their
friends to become subscribers also. They
will be more than amply repaid by the
wealth of information to be found in its
pages.
But that I fear being looked upon as a
sort of " Importunate Widow," I would fain
say almost as much in favour of "The
English Dialect Dictionary, edited by Joseph
Wright, M.A., Ph.D., Deputy Professor of
Comparative Philology in the University of
Oxford. London : Henry Frowde " — of
which five parts have been published,
embracing the letters ABC. I shall simply
content myself with saying that this work
also is deserving of every support and
encouragement.
J. B. M.-F.
KELVINSIDE HOUSE, GLASGOW,
December, 1898,
JAMIESON'S SCOTTISH DICTIONARY.
(To the Editor of the Glasgow Herald.}
Sm, — A very interesting correspondence in your
columns lately anent the meaning of the word " dowie "
brought out some remarks with regard to the unsatis-
factory character (perhaps I should rather say the want)
of cross-references in this very useful, but far from
complete, dictionary. We all know the story of the
decent old Scotchman who, having unexpectedly suc-
ceeded to a considerable fortune, thought it the correct
thing to go in for a library, and, being found one day
deep in a dictionary, declared it to be " a rale interestin'
wark, if it just had an index tae it," Well, Jamieson
really almost requires an index.
I subjoin some notes I have from time to time made
on my copy of Jamieson (the latest edition, published
by Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 1879), which, though
very incomplete, may perhaps be of interest to your
readers, enabling them to make the corrections on their
own copies of Jamiesou. It is extremely provoking to
have to hunt up and down for a word, when a simple
cross-reference would save all that trouble. "Dowie"
is a very good example. Surely it would have been a
very easy thing, at vol. ii., p. 94, to have entered
"Dowie, see Dolly, p. 77." I think far too few
examples are given from that "well of Scottish
undefyled," Miss Ferrier's most delightful novels,
"Marriage," "Inheritance," and "Destiny," which
are worth any score of the fescennine and ephemeral
novels of the present day. — I am, &c.,
J. B. FLEMING.
Aber — Abusion
ABER is not given at i. 8. The mouth of a
river, as Aberdeen, at the mouth of the
Dee, etc.
ABULZIEMENT. V. ABULIEMENT, i. 10.
ABUSION, i. 10. " Abuse, deceit, imposition
practised on another." Query — Is it not
also " self-deceit " ?
Therfor it is great abmion [self-deception] to them
to gloir in the nobil blude ; for I trow that gif
ane cirurgyen wald draw part of there blude in ane
bassyn, it wald haf na bettir cullour nor the blude of
ane plebien or of ane mekanik craftis man. — (" The
Complaynt of Scotlande," quoted in " By-ways of
History," by James Colville, M.A., D.Sc., Examiner
in History, University of Glasgow, p. 120. )
Dr. Colville's is a most interesting book,
and bristling with old Scotch words.
The Historical English Dictionary gives
2 A ilsa — Aschet
half a column to this word, though it is
there described as " obsolete, not in Bible
1611, and rare after." The second quota-
tion has the following : — " The harnie that
an hundred heretikes would fall in by
theyr own wilful abusion " ; (that is,
deceiving themselves).
AILS A is not given at i. 25. A high cliff or
rock. From Gaelic al, aill, a rock, or
rocky steep, as in Ailsa Craig.
AIN, i. 25, is here referred to A WIN, AWYN,
AWNE, i. 87. " Own, proper." But " ain,"
though it appears fifty-three times in
Burns, is only referred to in a sub-note,
" in other parts ain" No quotation with
this (the leading form of the word) in it,
AIVER, i. 29. The only meaning given is
"a he-goat," but it also means "an old
horse." V. Burns, " A Dream," stanza xi. : —
Yet aft a ragged cowt's been known
To mak a noble aiver ;
Sae, ye may doucely fill a throne,
For a' their clish-ma-claver.
ASCHET, i. 64. Is this not much more
frequently spelt "ashet," which is not
Atweel — Ay 3
given at all ? It is from the French
"assiette." Where does the "c" come
from ?
ATWEEL is given, i. 76, but not "atwot."
The two generally, if not indeed invariably,
go together, " atweel-atwot."
AULD-FARRAN is given, i. 81, and "auld-
farrand " in a quotation, but not " auld-
farrant," the most common form.
AY, AYE, "Always," is not given at i. 90.
This is surely a most unpardonable omis-
sion. Burns uses the word correctly spelt
" Ay " fifty-seven times, and incorrectly
spelt "Aye" eight times. "Aye" means Yes,
and is an English word. The Historical
English Dictionary gives " Ay, Aye ; (a)
ever, always, continually; (b) at all times,
on all occasions (now only in Scotch and
Northern dialects). Except in poetry Ay
is still northern. The spelling fluctuates
between Ay and Aye ; the former is pre-
ferable on grounds of etymology, phon-
ology, and analogy." Jamieson, it is true,
gives the word in his Supplement in the
following meagre and indirect way — "Ay
(Supplement, p. 26), adv., Ay quhill, always
till, on till, until." So far as Jamieson is
concerned, the word " Ay " does not exist,
and we should say : —
But always she loot the tear cloon fa'
For Jock o' Hazeldean.
Where is the rhythm, the poetry, or the
pathos in that ? Every one of the sixty-five
lines in which Burns makes use of the
word would be utterly spoilt if there were
no such Scotch word as " Ay," and he had
been compelled to use the English word
" always."
Bab — Barony
B
BAB, i. 90. " A nosegay, or bunch of flowers."
Is this not much more frequently " bap " ?
BAICHIE, i. 99. V. BECHLE, 141; BEIGH, 149;
and BOICH, 240. " To cough with difficulty."
BAP, i. 118. V. BAB, i. 90.
BAR, i. 118. "Barley." There should here
be a cross-reference to BEAK, BERE, i.
139, where a much fuller description is
given.
BARLEY, i. 122. There should be a cross-
reference here to PARLEY, iii. 442.
BARONY. Surely this should have been
given as a Scotch word at i. 124, with
some description of a Burgh of Barony.
V. the Historical English Dictionary.
6 Batter— Be
BATTER, i. 131. Not given as a noun in
the sense, " spree " ; nor as a verb, " to
go on the batter" — to go on the spree.
BAUCHLE, BACHEL, i. 133. " An old shoe,
used as a slipper." No reference is made
to one of the principal uses of the
"bauchle," the application of it by
fond mothers and o-randmothers to the
O
fundamental education of small boys.
BAWKIE-BIRD. " The bat." Should have
been given at i. 136. V. BAR, i. 106, and
BAUKIE, i. 135. There might have been
given here the rhyme :—
The lavrock an' the lark, the bawkie an' the bat,
The heather bleet, the mire snipe —
Hoo mony birds is that?
Also the first three lines of Burns's " Jolly
Beggars":—
When lyart leaves bestrow the yird,
Or, wavering like the bauckie-bh'd,
Bedim cauld Boreas' blast.
BE, i. 138. "Used in the same sense with
Let or Let be, not to mention, not to
speak of, to except." Surely " to let
be " means rather "to let alone, not to
meddle or interfere with," as in the fine
old custard : —
Steward (to Visitor to Steamer whom he has
instructed to go to Cabin "B")- "It's letter 'B'
I tell't ye tae gang in till."
Bechle—Bene 7
Visitor (who has opened the door of letter "A"
Cabin, in which a lady is dressing) — "What are
ye ay yelping — Let her be ! let her be ! I'm no
meddlin' wi' her."
BECHLE, i. 141. V. BAICHIE, 99; BEIGH,
149 ; BOICH, 240.
BEEK, i. 144. " To bathe." V. BEIK, i. 149.
5 To bask."
While the sun was beeking warm an' bonnie,
Owre the haughs an' holms o' the Garnock.
—(Dr. Duguid, p. 84.)
BEIGH, i. 149. V. BAICHIE, 99; BECHLE,
141 ; BOICH, 240.
BEILD, i. 150. "(1) Shelter, refuge, pro-
tection. (3) A place of shelter ; hence
applied to a house, a habitation." The
Scotch proverb might have been given,
" Better a wee hoose than nae beild."
Burns spells it " bield " and " biel " :—
The sun blinks kindly in the biel
Where blythe I turn my spinnin' -wheel.
— (Burns, "O, leeze me on my spinnin'-wheel," ii.)
BENE, BEIN, BEYNE, BIEN, i. 166. " 1.
Wealthy, well-provided, possessing abund-
ance." The derivation, " being, well-
being," is not given, nor the most common
meaning, "well-to-do." "He comes o'
bein folk " does not mean of* " wealthy "
8 Beit— Bindweed
folk. It simply means "comfortable,
well-to-do." I think " bein " is the most
common spelling, but Burns, who makes
use of the word three times, always spells
it " bien."
BEIT, i. 154. "To help, supply, mend,
repair." The following quotation may be
of interest : —
As also furnishing f th parts of a horse for leading
3 loads of lime, etc., from Glasgow or Dumbarton
to the Place of Mugdock as shall be necessary for
heitiny thereof. — (Charter by Duke of Montrose
to William Wilson, Balgrochan, 22nd December,
1730.)
§ths of a horse " iss goot."
BELYVE, which should be at i. 164, is at
i. 156.
BERE, i. 170. " Barley." There is a cross-
reference here to BAR, i. 118, where we
find only half a dozen lines. The reference
ought to be to BEAR, BERE, i. 139, where
there is a column and a half about this
word and its compounds.
BINDWEED, i. 190. The much more common
form is "binweed." V. BUNWEDE, i. 333.
Eine— Black Dog 9
BINE is not given at i. 191, though it surely
is as common, if not, indeed, more common
than BOIN, BOYN, BOYEN, " a washing-tub,"
given at i. 241.
r.IRLING, i. 196. " So in the brisk noon of
a tine birling day in May," etc. — (Crockett,
"The Raiders," p. 198.) Not in Jamieson.
Is this " Kail-yaird " Scotch ?
BIRSLE, i. 198. " To burn slightly."
I trained on birsled peas and whisky. — (Michael
Scott, in "Tom Cringle's Log," xvi. 409, edition of
1859.)
No reference is made to the " birsled pea
pattern " which used to be very common
in prints for servants' dresses. Nor to
" birsled potatoes."
BIRTH-BRIEF, or BOAR- BRIEF, i. 199. A
Genealogical Table or Family Tree. V.
"Notes and Queries," 6th S., vii. 448,
where the Editor says, " Boar-Brief =
Birth- Brief. They were formerly in
frequent use with Scots going abroad,
but are not often to be much trusted for
genealogical purposes."
BLACK DOG, i. 205. This expression is
most frequently used in the nursery — " I
see the black dog is on your back," is
10 Blad— Bletherskate
said to children who have lost their
temper, and are in the hands of " the
Deil." The definition given by Jarnieson,
"perdition," is far too strong.
BLAD, i. 209. In addition to meanings
given, means "to waste."
BLAES, i. 210. There should be a cross-
reference to BLAZE, 218, and vice versa.
BLAIN, i. 210. " A mark left by a wound."
The blains of the measles were carefully pointed
out. — (Miss Ferrier's "Inheritance," vol. i., chap. 27,
p. 238, edition of 1882.)
BLAWORT, i. 218, should also be given
under BLAWART, as in the quotation from
"St. Ronan's Well." Query — Should it not
be spelt as it is pronounced, "blaewart"?
BLETHERSKATE, BLETHERSKITE (an indis-
pensable word in every city with a large
Town Council), not given at i. 224, and no
reference made to BLADDERSKATE, i. 209.
At the top of i. 224 we have also this
absurdity — Over the first column, BLE :
and over the second column, BLA. The
cart before the horse, a frequent anomaly
in this edition, emanating from the banks
of the Cart. The favourite English (Stage)
Block— Bole 11
form of this Scotch word is " Blithering
Idiot." Is there such a word as " blither,"
either English, Irish, or Scotch ?
BLOCK, i. 229. " To plan, devise, bargain."
And makes blocks an' bargains for merchand weir.
— (Dunbar's "Social Life in Former Days," p. 77.)
BOB, i. 235. " To dance, to courtesy." " If
it's no weel bobbit, we'll bob it again,"
might have been given here. Was not
this said by a Scotchman in the Light
Brigade (The Light Bobs), after the famous
Charge at Balaklava, 25th October, 1854 ?
This is one of the splendid sayings in
history that some confounded Philistines
put themselves to an infinite amount of
trouble to attempt to disprove.
BOLE, i. 243. "A square aperture, etc.
V. BOAL." " A small press, generally
without a door." The Imperial Diction-
ary defines it as " a little compartment
or division in a case for papers." The
name is now frequently applied by Scotch
lawyers to what their English brethren
call a pigeon-hole.
There sat a bottle in a bole
Beyont the ingle low,
And ay she took the tither souk
To drouk the stouwe tow.
—(Burns, "The Weary Fund o' Tow," ii.)
1~2 Bon- Accord — Boo
Not that I mean to insinuate that Scotch
lawyers keep bottles in their " boles."
BON -ACCORD, i. 244. The quotations
refer to Aberdeen. Why not tell us that
this is the motto of the city of Aberdeen?
In a book recently published by the
Marquess of Bute (a man who is not
merely a Marquess, but who is also a man
of thought and culture), a full account
of " Bon Accord " will be found. (" The
Arms of the Royal and Parliamentary
Burghs of Scotland." Edinburgh : Black-
wood, 1897.) See also "The Book of
Public Arms," by Arthur Charles Fox-
Davies. Edinburgh: T. C. & E. C. Jack,
1894.
BONNETY BLIN, " Blind Man's Buff," is not
given at i. 246. V. " Pen-Folk and Paisley
Weavers."— (Paisley: Gardner, 1889,p. 110.)
BONSPEL, i. 247. Surely more frequently
" bonspiel."
BOO, i. 247, is not given in the sense of
to make a bow, or an obeisance.
I raised it [my fortune] by booin'. I never could
stan' straicht in the presence o' a great mon, but
Bool—Bouet 13
ay booed, an booed, as 'twere by eenstinct. — (Sir
Pertinax Macsycophant in Charles Macklin's play,
"The Man of the World," 1764.)
BOOL, in the sense of "a marble," is not given
at i. 248. " Playin' at boots " — playing at
marbles.
BOORIEMAN is not given at i. 249. Bu-
MAN is given at i. 319 and 330, and
BU-KOW at i. 326. A goblin, a devil.
BORAL, BORELL, i. 250. The meaning " rude "
should surely be given here. " A borrell
man," an uncultivated rustic.
BOTTLE or BATTLE STRAE, i. 257, should
have cross-references to BATTLE, i. 131,
and to BUTTLE, i. 346, and vice versa.
Socrates and Aristotle,
Suck'd no wet from a leather bottle,
For I think a man as soon may
Find a needle in a bottle of hay.
—("The Bonny Black Jack," verse 6. Pedlar's Pack of
Ballads and Songs. By W. H. Logan. Edinburgh : Wm.
Paterson, 1869.)
BOUET. "A hand - lantern." Given as
BOOIT, i. 248 ; Bo WAT, i. 267 ; and BOWET
or Bow AT, i. 268 ; though " bouet " is the
most common spelling.
14 Bowyer — Bree
BOWYEB, "A bowmaker." Only given
under BOWER, i. 268. "Bowyer" is given
in the Historical English Dictionary as
well as " bovver."
BRANCHALL SACRAMENT, i. 278, not
given. V. " Pen - Folk and Paisley
Weavers," by David Gilmour, p. 32.
What is the meaning?
BRANDY-SNAP, which should be given at
i. 379, is only given at SNAP, iv. 313.
BRATCHART is given, i. 282. (1) " A little
mischievous boy or girl." " Brat," the much
more common form, is not given. Brat is,
indeed, almost a term of endearment. A
mother exclaiming, " Wait till I catch you,
you young brat," would hardly be con-
sidered to be full of any very deadly
intent.
BREE, i. 288. There should be a cross-
reference to BARLEY-BREE, i. 122, and vice
versa. " To think nae bree [or broo] of a
thing," to think little of it, might also
have been given.
Bridle— Brizz 15
BRIDLE, i. 298. Add to meaning given,
the Bridle of a Loom, Running Bridle,
Cross Bridle. V. " Pen-Folk and Paisley
Weavers," by David Gilmour, p. 22.
BRISKET, BISKET, i. 300. "The breast." Is
brisket not also sometimes applied to what
in English is called the " crackling," as in
roast pork, etc. ?
BRITHER, i. 301, is defined as "the vulgar
pronunciation of brother." It is not
vulgar. It is simply good Scotch. It is
given in the Historical English Dictionary
as " the Scotch form of brother." That
is correct.
BRIZZ, i. 302. " To press." The meaning
should be " to press onward or forward,"
and there should be a cross-reference to
" BIRSE, BIRZE, BRIZE, i. 198. To push or
drive ; to birse in ; to push in." Reference
might be made to the well-known saying
of Colin Campbell, Chief of Glenorchy,
1550 to 1583, an ancestor of the Marquess
of Breadalbane, who built his castle of
Balloch where Tay mouth Castle now
stands, at the very extremity, in place of
in the middle, of his estates, and who, when
asked what he meant by doing so replied,
16 Brock— Bubblyjock
" We'll brizz yont " — We'll press or push on
beyond. Which they did not.
BROCH should be entered at i. 302 : and
BROCK, at i. 303, but it is only entered
under BROK, i. 307 ; and
BRUCH at i. 313, with a cross-reference to
BRUGH, BROGH, i. 314; fourth meaning, "A
hazy circle round the disk of the sun or
moon, generally considered a presage of
change of weather." I never heard it
applied to the sun. "Broch" and abruch"
are the most common forms of spelling.
BRUIK, BRUKE, BROOK, i. 315. " To enjoy,
to possess." The more usual form, "bruk,"
is not given.
Margaret Loif gevin license to marry Andro
Flemyn, and bruk the twa merk land in Scheddyls-
toun. — {Rental Book of Diocese of Glasgow, i. 104.)
BUBBLYJOCK, i. 319. "The vulgar name
for a turkey cock." This is a specimen of
Jamieson's most aggravating fault. It is
not the " vulgar " name ; it is simply the
" Scotch " name for a turkey cock. If this
is vulgar, one-half of Sir Walter Scott and
Buff nor Stye — Bunker 17
the whole of Burns is " vulgar." We
O
find " bubbly-jock " in both the Historical
English Dictionary and the English
Dialect Dictionary, but in neither is it
called vulgar.
BUFF NOR STYE, i. 323.
I don't deprive you of your son, or your son of
anything he has any right to ; so neither you nor he
has any business to say Buff or Sty in the matter. —
(Miss Terrier's "Destiny," vol. i., chap. 14, p. 98,
edition of 1882.)
BUIRD. "A board." Not given, i. 325, nor
under BROD, i. 303.
BUMBEE'S CLOVER is not given at i. 330,
Coronilla minima. V. "Alpine Plants."
—(George Bell & Sons, 1874, first series,
second edition, p. 142.)
BUNKER. This word, now universally used
(with expletives) by golfers, and found to
be indispensable " frae Maidenkirk to John
a' Groats," is not to be found in Jamieson.
Bunker is given in the Historical English
Dictionary—
4. Golf — A sandy hollow formed by the wearing
away of the turf on the " links." (Scotch.)
C
18 Burgh — Byssym
Scott defines it in " Redgauntlet " as "a
little sandpit."
BURGH. Surely this Scotch word should
have been given at i. 337, with the dis-
tinction between — (1) a Royal Burgh ; (2)
a Burgh of Regality; (3)a Burgh of Barony.
V. the Historical English Dictionary.
BUSS, a herring boat, 50 to 70 tons, from
Old French Buisse, not given at i. 344.
BUT, i. 345. No cross-reference to BEN,
i. 164. " But an' ben " are almost in-
separable. Query — Which is which ? Is
" but " the kitchen and living-room, and
" ben " the parlour or bedroom ?
BUTE, not given at i. 346. BOOT, BUT,
BOUD, BIT, BUD, BOOST, are given at i. 249.
Everything but the word you want —
" bute."
I wonder what cam' o' the lasses i' my time that
bute to bide at hame. — (Miss Terrier's "Marriage,"
vol. i., chap. 24, p. 334, edition of 1881.)
Another common form is " bude."
BYSSYM, BESUM, i. 201, much more
frequently spelt " bissum," "a woman of
Byssym 19
unworthy character." This is not at all
a correct definition of the word. It has
nothing to do with character. It has to
do with characteristics. Many a bissum
is of perfectly irreproachable character.
It means more " a nagging woman/' " an
"ill-willy' woman." The English equi-
valent is the " aggerawayter " of Dickens
in "A Tale of Two Cities."
Caliow — Canny 21
c
CAHOW, i. 350, used in Hide and Seek. In
the West Country it is more like " coo-
wee," which should be given at i. 491.
CAN, i. 363, in the sense " he is now on his
own can" — that is, "doing for himself"
or " on his own hook " — is not given,
though it is a very common Scotch
expression.
CANNY, i. 366. In addition to the many
meanings given, it may be noted that
"canny-spoken" is not so much "gentle and
winning in speech," as slow, deliberate,
rather drawling in speech, and to " ca'
canny " means not only " to live in a
moderate and frugal manner," but also
to do a thing in a quiet way, attaining
one's end without riding rough shod over
anybody.
22 Canty— Chap
CANTY, i. 370. The quotation from Burns,
Contented wi' little and canty wi' mair,
might have been given ; also the " Canty
carle, pree ma mou," of Dean Ramsay's
well-known story.
CARUCATE should surely be given as a
Scotch word, i. 384. As much land as a
team of oxen could plough in a year. V.
note on DAVOCH.
CATCHPOL should be given at i. 392. The
game of Fives. The Historical English
Dictionary has it marked as obsolete.
"Catchpol-ule, var. Cachespele, Tennis,
1663, Blair Autobiog., i. (1848). The
exercise of my body by archery and the
catchpole."
CAUTIONER, i. 397. "A surety, a sponser,
a forensic term." The pronunciation
"kayshoner" should have been given for
the benefit of non-forensic readers.
CHAP is given, i. 409, but not the very
common expression, " Chaps me that,"
meaning, "I choose that."
Chauner — Cheveleerily 2$
CHAUNER is not given. You have to look
for this under CHANNER, i. 407, and the
common expression, " Aye chaunerin' "
always girning, grumbling, complaining —
is not given.
CHAW is given at i. 413, as an active verb —
"(1) To fret, to gnaw; (2) to provoke, to
vex," but the most common intransitive
use of the word is not given. " To feel
chawed, fretted, annoyed, vexed, sold,
angry with yourself, with a feeling of
regret at not having acted more dis-
creetly." Halliwell gives the meaning,
" to be sulky," which is nearer the mark.
CHEBOULE should be entered at i. 413,
CHIBOULE at i. 419, and CIBOULE at i. 428,
with cross-references to CHASBOL, i. 412.
V. notes under SIBO.
CHESTING, i. 417. V. KISTING, iii. 44.
She [Miss Becky Duguid] was expected to attend
all accouchements, deaths, chesting^, and burials ; but
she was seldom asked to a marriage, and never to any
party of pleasure. — (Miss Ferrier's " Inheritance,"
vol. i., chap. 30, p. 267, edition of 1882.)
CHEVELEERILY, i. 418. Is there not
some such Scotch word ? " Gang cheve-
24 ( '/< t'xit— Clamp- Kill
leerily," gang warily, go cautiously. I
am almost sure I heard this expression
used by an old Scotch gentleman one
frosty morning when the roads were very
slippery. Is it not the motto of the
Drummonds ?
CHISIT. "A cheese press," not given at i.
424.
€HUCKIE, i. 427. Very frequently spelt
" chookie." The definition given, " a low
or cant term for a hen," is surely wrong.
It is neither " low " nor " cant " any more
than every other Scotch word is " low " or
" cant." It is more a childish expression.
What nice-looking whitings ; that's one of Mr.
Whyte's favourite dishes, nicely crisped with bread
crumbs, and this is a Bellevue chuckie, I'm sure, fat
and fair. — (Miss Terrier's "Inheritance," vol. i.,
chap. 42, p. 367, edition of 1882.)
€LAMP-KILL, i. 435. Is "kiln" not better
Scotch than " kill " ? just as " miln" is the
Scotch form of "mill" ? (Milngavie — Gavin's
Mill, atrociously corrupted into Millguy).
"A kill built of sods for burning lime."
It means, as in the Historical English
Dictionary, " a large, quadrangular stack or
pile of bricks built for burning in the open
Clash — Cockles 25
air." A " case-kill " is a kiln of a semi-
permanent character built up on the two
sides and at one end, into which relays of
bricks are put.
CLASH, i. 439, is given, but not "clash-tae."
There was no marriage but just a clash-tae. — (Dr.
Duguid, p. 113.)
CLECKIN, i. 447, "a brood of chickens,"
is given; but "clatchin," a common form
of the same word, is not given.
CLEIT, or CLEYT, i. 446, is not given at all,
or even referred to. V. CLOIT, CLOYT,
i. 457. " A hard or heavy fall."
CLOIT, CLOYT, is given at i. 457, but not
Cleit, Cleyt, or Clyte, the much more
common forms. In Perthshire, the
pronunciation is more like Cleut.
CLYPE, i. 453. "A tell-tale : always applied
to a female." Should be at i. 461.
Surely this is wrong. Every schoolboy
has known a "clype" in his own class,
and probably wolloped him well too.
COCKLES of a stove not given, i. 466. In
the Historical English Dictionary, ii. 574
26 Collie — Conceity
it is given as " 2. A kind of stove for heating
apartments, also called COCKLE-STOVE.
The name is at present given to a large
stove furnished with projections or ' gills '
to give increased radiating power, and
generally placed in a specially constructed
air vault in the basement." I first came
across the word in connection with an
account sent in to the heritors for "repair-
ing the cockles of Govan Parish Church."
COLLIE is given at i. 475. " 1. The vulgar
name for the shepherd's dog." This is
perfect nonsense. It never was vulgar, and
certainly is not vulgar now. It is indeed
a recognised English word. " 2. Any
one who follows another constantly,
implicitly, or with excessive admiration."
The well-known expression applicable
to an act of inhospitality, "Ah, weel, an'
he never said tae me, Collie, wull ye
taste ? " is not given.
CONCEITY, i. 481, has another meaning
than " conceited, affected." It means,
rather, " neat, natty." I have heard it
applied to a small, nicely-furnished cottage.
" It's a real conceity wee place," meaning
a sort of Bijou of a place.
Condy — Coorie Down 27
CONDY, i. 482. "A conduit." There
should be a cross-reference to CUNDIE,
i. 554, cundie being the much more
frequent form of the word.
CONFEERIN, i. 483. "Consonant, corre-
spondent." Under this word is given a
quotation from Ross's "Helenore," bringing
in, in the last line, the first use, I fancy, of
a very well-known expression : —
We've words o' fouth we weel can ca' oor ain,
Tho' frae them sair ma Bairns noo refrain,
But are to ma gueed auld Proverb confeerin',
Neither gueed fish, nor flesh, nor yet saut herrin'.
Under this word we have another instance
of the provoking character of Jamieson.
We have the initials " S. B." after this
word, which any ordinary mortal would
take for South Britain. In the list of
contractions (where one ought, of course,
to look) we find it means " Scotia Borealis,
North of Scotland ; also Northern Scots "
— the exact opposite of what it apparently
means.
CONFEKKIT is not given at i. 483.
The pepil drank nothir vyne nor beir, nor na vthir
confekkit drynkis. — ("The Complaynt of Scotland.")
COORIE DOWN is not given at i. 493, but
COUR and COURIE are given at i. 508.
28 ( 'oorse — Cordiner
COORSE, "rough, unmannerly," is not given
at i. 493, nor is coorse-traited, "coarse-
featured."
COOT, " the ancle," is given at i. 493, and
CUTE, COOT, CUITT, at i. 564,but "Cootikins,"
"Gaiters," is not given. The Gallovidian
Encyclopedia gives " COOTIKINS, Spatter-
dashes."
COOTIE, i. 493. "A wooden kitchen dish."
The lines from Burns's " Address to the
Deil," verse 1, which are referred to, might
have been quoted :—
Wha in yon cavern grim an' sootie,
Clos'd under hatches,
Spairges about the brunstane cootie,
To scaud poor wretches.
COO- WEE should be entered at i. 490— the
cry used in Hide and Seek — in place of
under CAHOW, i. 350, or, at any rate, as a
cross-reference.
CORDINER, as the Scotch form of Cord-
wainer, should surely be given at i. 495.
Dr. Murray, in the Historical English
Dictionary, says, " The form Cordiner
was retained till a Jate period in Scot-
land." It is still retained. One of the
Cork — Coroner 29
Incorporated Trades of the City of
Glasgow is " The Cordiner Craftsmen of
Glasgow." In the old Seal of Cause and
other documents the name is variously
spelt Cordeners, Cordoners, Cordinaris,
Cordownaris, but never Cordwainers,
which is the English form.
CORK, i. 496. " An overseer, a steward ; a
cant term, Upper Lanarkshire." It is not
a cant term. It is an ordinary Scotch
word, and it is in use in the Lower Ward
of Lanarkshire, Glasgow included. The
most common meaning is the master, the
boss, or perhaps, sometimes, the foreman.
CORNCRAIK, i. 497, is an instance of the
usefulness of pure Scotch words. It de-
scribes the bird infinitely better than the
English "landrail." It certainly "craiks,"
and generally amongst the "corn" or
stubble, but it does not " rail " upon the
"land."
CORONER is not given, though Coronership
is given in a quotation under CROWNAR-
SHIP, i. 540. A coroner or crowner was
formerly, although not now, a Scotch law
officer. (V. Omond's "Lives of the Lord
Advocates " i. 53.)
30 Coi'i'onuit — Coup
CORVORANT, should be entered at i. 501.
V. SCART, iv. 120, which Jamieson defines
as " the corvorant (Scotch)." The Im-
perial Dictionary gives corvorant as an
obsolete English word, " same as cor-
morant."
COUCHER'S BLOW, i. 504. -'(I) The
blow given by a cowardly and mean fellow,
immediately before he gives up. (2) It is
also used in a passive sense as denoting
the parting blow to which a dastard sub-
mits." In Lanarkshire it is the first blow
given by one schoolboy to another by way
of a challenge to fight.
There's the coucher, there's the blow,
Fec'ht me or else no,
is the usual terms of the challenge. There
should be a cross-reference here to CUDGER,
p. 546. " The blow which one schoolboy
gives to another when the former dares
the latter to fight with him. Roxburgh-
shire synon., Coucher s Blow"
COUCUDDIE, or COWCUDDIE, is not given
i. 504. You have to go to COOKUDDY,
i. 491, an unusual form of the word.
COUP, i. 508, in the common use, a Free
Coup, a Free Toom, a Free Tip, is not
Couper — Cow 31
given, though it is an everyday expression,
somewhat astonishing to our Sassenach
friends, who attach a French meaning to
it.
COUPER, COPER, i. 507. "A jockey"
is nonsense. " One who buys and
sells horses" is correct. Is it not also
commonly applied to a Vet.? Cope, as
used by Spenser, in the sense " to exchange
or barter," might be given as the derivation.
Copesmate, "a partner in merchandising, a
companion," is given in Bailey's Universal
Etymological English Dictionary. (Glas-
gow : J. & A. Duncan, 1792.)
COUTH, COUTHIE, i. 510. Surely dear old
Sir Walter Scott's lines should have been
given —
And the Young Plants o Grace
They looked couthie an' slee,
Thinking luck to thy Bonnets
Thou Bonnie Dundee.
The word is associated with these lines in
the minds of Scotchmen the world over.
There is no word in English equal to
" couthie," it implies so much.
COW, i. 512 (verb). The expression, "That
cowes a'," is given. Should it not be,
" That cowes the cuddy, and the cuddy
32 Co w — Creepiri-Bur
cowes a' " ? It is so given in the " Life and
Recollections of Dr. Duguid of Kilwinning."
COW, i. 513 (noun). The term "brown cow,"
besides being applied to a beer barrel,
is applied also to " milk from the brown
cow," highly appreciated by teetotalers,
as having a glass of rum in it.
COWAN, i. 513. V. Cruickshanks' "History
of the Incorporation of Masons of Glasgow,"
p. 65.
COW-LICK, i. 515. Much more frequently
" cow's-lick."
CRAICHLE isnotgiven,i.520. V.CROICHILE,
CROIGHILE, i. 533. " Ch " is much more
common than "gh." Cross-reference to
CRAIGHLING, i. 258, should be given, and
there cross-reference to i. 533.
CRANRAW, "Hoar-frost," is not given, i.
523, though CRANRAUCH is given on the
same page.
CREEPIN'-BUR is not the Lycopodium
davatum. V. note under ROBIN-RIN-THE-
HEDGE, iv. 45.
Creepy — Croosie 33
CREEPY, CREEPIE, i. 528, given as " a low
stool, such as is occasionally used in a
pulpit for elevating the speaker." Some-
times used for quite the reverse of
"elevating" the speaker in a pulpit, as
in the case of Jenny Geddes.
CROCK, i. 532. " An old ewe." CROK, i. 534.
"A dwarf." Mr. John S. Farmer, in
" Slang and its Analogues," gives " CROCK,
a worthless animal, a fool ; said of a horse,
it signifies a good-for-nothing brute, of a
man or woman, a duffer, a rotter. Most
likely from the Scotch crock, an old
sheep."
CROON, i. 536, is given under CROYN, i. 540.
A very unusual form. " To whine " is
certainly wrong. Crooning implies happi-
ness, contentment,
CROONIE-DOODLIE, i. 536, the little
finger, the pinkie, the pirlie-winkie, is not
given at all, though CRANIE-WANY is
given, i. 523, as " the little finger." " An'
wee croonie-doodlie pays for a'."
CROOSIE or CROOZIE should be entered at
i. 536, and CRUISIE at i. 542, with cross-
D
34 Cruive — Cuit
references to CRUSIE, CRUSY, i. 544. The
Gallovidian Encyclopedia gives " CROOZIE,
a broad-bottorned candlestick."
Francisque-Michel (p. 52) gives "Crusie,
Crusy, a small iron lamp used in France
under the same name. This last word
belongs to the same family as Cruisken
(Old French Creuesequin; French, dim-
inutive, Creuseul, Croissol; French Cruche;
Irish Cruisigin, a small pot or pitcher ;
Gaelic Gruisgin, an oil-lamp, a cruse), used
in the phrase, Cruisken of Whisky " ; and
he adds in a footnote, " Jamieson asserts
that this word (Cruisken) has probably
been imported from the Highlands. We
cannot concur with him in that opinion.
Vide Gloss. Med. et Inf. Latin voce
Crusellus No. 1, vol. 2, p. 673, col. 3."
V. Jamieson, under CRUISKEN, i. 542.
CRUIVE, i. 544. Under this word the fine
old rhyme, freely breathing of the stirring
(but doubtless very uncomfortable) times
of yore, might have been given : —
Twixt Wigton an' the Heids o' Ayr,
Port Patrick an' the Cruives o' Cree,
Nae man need think fur tae bide there
Unless he court wi' Kennedie.
CUIT, " the ankle," should be given at i. 548,
rather than CUTE, i. 564. There is no
cross-reference to COOT, i. 493.
Custoc — Cwaw 35
Ye hae neither the red held nor the muckle cults
o'the Douglasses. — (Miss Ferrier's "Marriage," vol. i.,
p. 34.)
" Ui " is much nearer the pronunciation
than either "oo" or "u."
CUSTOC is given at i. 562, with a cross-
reference to CASTOCK, i. 389, but the more
common spelling, COOSTOCK, is not given,
and no reference is made to the well-
known song, " There's cauld kail in
Aberdeen and coostocks in Strabogie."
Burns uses the word only once : —
An' gif the custoc's sweet or sour,
Wi' joctelegs they taste them.
— (" Hallowe'en," 5.)
CWAW, or CWAY, i. 567. " A contraction
for come awa' or away." Here might
profitably have been given the old Episco-
palian Lord of Session's definition of what
constituted a legal Scotch marriage, " It's
jist a dicht wi' a ring an' cwaw."
Daddy-Langlegs — Darg 37
DADDY-LANGLEGS is not to be found
under D. ii. 4, but under JENNY-SPINNER,
ii. 697.
DAIL, ii. 7. The meaning "a deal board'
should surely have been given.
Some carryin' dails, some chairs an" stools.
— (Burns, " Holy Fair," stanza 8.)
The meaning "planks" is given in the
margin of the Centenary Burns.
DARG, ii. 16. The expression, " It is some-
times redundantly called a day's darg,"
is surely wrong. A man might quite well
say, " I had finished my day's darg " (such
as, for instance, completed the building of
a drystone dyke), "an5 I lifted my tools
an' cam awa' hame," meaning that he had
finished the day's allotted work.
38 Davoch
DAVOCH, ii. 20, is not given. Happening to
get the address of a friend as "the
Groam of Annat," I tried to find the
meaning of " Groam," which I have not yet
succeeded in doing ; but turning up the
Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland I found
" Annat, a davoch in Kiltarlity Parish,
Inverness-shire, on the north side of the
river Beauly." By the merest chance,
however, looking into Chalmers's " Cale-
donia " one day for something else, I
came upon the following, i. 811 : —
During Celtic times the davoch was the usual
division of land in proper Scotland ; and, like many
other Celtic terms and usages, the davoch has been
retained throughout many succeeding ages. In
several districts of Galloway, of Perth, Forfar, Aber-
deen, Banff, Inverness, Ross, Sutherland, the davoch
appears to have supplied the place of the carucate.
The davoch was nearly of the same import as the
carucate, and comprehended eight oxgang : thebovate
or oxgang was probably a sub-division of each ; it
certainly was a sub-division of the davoch.
And in a sub-note Chalmers gives the
following : —
Damh, which is pronounced "dav" in the Gaelic,
signifies an ox ; and ochd signifies eight : hence the
dav-och means eight oxgang : eight oxen were
formerly the usual number assigned to one plough.
The large parish of Assint, in Sutherland, is divided
into four davochs, and every davoch contains eight
oxgates.— (Stat. Acco., xvi. 184-5.) The parish of
Kirkmichael, in Banffshire, is divided into ten
Daw — Dawd 39
davochs. — (Ib., xii. 427.) The lordship of Strath-
bogie comprehended 48 davochs pf land ; and these
were extended, beyond the original meaning, to 32
oxgates in each. — (Ib., xix. 290.) The Regiam
Majestatem, indeed, extended the davoch to four
ploughs, each drawn by eight oxen.
In the Historical English Dictionary, my
copy of which I have just got back from
" that bourne from which the traveller so
tardily returns " — the bookbinder's — I find
the following more distinct definition : —
Davach-och. — (Sc. Hist.) An ancient Scottish
measure of land consisting, in the east of Scotland, of
4 ploughgates, each of 8 oxgangs ; in the west, divided
into twenty penny -lands. It is said to have averaged
416 acres, but its extent probably varied with the
quality of the land.
And the following, amongst other quota-
tions, is given:—
A davoch contains 32 oxengates of 13 acres each,
or 416 acres of arable land. — (Stat. Acco. Scot.,
xix. 290.)
DAW, ii. 21, is not given as an adjective
meaning " lazy, idle." "A working mither
makes a daw dochter." V. " Proverbs, etc.,
of Scotland," by Andrew Cheviot, p. 30.
— (Paisley : Alexander Gardner, 1896.)
DAWD, DAUD, ii. 22, "a blow," is not given.
DODD is given, ii. 72, " to move by
40 Dean — Doonsetting
succusation." What ordinary mortal
knows what " succusation " is ? It is not
in Jamieson, but will be found in the
Imperial Dictionary — " 1, a trot or trot-
ting ; 2, a shaking, a succussion."
DEAN, DEN, ii. 27. The simple and exact
English equivalent " dell " might have
been given as a meaning.
DEMIT, ii. 40. The meaning as in the legal
phrase, " Let, demit, alienate, and in feu
farm dispone," is not given. (Oh ! dem-
mit, Dr. Jamieson !)
DISHERYS, ii. 64. " To disinherit." Is this
word not also spelt, " diseirish " ?
An' dinna, Lord, diseirish us a' thegither for oor
shortcomin's. — (Dr. Duguid, p. 21.)
DISHILAGO, ii. 64. "Coltsfoot." Tussilago
farfara. Is " dishalaigie " not the more
common form ?
DOLLOP, ii. 77., is not given. "The whole
dollop " — the whole rickmatick, the whole
blooming show, etc., etc.
DOONSETTING, ii. 81,"' a guid doonsetting
Doroty — Doup-Skelper 41
in life," is not given, but see quotation
under DOWNSET, ii. 96-
DOROTY, ii. 83. " A doll, a puppet."
The character of the man that's to be collector
of our cess is of more consequence, I think, than the
character of au idle dancing doritty like that. — (Miss
Ferrier's "Destiny," vol. L, chap. 42, p. 313, edition
of 1882.)
Also spelt "dorrity."
DOUP, DOWP, ii. 88. The meaning, as in
the following quotation, is not given : —
He dowped a whinger into him and so dispatched
him. — (Napier's Life of Montrose, vol. i., p. 5.)
DOUP-SKELPER is not given at ii. 89.
To ken what French mischief was brewin
Or what the drumlie Dutch were doin ;
That vile doup-skelper, Emperor Joseph,
If Venus yet had got his nose off ;
Or how the collieshangie works
Atween the Russians and the Turks.
—(Burns, " Kind sir, I've read," etc., lines 5 to 10.)
(Bye-Note. — The "collieshangie" seems no
nearer an end than in Burns's time.)
I am pretty certain Scott, in one of his
novels, refers to a minister as having got his
parish through having been "doup-skelper"
(i.e., tutor) " tae the Laird's sons." Surely
this word (expressive, if not elegant) should
have been noted in a Scotch Dictionary.
42 Dowf—Doyt
DOWF, ii. 93. "Dull, melancholy, lethar-
gic."
He's a little dowff just now. — (Miss Terrier's
"Destiny," i. 301.)
It should be noted that dowff and dowie
generally go together. Burns uses this
expression in his " Elegy on the departed
year, 1788," lines 27-28:—
Observe the very nowt an' sheep
How dowff an' dowie now they creep.
DOWIE is only to be found under DOLLY,
ii. 77. " The dowie dens o' Yarrow " might
have been referred to. V. first quotation
under LEIL, iii. 123 :—
Her dowie pain she could no more conceal ;
The heart, they say, will never lie that's leal.
—(Ross's " Helenore," pp. 79-80.)
In the touching little sketch " Wee Davie,"
by the ever-lovable Norman Macleod, he
quotes the following very beautiful and
pathetic lines (where from he does not
say) :—
It's dowie at the hint o' hairst,
At the wa'-gang o' the swallow,
When the winds blaw cauld,
And the burns run bauld,
And the wuds are hanging yellow ;
But oh ! its dowier far to see
The wa'-gang o' ane the heart gangs wi',
The dead set o' a shining e'e,
That closes the weary world on thee.
DOYT is not given at ii. 98. V. DOIT, ii. 75.
Draigled — Dreich 43
There should here be a cross-reference to
DOTTLE and DOTTLIT, ii. 85.
DRAIGLED, ii. 100, is not given as an
adjective. DRAIDILT, same page, seems to
mean the same thing, " bespattered."
Wi' her petticoats a' draigled (or draiglt).
DREDGY, ii. 105, "the fuddle after the
funeral," has to be looked for under DREGY,
same page.
DREE, "to endure, to suffer," is not
given at ii. 105, but if by chance your eye
glances over to ii. 104, you find DRE,
DREY, where no mortal soul would ever
have thought of looking for it. The
quotations might have been given : —
Till for his sake I'm slighted sair
And dree the kintra clatter ;
But though my back be at the wa',
Yet here's his health in water !
— (Burns, "Here's his health in water," lines 7-10.
(Query — Does drinking a health in water
mean wishing bad luck ?)
The slighted maids my torments see,
And laugh at a' the pangs I dree.
—(Burns, " Young Jamie," lines 13-14.)
DREICH, ii. 106. There is no illustration
given of the most common use of this
word, "a dreich sermon." The late Rev.
44 Droich — Dysour
Dr. Leishman, of Govan, when officiating
at a funeral in a distant part of his
parish, was thus addressed by his beadle :
"Ye can be as dreich as ye like, Doctor,
for we've a' the glasses tae wash afore we
lift."
DROICH, DROCH, ii, 112. "A dwarf, a
pigmy."
" The Englishwomen are all poor droichs," said
Miss Becky, who had seen three in the course of her
life. — (Miss Terrier's " Marriage," vol. ii. chap. 3,
p. 29.)
DWALM, DWAUM, ii, 130. " A swoon." Is
a dwaum not a sort of giddiness, or the
threatening of a faint or swoon, rather
than an actual faint or swoon itself ?
DYSOUR, ii. 65. "A gambler, one who
plays at dice." Why not give the simple
English equivalent, " dicer " ? The His-
torical English Dictionary gives eight
different forms of the word — Dicer, Dyser,
Dysar, Dysour, Disar, Dycer, Dicear,
Desard.
Eerie — Eira ck
45
E
EERIE is to be found under ERY, ii. 159.
Who ever heard of ery as a Scotch word ?
And what Englishman does not know
eerie ; though the Historical English
Dictionary says " it is still regarded as
properly Scotch " ?
EIDENT, ii, 141. This is the best known
form of the word, but you are referred to
ITHAND, YTHEN, YTHAND, ii. 685, little
known forms, and the meaning, " busy,
diligent, unremittingly at work," is surely
not quite strong enough. Does it not
mean eager, or even very eager ?
EIRACK, EAROCK, ERACK, ERRACK, ii. 143.
" Howtowdie, synon." The correction
made under HOWTOWDIE, ii. 629, "I
46 Ettle
have therefore erred in making Howtowdie
synon. with Eirack," should be noted at
ii. 143.
ETTLE is to be found under ETTIL, ii. 164.
Faik—Faw 47
F
FAIK, ii. 176. " A stratum or layer of stone
in the quarry (Lothians)." Should it not
rather be Faiks, Faikes, or Fakes, with
the meaning given in the Historical English
Dictionary, viz., "A Scotch miner's term
for fissile sandy shales or shaly sandstones.
— (Page, Handbook of Geological Terms.)
Micaceous Sandstone — a rock so full of
mica-flakes that it readily splits into thin
laminae. This rock is called ' fakes ' in
Scotland. — (Geikie, Textbook of Geology,
vol. ii., chap. 2, section 6, p. 158) " ?
FAW, FA', ii. 196. " Lot, chance." The
quotation : —
I'm but her father's gardener lad,
And puir, puir is my fa',
is wrongly given, and the reference is
misleading. It should be to "Bonnie Lady
48 Ferny ear— Fly -Table
Ann," a most beautiful song of Allan
Cunningham's, far too little known.
FERN YEAR, FARNE-YEIR, FAIRNYEAR. "The
preceding year, the last year." Is this not
often written " fernzeris," and applied to
years long past — to " Auld Lang Syne," in
fact?
FLUFF, ii. 260, generally, in Scotch, spelt
"flowff."— (Dr. Duguid, p. 43.)
FLUFFY, ii. 261. Surely the definition here
given, "Applied to any powdery substance
that can be easily put in motion, or blown
away ; as to ashes, hair-powder, meal, etc,
(Lanarkshire)/' is wrong. It is not Lanark-
shire at any rate. Is a sort of wooliness
not an essential to fiuffiness ? The Historical
English Dictionary gives the above defini-
tion by Jamieson, but it is not supported
by any quotation having reference to any-
thing like ashes, hair-powder, or meal.
FLY-TABLE is not given at ii. 263.
Lady Betty . . . next lifted a cambric hand-
kerchief from off a fat, sleepy lap-dog which lay upon
her knees, and deposited it on a cushion at her feet.
She then put aside a small fly-table which stood before
Foondit — Forbeers 40
her as a sort of out -work, and thus freed from all
impediments, welcomed her guests. — (Miss Ferrier's
"Inheritance," vol. i., chap. 3, p, 18, edition of 1882.)
What is a fly-table ? It is not in the
Historical English Dictionary. Is it a
small, portable tea-table with folding
leaves ?
FOONDIT should be given at ii. 269, with a
cross-reference to FOUNDIT, ii. 294. " Nae
foundit, nothing at all."
I never to this day hae gottin a foondit. — (Dr.
Duguid, p. 128.)
FOONER, ii. 269, is only to be found under
FOUNDER, ii. 294, and the most common
meaning, " sair f oonert," very lame, is
not given. Founder is English ; fooner
Scotch.
FOOT-STICK is not given at ii. 270. A
narrow wooden bridge, probably originally
applied to planks laid from stepping-stone
to stepping-stone, but sometimes to a
rough wooden bridge, about three feet
wide, as "The Foot-Stick at the Three
Tree Well, Kelvinside."
FORBEERS is not given even as a cross-
reference. V. FOREBEARIS, ii. 275.
E
•50 Forfochen — Frem
FORFOCHEN is only to be found, in a way,
under FoRFOUCHT, ii. 279.
FOUMART, "a pole-cat," is to be found
under FOWMARTE, ii. 296, though the
former is the almost universal spelling.
FRATHYNEFURT, ii. 301. " From thence-
forth." Is " From this time forth " not
nearer the construction of the word ?
FREM, FREMET, FREMYT, FREMMYT, ii. 306.
" Strange, foreign ; not related ; unlucky,
adverse, unfriendly." It has even a
stronger meaning than any of these. The
Glossary to the Centenary Burns gives
" estranged, hostile," and the last meaning
is borne out by jbhe use of the word by
Burns in "The Five Carlins," verse 18 :—
And monie a friend that kiss'd his caup
Is now a, f remit wight.
Halliwell, s.v. " Frem," gives the proverbial
phrase, "with fremid and sibbe," and adds,
"It there means simply not related, as in
Amis and Amiloun, 1999; but it implies
sometimes a feeling of enmity."
Spenser spells it " frenne," and in " The
Shepheard's Calendar, April," in the line.
""So now his friend is chauriged for a
Freuchie — Furthy 51
frenne," seems to use the word as meaning
" foe " or " enemy."
The Scotch proverb might have been
given, "Better a /remit friend than a friend
/remit"
FREUCHIE is not given, only FREUCH, ii.
309. There should be a cross-reference to
FRUSCH, ii. 314.
FRUMP, ii. 313. "An unseemly fold or
gathering in any part of one's clothes
(Dumfriesshire)." Is it not more generally
applied, often very irreverently, to ladies
of a certain age, and of an uncertain
temper ? " She's an old frump."
FULYIE, FOULYIE, ii. 319. "2. Manure."
More frequently spelt "fulzie." The Scotch
proverb is more correctly " The Farmer's
[not the Master's] foot is the finest fulzie."
The framers of old proverbs always aimed
at " apt alliteration's artful aid."
FURTHY, ii. 325. "Frank, affable." FURTHI-
NESS, " An excess of frankness approaching
to giddiness in the female character." Not
my understanding of the meaning at all.
The term, " A furthy buddy," is generally
52 Fushonless
applied to an elderly woman, and conveys
the idea of a good housewife, careful and
well-to-do, but not niggardly — a kindly,
motherly buddy. It is essentially a
kindly word. I think it also conveys
the idea of a certain " sedateness " rather
than " giddiness."
FUSHONLESS is not given at all. Its
meaning may be found under FOISONLESS,
ii. 267, a form of the word not generally
known in Scotland. The " sh," with a
very strong emphasis on it, is the essential
part of the word as a Scotch word. "Foison,"
without the "h," is an English word
frequently used by Shakespeare.
G adman — Gaist 53
G
GADMAN, ii. 332. " The man who directed
the oxen in a plough with a goad." Is
this not much more frequently "gadsman"
or " gaudsman " ?
For men, I've three mischievous boys,
Run-deils for fechtin' an' for noise :
A gaudsman ane, a thrasher t'other.
— (Burns, "The Inventory," lines 34-5-6.)
The Historical English Dictionary gives
"GADMAN, chiefly Scotch, obsolete. Also
Gaudsman, Gadsman," and amongst the
illustrations given (besides the last line of
the above from Burns), ." Hone, E very-Day
Book, ii., 1656, Pig drivers and Gads-
men."
GAIST, GAST, ii. 336. " 3. A piece of dead
coal, that instead of burning appears in
the fire as a white lump." Not necessarily
in the fire.
Mr. Ramsay sat by the side of the expiring fire,
54 Galatians — Gardevine
seemingly contemplating the gaints and cinders
which lay scattered over the hearth. — (Miss Terrier's
"Inheritance," vol. i., chap. 17, p. 149, edition of
1882.)
GALATIANS, ii. 338. There should here
be a cross-reference to GUIZARD, ii. 474,
and to GYSAR, ii. 487.
GALLASHERS, ii. 340. V. GALLOWSES, ii.
341.
GANG, ii. 347. "1. A journey. . . .
3. A gang o' water, what is brought from
the well at one time." Here might be
&
given the scene, I forget where from : —
Landlady (returning home, and referring to jovial
party in her hostelry) — "Hoo much toddy hae they
been drinkin', Jean?"
Jean — " Weel, they hae drucken sax gang o' water
ony wey."
GANT, GAUNT, ii. 349. " To yawn." The
well-known proverb should have been
given here : —
He that gaunts, either wants
Sleep, meat, or makin' o'.
GARDEVINE, ii. 351. "A big-bellied bottle,
(Dumfries). Expl., a square bottle (Ayr-
shire)." Surely it has another meaning :
the sort of sarcophagus-shaped mahogany
Gaste — Gavel 55-
chest that stood under sideboards in old-
fashioned houses, and in which the wine de -
canters were kept. In Francisque-Michel's
" Scottish Language, as illustrating the-
Rise and Progress of Civilization in Scot-
land " (Blackwood, 1882), p. 51, we find
" Gardevine (French, Garde de Viri), a
celleret for containing wines and spirits-
in bottles."
GASTE, "a ghost," should be entered at
ii. 356. V. quotation under " Suckered "
in these Notes.
GAVEL, ii. 360. " The end-wall of a house,
properly the triangular or higher part of
it. English — Gable-end." Query — Which
is correct ? Parker, in his " Concise Glos-
sary of Architecture," s.v. " Gable," says : —
This term was formerly applied to the entire end
wall of a building, the top of which conforms to the
slope of the roof which abuts against it, but is now
applied only to the upper part of such a wall above
the level of the eaves.
With us in Scotland it is certainly just
the reverse. We constantly speak of a
mutual gable, or of a gable being " mean
and common" to conterminous proprietors,,
meaning; the whole wall from the fouiida-
O
tion to the ridge of the roof.
56 Gawkie
Ruskin uses the word " gable " as applic-
able to the whole roof in Gothic architec-
ture. See "Stones of Venice," vol. ii.,
chap. 6, section Ixxxii., p. 210, edition of
1874:—
Although there may be many advisable or necessary
forms of the lower roof or ceiling, there is in cold
countries, exposed to rain and snow, only one advis-
able form of roof-mask, and that is the gable, for this
alone will throw off both rain and snow from all parts
of its surface as speedily as possible. Snow can
lodge on the top of a dome, not on the ridge of a
gable.
And at the end of the same section : —
Gothic Architecture is that which uses the pointed
arch for the roof proper, and the gable for the roof-
mask.
GAWKIE, i. 362, "foolish," has a cross-
reference to GAUKIT, i. 359, "foolish,
giddy." The reference should be to
GAUKIE, GAUKY (same page) as well. Is
the meaning not rather " awkward," as
given in the quotation from Grose ? A
boy or girl at the hobbledehoy or hoyden
stage may be "gawky" without being
either " foolish " or " giddy."
In the Centenary Burns, vol. ii., p. 87,
in the second stanza of " The Epistle to
Mr. M'Adam of Craigen-Gillan," we have a
most amusing instance of how our English
Ghoul — Glengary Bonnet 57
friends get astray when editing a Scotch
author. The lines are : —
Now deil-ma-care about their jaw,
The senseless gawky million,
I'll cock my nose aboon them a' ;
I'm roos'd by Craigen-Gillan.
And we find " gawky " glossed on the
margin as " cuckooing " ! !
GHOUL, ii. 374, is not given. V. GOUL, ii.
428, and GOWL, 436.
GILKY, ii. 379. V. GILPY, ii. 382.
GIR or Gun, ii. 385. For this you have to
go to GAR, ii. 350, though "gir" and "gur"
are much more common.
GLARE, ii. 394. V. GLAIK, ii. 392.
GLASGOW MAGISTRATE, ii. 396, is given
as " a red herring." Is a Glasgow Magis-
trate not a fresh herring ? " Slang and
its Analogues " (Farmer and Henley) gives
"a herring, fresh or salt, of the finest."
GLENGARY BONNET, ii. 401, is not given
at all.
58 Glower — Goul
GLOWER, ii. 410, is not given. V. GLOUR,
ii. 409, "to look intensely or watchfully,
to stare." Query — Does it not also mean
" to frown or scowl at a person, to look
rudely at " ? A rustic Phyllis will say to
a rustic Corydon, " What are ye glowerin'
at ? " To which Corydon will reply, with
ready wit, " You, ye're sae bonny."
GOLDIE, GOOLDIE, GOWDIE, ii. 418. "A
vulgar or a boyish name for the Goldfinch,
abbreviated from Goldspink." It is neither
vulgar nor boyish (particularly Goldie). It
is simply the ordinary Scotch for Goldfinch.
GOS should be entered at ii. 425. "A
goshawk, a falcon." GOSHAL is given,
ii. 425, but not "gos."
Two dusky forms dart thro' the midnight air,
Swift as the gos drives on the wheeling hare.
-(Burns, "The Brigs of Ayr," lines 67, 68.)
GOT, GOTE, ii. 427. "A drain or ditch."
Very frequently spelt " gott " and " goat."
GOAT is given at ii. 416. " 2. A small
trench," but with no reference to GOT,
under that meaning.
GOUL, ii. 428, is defined—" 1. To howl," etc. ;
" 2. To scold, to reprove with a loud voice."
Grewy 59
Is it not rather, " to gloom, to scold, to
look sullen " ? It does not necessarily
imply speaking at all. " Scolding with
a frown (Gl. Antiq.)," as given under
GOULING, is a better definition, though
Jameson spoils it by adding, "It rather
regards the voice, however"; which is
directly contradictory, and entirely wrong.
The frown is a much more essential part of
a " goul " than the scolding in words.
He never speaks tae me. He jist golds at me as
he gangs bye.
GREWY or GREWEY, one of the most ex-
pressive of Scotch words, is not given at
all. Its meaning has to be looked for
under GREWING, ii. 452, where you are
referred to GROUE, GROWE, ii. 458. A
better definition than any given is to take
the definition of the English equivalent,
" Goose-skin," which is thus given in the
Imperial Dictionary — "A peculiar rough-
ness or corrugation of the human skin
produced by cold, fear, and other depress-
ing causes, as dyspepsia." Terror or horror
is not at all essential to it. A man with
an impending cold hanging about him
feels grewey.
60
GRIT, ii. 455, in the sense of "smeddum,
backbone, strength of character," is not
given. " He has no grit in him."
GROAM is not given at ii. 456. What is
the meaning of the word ? " The Groam
of Annat," near Beauly. V. notes on
DAVOCH.
GRUMLY, GRUMLIE, ii. 461. "Muddy,
dreggy. Grumlie is synonymous." Should
we not have had a cross-reference
to DRUMLY, DRUMBLY, ii. 116, which is
also synonymous ? The usual spelling,
" drumlie" (adopted by Burns throughout),
is not given.
GUID, ii. 473, has to be looked for under
GUD, ii. 466. We all know too well " the
unco guid," but not " the unco gud."
Burns well merits immortality (if for
nothing else) for his exposure of that
Curse of Scotland, "The Unco Guid."
Burns has "guid" seventy-four, and "gude"
seventy -three, times, but never " gud."
GUR should be entered at ii. 479, with a
cross-reference to GAR, ii. 350, " to cause,
make, force, compel."
Ghdcher — Gysar 61
GUTCHER, ii. 482. "A grandfather." You
are here referred to GUD. It should be to
GUD-SYR, ii. 468.
Gae wa wi' your plaidie,
I'll no sit beside ye,
Ye micht be my gutcher,
Auld Donald, gae wa.
— (Hector M'Neill, " Come under my plaidie.")
GUTTERBLOOD is given, ii. 482, but not
GUTTER-SNIPE, a common, and most useful
word.
GYSAR, GYSARD, ii. 487. "A harlequin;
applied to those who disguise them-
selves about the time of the New Year."
There should here be a cross-reference to
GUIZARD, ii. 474, and also to GALATIANS,
ii. 338. Query — Do the Gysars not go
about at Hallowe'en as well as at the
New Year ?
Haar—Half-a-Jiflie 63
H
HAAR, ii. 489, a Partan-haar, a good time
for catching crabs, should have been given.
HAG, ii. 496. " 3. One cutting or felling of
a certain quantity of copsewood."
Hags and stools of price and promise. — (Miss
Ferrier's "Destiny," vol. L, chap. 46.)
HAIK, ii. 500. "A rack." V. HACK, HAIK,
HAKE, HECK, HEK, i. 492. Five meanings
are given, but not the most common one,
a sort of open rack in the kitchen for
holding plates set on end. A plate-rack.
HAIN, ii. 502. "To save." The proverb,
"A penny hained, is a penny gained,"
might have been given here.
HALF-A-JIFFIE should be given at ii. 510,
with a cross-reference to JIFFY, ii. 699.
64 Halfers—Hear-Tell
HALFERS, ii. 510. "Chaps me halfers "
has to be looked for in the third note
under HAAVERS, ii. 490.
HAMECUMMING, ii. 519. The most
common use of the word, its application
to the home-coming of a bride and
bridegroom after their honeymoon, is
not noted. (See S. E. Waller's Picture.)
HAME-FARIN', ii. 519, in the sense of
staying at home as opposed to " sea-faring "
is not given, though HAME-FARE in a
different sense is given.
HARN, ii. 538. V. HARDIX, HARDYN, ii. 534.
"Coarse; applied to cloth made of hards
or refuse of flax ; pronounced harn" It
is much more frequently spelt "harn" than
anything else.
HAVER, ii. 547, in the sense of a witness
having documents to produce in a law-
suit, is not given.
HEAR-TELL should surely be given at ii.
554, in place of HERE-TELL, ii. 573. " To
learn by report."
Heather-Bleat — Hempy 65
HEATHER-BLEAT, HEATHER-BLEATER, ii.
555. " The Mire-snipe (Lanarkshire)." This
is describing a Scotch word by another
Scotch word. Heather-bleat and Mire-
snipe are Scotch. Heather -bleater is
given in F. O. Morris's " British Birds " as
an English word. Why are we not told
that this is the common snipe, the Scolopax
gallinago of Linnaeus ?
HECH, SIRS, ii. 556, is not given. Without
the wonderful relief afforded by this ex-
pression, life would be simply unbearable
to many a worthy old woman.
HEMPY, HEMPIE, ii. 568. " Roguish, riotous,
romping." WTe have here a specimen of a
very provoking defect in Jamieson. The
following quotation is given as an illus-
tration of the use of the word: —
I hae seen't mysel mony a day syne. I was a daft
hempie lassie then, and little thought what was to
come o't. — (" Tales of My Landlord," vol. iv., p. 288.)
What mortal reader can verify such a
reference as this ? " The Tales of My
Landlord" consist of four volumes. (1)
" The Black Dwarf " and « Old Mortality,"
1816; (2) "The Heart of Midlothian,"
1818; (3) "The Bride of Lammermoor"
F
66 Hempy
and " A Legend of Montrose," 1819 ;
(4) " Count Robert of Paris " and " Castle
Dangerous," 1831. Presumably, there-
fore, iv. 288 means " Count Robert of
Paris, p. 288," though it certainly is
much more like a quotation from " Castle
Dangerous." " Count Robert of Paris " is
about the only one of Scott's novels in
which there is no Scotch. I can't find
the passage, however, either in the edition
of 184*7-49, which is a re-issue or reprint
of the Author's Edition of 1829-33, or in
the 1865 edition.
In Jamieson's Dictionary, i. Ivii, in the
"List of Manuscripts, Boo'ks, or Editions
quoted in this Work," he tells us the
edition of Scott's Lady of the Lake,
Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, Lay
of the Last Minstrel, and Border
Exploits he quotes from, but, unfor-
tunately, not the edition of the Novels
nor the edition of " The Tales of My
Landlord."
In a note at p. 29 of Mr. Albert D.
Van dam's " Undercurrents of the Second
Empire," there is this very sensible remark
— " The reader who is too indolent or
indifferent to look up references ought
not to read." It is rather rough upon the
reader, however, when the references are
He's Awa Wi't— Hooded Crow 67
%
such as set him upon an hour's hunt, and
then "no find."
Why does Jamieson not give the defin-
ition as in the Glossary to the Waverley
Novels — " Hempie, rogue ; gallows-apple ;
one for whom hemp grows " ? Its most
common application is, in a jocular way,
to giddy young people of either sex.
Nowadays it is almost always applied
to a girl.
HE'S AWA WI'T, ii. 577. « He is dead, he
is gone (Shetland)." This expression is
common all over Scotland, only it is almost
always made use of before death, " I doot
he's aboot awa wi't."
HEUGH should be given at ii. 580, with a
cross-reference to HEUCH, ii. 579. Heugh
is the most common form of the word.
Burns has "heugh," not "heuch."
HIRSEL YONT, the motto of a Scotch
family (I forget which), is not given at
ii. 593. Perhaps I am thinking of "WV11
brizz yont " ? V. notes under BRIZZ.
HOODED CROW, ii. 612. " The Pewit Gull
(Orkney)." This is surely wrong. At
any rate hooded crow is not Scotch:
68 Hoot-Toot
"hoodie craw" is, but the "hoodie craw" is
not a gull. F. 0. Morris, in his " British
Birds," ii. 39, gives " Hooded Crow, Hoody,
Corvus Comix" ; so that HOODIT CRAW,
ii. 612, and HUDDY CRAW, HODDIE, ii.
632, the carrion crow," are wrong. The
" carrion crow," according to F. 0. Morris,
ii. 35, is the Corvus Corone. It is so
given in the Historical English Dictionary
with this very simple explanation — " It is
the ' crow ' of most parts of England, and
the 'corbie' of Scotland. The carrion crow
has no hood. It is black all over." The
peewit gull or black-headed gull, according
to Morris, viii. 68, is the Larus Ridi-
bundas, of Pennant and Fleming.
HOOT-TOOT, ii. 613, is not given at all
with its well-known application to an
" eik " to .a tumbler of toddy. A person
pressed to take another tumbler says,
"Ah, weel, I'll jist tak' a hoot- toot," and
then, when pouring out the additional half
glass, he allows his hand to give a sort
of nervous shake that fills the glass.
He then exclaims, " Hoot-toot, hoot-toot."
Could any of my readers give a quota-
tion from a Scotch author with this use
of the word "hoot-toot"? I think Gait
makes use of it.
Hope—Ho-Spy 69
HOPE, ii. 614, is given as " 1. a small bay ;
2. a haven," and it is only by chance
one's eye goes back to HOP, HOPE in the
first column of the same page, and finds
its best-known meaning, "a sloping hollow
between two hills, or the hollow that
forms two ridges on one hill."
HORNEL, ii. 618, is misprinted Komd.
HORSE-COCK, ii. 618. "The name given
to a small kind of snipe (Lothians)."
Surely the "Hors-cock" is the Scotch name
of the Capercailzie ? Hector Boethius
speaks of " the capercailze or wilde horse,"
and the Historical English Dictionary
gives the following quotation: — " 1596.
J. Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scotl.
(1885), 39. The Capercalze . . . with
the vulgar people, the horse of the forest."
HORSE-COUPER,ii. 618. "A horse-dealer."
The derivation from the Flemish Copen,
" to chop, exchange, barter," should have
been given. It is not given at either
COUP or CoupEK,i. 506-7; "Copen or Cry,"
Lydgate's Minor Poems, p. 105. V.
Halliwell's Dictionary.
HO-SPY is given, ii. 619, but at HYSPY
(the much more common form), ii. 654, no
70 Hottle—Hoivelaid
cross-reference is made to Ho-SPY, where
a very good quotation by way of illustra-
tion is given.
HOTTLE is not given at ii. 621. An hotel.
HOW, ii. 626, under meaning " 3. SELY HOW,
HELY HOW, HAPPY HOW," a long definition
and a very long note are given, but the
simple English equivalent, " a caul," is not
mentioned.
HOWELAID is not given at ii. 628. "Before
many days were over he was dead. And
he was howelaid at a place called Ekkials-
bakki. A fierce fight has ensued amongst
Archaeologists as to the site of Ekkials-
bakki." (No wonder ! Such a name ! As
full of cussedness as Mesopotamia is full of
blessedness). " County Histories of Scot-
land : Moray and Nairn," by Sheriff Ram-
pini.— (Blackwood, 1897, p. 31.) Pre-
sumably, from the context, howelaed means
buried. See How, ii. 625, "A mound, a
tumulus, a knoll. . . . How is certainly
no other than the Icelandic 'haug'; Suio-
Gothic [or ancient language of Sweden],
1 hoeg,' the name given to those sepulchral
mounds, which, in the time of heathenism,
were erected in memory, and in honour,
of the dead."
Howf—Hubbleskew 71
HOWFF, ii. 628, is not given at all, and
HOUFF refers you back to HOIF, HOFF,
HOVE, HOUFF, HUFE, ii. 604 (all, except
"houff," very unusual forms of the word).
HOFFE, "a residence," is given at ii. 601.
There used to be an old " Pub " called
"The Howff" in Glasgow, in either the
Old or New Wynd, I forget which, much
frequented by students, 1856-1860, cele-
brated for its corned beef and potatoes in
their jackets, and draught stout. I don't
think you could get anything else, but
then such stout, and such beef, and such
potatoes (and such appetites) !
HOW'S A' WI1 YE ? is given, ii. 629, but
not " Hoo's a'." What Scotchman would
say How ? It reminds one of the Scotch
of dear old Corney Grain, who, in a short
Scotch sketch, used to say, " Come awa'
ben into the dining-roorn," with the " i "
very long.
•
HOWTOWDY, ii. 629. The English equi-
valent " pullet " might have been given as-
the meaning. Make a note of correction
of meaning of EIRACK as given at ii. 143.
HUBBLESHEW, ii. 630, is not given, but
72 Hullocket—Hy-Jinks
HUBBILSCHOW and HOBBLESHOW are given.
The definition is not so good as in Miss
Ferrier's "Inheritance," vol. i., end of chap.
42, p. 368, 1882 edition :—
And what a pleasant thing for a few friends to
meet in this way, instead of these great hubbleshotrs
of people one sits down with now ;
and again in " Destiny," vol. ii., p. 175,
1882 edition:—
Oh, if that silly man would but stop till all this
hubblethow's past.
HULLOCKET should be entered at ii. 635,
with cross-references to HALLOKIT. HALLI-
KIT, HALLIGIT, HALLACH'D, ii. 513, in the
quotations under which this word is also
spelt " hallocked " and " halucket "; and to
HELLICAT, HELLICATE, ii. 565, and also to
HALOC, ii. 515, where Jamieson needlessly
sends you to HALLACH'D, only to find your-
self sent from that to HALLOKIT, ii. 513.
Why not send you direct to HALLOKIT at
once ? The cross-references should be
properly noted at each of these words.
At HALLOKIT no cross-reference whatever
is given to HELLICAT, though there is as
much information about the word under
the latter form as under the former.
HY-JINKS, ii. 652, is given, but there is no
Hy-Jinks 73
cross-reference to it under HiGH-JiNKS, as
there should have been at ii. 585, yet the
latter is the way Scott spells the word in
" Guy Mannering," chap. 36. There is no
cross-reference under JINKS, ii. 701, as there
should be. " High- Jinks " has certainly also
got another meaning than that given by
Jamieson, which implies drinking as an
essential part of the performance. It now
simply means "revelry, great doings, great
goings-on." Even Sir Wilfrid Lawson
goes in for "high-jinks" pretty frequently.
In fact, the more rabid the teetotaler, the
higher the "jinks"; the more temperate,
the more intemperate.
Inderlands — Ingaan 75
INDERLANDS is not given at ii. 667.
The farmers followed out the plan and tenure of
their leases ; they began them in poverty and followed
them out in ease and competency. Since that period
the beautiful country of Ayrshire, in the Inderlandx,
has assumed and now wears the appearance of a
garden. — ("History of Glasgow," by Andrew Brown.
Glasgow : Brash & Reid. 1795. Vol. ii. , p. 220. )
This word does not appear as an English
word in Johnson, the Imperial, or the
Encyclopaedic Dictionary, nor in Davies,
or Wright. Professor Skeat, in " Notes
and Queries," 8th series, vol. x., p. 519,
says it is probably the same as the German
Hinterland — " remote land."
INGAAN, INGAIN, "entrance," is given at
ii. 670, and also (same page) INGAAND-
MOUTH, " the mouth of a coal pit which
enters the earth in the horizontal direction."
76 Ingaan
Rather a curious definition, for who ever
heard of a horizontal seam of coal ? It
always has a dip. " Ingaen-ee," ingoing
eye, is not given, yet that is far more
common than " Ingaand-mouth."
Jalouse — Jam 77
JALOUSE is given, ii. 689, but "to suspect"
is the only meaning given. Surely this is
not correct ! It means more to guess, to
have a shrewd suspicion of, implying a
certain slyness, or pawkiness — to opine, to
conjecture, to be clever enough to know
by intuition. It is one of the many
Scotch words you cannot get an exact
English equivalent for. "Suspect" implies
evil: "jalouse" does not. "Jalouse" is a
friendly word : " suspect " is quite the
reverse.
JAM, ii. 689, and JAMB, ii. 690, are entered
as two separate words (and the second
over the page from the first — very con-
fusing) though they are just different
spellings of the same word. A " back-
jam" is described as "an addition out
78 Jaunt Coal — Jinks
from the back wall, set at right angles
with the rest of the house, the gable of
the projection being parallel with the
side wall of the main building." Not
necessarily: the "back -jam" often juts
out from the centre of the back wall.
JAUNT COAL, ii. 693. " The name given
to a kind of coal. (Lanarkshire)." This is
no definition. What kind of coal ?
JENNY-NETTLE is to be found only under
JENNY-SPINNER, ii. 697.
JIFFIE, ii. 699, is given, but " half-a-jiffie,"
much the more frequent form, is not given
under H., ii. 510.
JING-BANG, ii. 700, is given, but "bang-
jing," which is much more common, is not
given under B., i. 115.
JINKHAM'S HEN should be entered at
ii. 701, with a cross-reference to JENKIN'S
HEN, ii. 697. V. also under STERTLIN,
iv. 411.
JINKS should be entered at ii. 701, with a
cross-reference to ii. 652. V. notes under
HY-JlNKS.
Joan Thomson's Man 79
JOAN THOMSON'S MAN is given at ii.
702 (Query— Should it not be Tamson ?),
but we have no explanation of the common
expression, " We're a' John Tamson's
bairns " or " weans." Dr. Brewer, in his
" Dictionary of Phrase and Fable " (Cassell,
1895), gives "John Tamson's man," with the
following quotation from "Old Mortality,"
chap. 39 (it should be chap. 38) :—
"The deil's in the wife," said Cuddie. "D'ye
think I am to be John Tamson's man, and maistered
by a woman a' the days o' my life ? "
In the edition of 1852 it is "by women,"
and in the edition of 1865 " by woman,"
and here " by a woman." Which is right ?
Has dear old Sir Walter himself not made
a slip here ? Is Jamieson not right when
he says "John ought undoubtedly to be
Joan " ? How could a John Tamson have
a man ? He might have a wife. Unless,
indeed, the lady in this case is supposed
to wear the breeks, and be more of a
" man " than her husband. It is common
enough in country places to hear one
farmer say to another jocularly, " Weel,
I'll see what ' the maister ' thinks aboot it
when I gang hame" — meaning his gude-
wife. See also " Proverbs of Scotland,"
by Andrew Cheviot. Paisley : Alexander
Gardner. 1896. p. 222.
80 Jouglin* — JouJc
JOUGLIN', weak, shaky, ricketty, should
be entered at ii. 708, with a cross-reference
to JOGILL, JOGGLIE, ii. 704 The old Scotch
saying, " It's the jouglin' caur that lasts
longest," might have been given.
JOUK, ii. 708. Jamieson gives a quotation
from Ramsay's Scottish Proverbs, " Jouk,
and let the jaw gae over." Is it not more
frequently, as in Cheviot, "Jouk, and let
the jaw gang by " ?
Kain — Keepsake 81
K
KAIN is given at iii. 5, with a cross-reference
to CANE, i. 364. The form "cane" is almost
absolutely unknown.
KEECH, KEICH, iii. 9, in the sense of " dirt,
filth," is not given.
KEELIVINE, KEELIVINE-PEN, iii. 11. "A
black lead pencil." There should here be a
cross-reference to SKAILLIE-PEN, SKEILLIE-
PEX, iv. 233, and vice versa.
This is one of the large number of Scotch
words of French origin, either cueill de
vigne, a small slip of vine, in which a piece
of chalk is frequently inserted for the
purpose of marking ; or possibly guille de
vigne, from French guille, a kind of quill.
KEEPSAKE, iii. 11, is scarcely a Scotch
word.
G
82 Kelso Convoy — K&l-logie
KELSO CONVOY, iii. 15, is given with a
quotation bringing in the much more
familiar term, " Scotch Convoy," but with
no cross-reference ; and it is not to be
found under SCOTCH, iv. 148, but is to
be found under CONVOY, i. 490, with this
meaning — which is, • I think, not only
deficient, but absolutely erroneous — "Ac-
companying one to the door, or ' o'er the
dorestane.' " That is not my understanding
of it at all. A Scotch Convoy is at the
very least going the whole way home with
your friend. It means, I think, even more
than that. It means that you see your
friend home to his house (possibly have a
dram). He then sees you home again to
your house (possibly another dram). You
again see him home to his house, and he
again to yours (with other possible possi-
bilities) ; and when I was a youngster at
College in Edinburgh it sometimes meant
daylight before the convoying was ended.
KILL-LOGIE, iii. 27. " The fire-place in a
kiln."
The fare was bad, her bed was hard, her blankets
heavy, her pillows few, her curtains thin, and her
room, which was next to the nursery, to use her own
expression, smoked like a killogie. — (Miss Ferrier's
"Inheritance," vol. ii., chap. 5, p. 31, edition of
1882.)
Kinkhost—Knot 83
At iii. 28 KILLOGIE is again given, and
reference made to LOGIE, iii. 167, but at
LOGIE there is no cross-reference to KIL-
LOGIE, iii. 27.
KINKHOST, iii. 33. There should be a cross-
reference to KEENKHOST, which should
have been entered at iii. 11.
KIST, iii. 44. "To inclose in a coffin." No
cross-reference given to CHEST, i. 417.
KIT YE, iii. 49. "Get out of the way."
Surely the more common form " quit-ye "
should have been given also.
KNITTIN', KNITTAN', iii. 57. " (2) The
vulgar pronunciation of Newton, in
Clydesdale." Surely this is wrong. In
Clydesdale they don't nip their words,
but rather drawl them out.
KNOT, iii. 60, in the sense " to knit," is not
given at all.
Miss Pratt gabbled and knotted. Mr. Lyndsay read.
— (Miss Terrier's "Inheritance," vol. i., chap. 15,
p. 127, edition of 1882.)
A correspondent dating from "Seestu," and
84 Know — Kyle
signing herself "Spinster," has favoured
me with the following correction : —
"Knotting" has no connection at all with
"knitting." It is an old work often referred to in
letters and novels of the end of last and beginning
of the present century. It is done, not by pins or
needles, but with a small shuttle held in the right
hand, and passed through a loop of the thread passed
over the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, and
drawn into a tight knot. It has been revived at
times under the name of ' ' tatting. "
KNOW, KNOWE, KNOUE. "A little hill,
Scotch corruption from knoll," entered
at iii. 60, with about half-a-dozen lines,
but with no cross-reference to Now,
NOWE, iii. 376, where a column is
devoted to the word. The forms Know,
Now, Nowe, are surely very rare. The
nursery rhyme might have been given,
in which the " k " was always sounded :—
John Knox
Fell over a knowe
And cut his knee
On a knife.
KYLE, iii. 64. "A sound, a strait." The
similarity to Calais on the Straits of
Dover might be noted.
Lane Lawk 85
LANE, iii. 88. "A brook of which the
motion is so slow as to be scarcely
perceptible (Galloway and Lanarkshire)."
Is it correct to say that this is a Lanark-
shire expression ? Surely not.
LAUGH, LAUCHT, iii. 101. "(I) Law; (2)
Privilege." There should here be a cross-
reference to ii. 247, " FLEMING-LAUCHE, the
term used to denote the indulgence granted
to the Flemings, who anciently settled in
Scotland, to retain some of their national
usages," with the following quotation from
Chalmers's " Caledonia," i. 735 :—
The Flemings who colonised Scotland in the 12th
century settled chiefly on the East Coast, in such
numbers as to be found useful, and they behaved so
quietly as to be allowed the practice of their own
usages by the name of Fleming-Lauche, in the nature
of a special custom.
86 Le— Lean-to
LE, LEA, LEE, LIE, LYE, iii. 110. "(1)
Shelter, security from tempest; (2) Meta-
phorically peace, ease, tranquillity." Surely
" lee " has another meaning. A haugh, a
holm, a meadow, low-lying flat ground by
the side of a river. Spenser speaks of
"the watery lea." At Kelvinside, within
the City of Glasgow, we have Kirklee, an
old meeting-place of the Conventiclers,
and we all know of " Fair Kirkconnel
Lee," where Adam Fleming treated the
murderer of his lady-love in the good
old Scotch style : —
I hackit him in pieces sma',
I hackit him in pieces sma',
For her sake that died for me.
The finest lines in one of the finest
ballads we have.
LEAL, iii. 112. "Loyal, honest, etc. V.
LEIL." But at LEIL, iii. 122, the spelling
" leal " is not given, though in five of the
illustrative quotations, the word is spelt
"leal."
LEAN-TO, iii. 112. There should be a
cross-reference here to TO-FALL, iv. 591, as
they both have exactly the same meaning,
a small out-house, the roof of which leans
to, or falls to, or against, the wall of a
larger building.
Leveret— Lift 87
LEVERET is not given at iii. 137. A hare in
the first year of its age (from Old French
Levrette, diminutive of Levre, now Lievre).
LEY should be given at iii. 139, with a cross-
reference to LE, LEA, etc., iii. 110. LEY
cow, LEA cow, is given at iii. 139, with a
sub-note "supposed to be denominated from
the idea of ground not under crop, or what
lies ley." RED LAND, iii. 645, is given
as " ground that is turned up with the
plough ; as distinguished from Ley, or from
White Land." (Note. — WHITE LAND is
not given in its proper place, iv. 786.)
LIFT, iii. 144. In illustration of the mean-
ing "to rise," the following lines from
Nicol Burne's beautiful ballad, "Leader
Haughs and Yarrow " (Herd's Collection,
i. 251, edition of 1870), might be given : —
A mile below, wha lifts to ride,
They'll hear the mavis singing ;
Into St. Leonard's banks she'll bide,
Sweet birks her head o'erhinging.
V. note under DREICH, ii. 106.
The above ingenious note is simple
nonsense. At the same time I am letting
it stand, for two reasons : —
First, as a warning to others not to be
88 Lift
led astray by that delusive long "s" of
the old printer's, for " lifts," upon which I
so learnedly dilate, should be " lists."
I remember in my youth reading aloud
to some College chums, not " over the
walnuts and the wine" (for Scotch students
couldn't afford that) but " over the beer
and the baccy," the beginning of the very
pretty story of Damon and Musidora in
Thomson's " Seasons " — Summer — lines
1268 to 1369:—
Close in the covert of an hazel copse,
Where winded into pleasing solitudes
Runs out the rambling dale, young Damon fat.
I never got beyond "young Damon fat,"
for things began flying about, and I got
chaffed for many a day about my fat
friend Young Damon.
Second, because I have taken a great
fancy for " lifts," and think it is at least
worthy of consideration whether "lifts"
is not the better reading, or, at any rate,
is not rather a quaint reading, more suit-
able to Nicol Burne's time, circa 1580.
In Jamieson the second meaning of
" lift " is given as " to rise, to ascend, to
disperse." We can, therefore, readily
imagine that in a company met " in castle,
tower, or ha'," when the inevitable hour
comes that they must disperse, the one
Lift— Logic 89
who first rises to mount and go may be
said to " lift to ride." Is this not more
poetical, or, at any rate, more antique,
more Scotch, or more Old English, than
" lists," which any modern poet might
write ? With regard to " lift " in the sense
of " a load, a burden," I am reminded of
a story of my father-in-law — a tall, hand-
some, broad-shouldered Englishman — who,
when out at a shooting he had near " The
Auld Wives' Lifts " (another " lift "), and
stopping one day to speak to Jock, the
Bonnet Laird's brother, who was carrying
sacks of grain to a cart, was thus accosted
in terms of sincerest admiration — " Man,
Doctor, ye've a grand back for a lift ! "-
a gentle hint, perhaps, to lend a helping
hand, or rather back.
LIPPEN, iii. 155. "To rely, trust." Is it
not always written " to lippen to " ?
LIRK, iii. 157. "(4) A wrinkle." It is
not so much the wrinkle of age, as the
folds in the arms and legs of a prize
baby.
LOGIE, KILLOGIE, iii. 167. There should
be a cross-reference here to KILL-LOGIE,
KILNLOGIE, iii. 27.
90 Lokadaisy — Luck-Penny
LOKADAISY, iii. 168, should have a cross-
reference to LOSH, iii. 172.
LOOKWARM is not given at iii. 170. You
have to go to LEW, LEWWARM, iii. 137.
LOOPIE [or LOOPY], iii. 171. "Crafty, deceit-
ful." The definition given, " one who holds
a loop in his hand when dealing with
another," is surely very far-fetched. Is it
not rather one who slips out through a
loophole or way of escape ?
LOOT, iii. 171. " Permitted." The familial-
example of the use of this word might
have been given : —
But ay she loot the tear doon fa'
For Jock o' Hazledean.
LOSH, iii. 172. A cross-reference should be
given to LOKADAISY, iii. 168, and the
common expression, " Losh-Gosh-a-Daisy,"
should have been given. This was the
sole and only expression of a well-known
old Glasgow merchant when apprised, at
" The Tontine," of any news, however
trivial, or however startling ; and conse-
quently it became his " Tae-Name."
LUCK -PENNY, iii. 186. The English
Lufe—Lythe 91
equivalent, "God's Penny," should be given
as one meaning.
LUFE, LUIF, LUFFE, LOOK, iii. 188. The
last should be first, and some reference
should be made to the expression, " to
preach aff the loof." "Loof-bane," the
centre of the palm of the hand, and
" Crossmyloof " might have been given.
LUFFIE, iii. 189. No reference is made to
the more familiar spelling, " liffy."
LUKEWARM should be entered at iii. 191
with a cross-reference to LEW, iii. 137.
LYTHE, LAID, iii. 199. " The Pollack, Gadus
Pollachius of Linnaeus, Statistical Account,
V. 536. LAITH; Martin's 'St. Kilda,' p. 19."
Mr. Jonathan Couch, in his " History of
the Fishes of the British Islands," iii. 74,
under the heading Merlangus (Whiting),
gives different kinds of pollack. (1) The
Pontassou Gros of Risso — the Pontasso
simply being the Pollack ; (2) the Whit-
ing Pollack — the Merlangus Pollachius of
Fleming; (3) the Ranning Pollack or
Coalfish — the Gadus Carbonarius of
Linnaeus, and Merlangus Carbonarius of
Lythe
Fleming ; and (4) the Green Pollack—
the Gadus Virens of Linnaeus, and Merlan-
gus Virens of Fleming. It is the Whiting
Pollack (2) that is called in Scotland the
" Lythe " ; but, query, is it the Ranning
Pollack (3) or the Green Pollack (4) that
is the Saith, Seath, Seeth, Seth, Sethe, or
Sey in Scotland ? Couch says, under Green
Pollack (iii. 88) :—
The name of Sey Pollack, by which this fish or
the Coalfish is known in the most northern districts
of the British Islands, appears to be of Scandanavian
origin, and, with a distinctive adjunct, is applied by
Nilssori to several species.
Jamieson, iv. 168, gives "Seath, Seeth,
Seth, Saith, Sey— the Coalfish; Gadus
Carbonarius of Linnaeus." From the
similarity of the name Sey, both in
English and Scotch, it appears as if it were
rather the Green or Sey Pollack, Gadus
Virens, that is the Saith in Scotland.
Madge — Mains 93
M
MADGE, iii. 203. "An abbreviation of
Magdalen." Surely this is wrong. Should
be an abbreviation of " Margaret." In Mr.
K S. Charnock's " Prsenomina," p. SO. we
find — " Margaret. From Greek papyapiTijs,
a pearl. The nicknames and pet names
are Margery, Madge, Meg, Maggie, Padge,
Page, Peg, Peggy." And again at Magdalen,
" a name derived from Mary Magdalene.
The nick-names of the English name are
Maudlin and Maun." Magdalen is, I think,
practically unknown in Scotland as a
Christian name, but there are hundreds
of Madges. Madge Wildfire in Scott's
" Heart of Midlothian " was Margaret (not
Magdalen) Murdochson.
MAINS, iii. 212. The Home-farm might
have been given as the simplest and best
description of the word. V. notes under
POLICY.
94 Marion — Marrow-Kirk
MARION is given, iii. 233, "the Scottish
mode of writing and pronouncing the
name Marianne, the Mariamne of the
Jews," but not Margery, Marjory, or
Marjorie, although at iii. 215, we find
"MAISIE, MAISY, a form of Marion, but
properly of Margery " ; and at iii. 249, we
find "MAY, abbreviation of Marjorie, V.
MYSIE," and at iii. 335, " MYSIE, abbrevia-
tion of Marjory." That is, the abbrevia-
tions are given, but not the original names
themselves.
MARROW-KIRK is not given at iii. 237.
V. "Pen-Folk and Paisley Weavers."
Query — What does it exactly mean ?
Has MARROWSCHIP, association, iii. 237,
anything to do with it ? A correspondent
says — " I would suggest that it may refer
to the work ' The Marrow of Modern
Divinity/ published by Edward Fisher in
1718, a work which exercised a powerful
influence in its day, and paved the way
for the Secession from the Church of
Scotland in 1736. Those who preached
the evangelical doctrines of the 'Marrow'
were known as the ' Marrow-men,' and
hence the application of the name to a
' Kirk ' is not unlikely."
Martrik — Mashlutn 95
MARTRIK, MERTRIK, iii. 240. "A martin,
Mustelas Maries of Linnaeus." Surely this
is a misprint for Marten, for Jamieson him-
self goes on to say, " Martrix, Mertryx
pi., furs of the marten sable." A
Martin is a Swallow, the Hirundo Urbica
of Pennant, and the Sand Martin, ffirundo
Riparia. In a little book of much local
interest, " A Guide to the Natural History
of Loch Lomond and Neighbourhood—
Mammals and Birds, by James Lumsden
(of Arden), F.Z.S., member of the British
Ornithologists' Union. Reptiles and Fishes,
by Alfred Brown. Glasgow : David Bryce
& Son, 1895," we find the following at
p. 14:—
Pine Marten (Marteo Abietum. Ray) — This species
has for many years been considered extinct in the
district, and no record of it has been made for long,
with the exception of one specimen which appeared —
where from it is hard to say — and was killed at
Stronafyne, near Tarbet, in 1882. The old Scotch
name for the Marten is "Mertrick."
MASHLUM, iii. 242, is given as meaning
" mixed, made of mashlin ; applied to
grain," and MASHLIN is defined, iii. 241,
as " mixed grain, generally pease and oats,"
but does " mashlum " not also mean beans
and oats grown together ?
96 Maud— Mecdy-Mouthed
MAUD, iii. 24.5. " A grey striped plaid, of
the kind commonly worn by shepherds in
the South of Scotland." Is it not more
generally a small checked plaid, and is it
not now more frequently applied to some-
thing lighter than a shepherd's plaid,
something that is worn by ladies round
their heads more frequently than round
their shoulders ? The lines written by
Mrs. Scott of Waukhope to Burns might
have been quoted : —
O, gif I kenn'd but whare ye baide,
I'd send to you a marled plaid ;
'Twad baud your shoulders warm and braw,
An' douce at kirk or market shaw :
Far soutb, as weel as north, my lad,
A' honest Scotsmen lo'e the maud.
MAY, iii. 249. " Reckoned an unlucky month
for marriage." The proverbs might have
been given — " Marry in May, repent for
aye " ; " Marry in May, you'll rue the
day " ; " May birds are aye cheepin'."
O' the marriages in May
The bairns die o' a decay,
referring to the delicacy of children of
those who marry in May.
MEALY-MOUTHED might have been given
at iii. 250. Said of a person who is too
sweet, always saying pleasant things
regardless of the truth. Carlyle, speaking
of Mahomet, says, " Not a mealy-mouthed
Menage — Milshilling 97
man. A candid ferocity, if the case
call for it, is in him; he does not mince
matters."
MENAGE, iii. 259. " A friendly society, of
which every member pays in a fixed sum
weekly, to be continued for a given term,"
etc. It may be worth noting that this
kind of society is still common amongst
the mill-girls in Bridgeton of Glasgow,
the purpose generally being to enable
them, one after another, to supply them-
selves with hats of the period, a la the
coster ladies of Chevalier.
MENE, MEYNE, MEANE, iii. 259. "To be-
moan, to lament; to utter complaints, to
make lamentation."
And 'deed I canna, say he wants for milk or broth
either, for ane o' the young gentlemen up bye spoke
to my Lord for us, and he's really 110 to mean for his
meat if he wud tak' it. — (Miss Ferrier's "Inheritance,"
vol. i., chap. 4, p. 32, edition of 1882.)
MENSEFUL is given under MENSKFUL, iii.
262, but with no cross-reference at MENSE,
iii. 261, where it ought to be.
MILSHILLING is not given at iii. 278.
" Sanny lee'd like a mill-shilling " (Dr.
H
Duguid, p. 13). The definition given in
the Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia,
by John MacTaggart, 2nd edition
(Glasgow: Thomas D. Morison, 1876),
p. 345, is "The shelled grain which
runs out of the mill - e'e " (mill - eye).
MILL-EE is given, in. 27*7, and SHILLING,
iv. 202, but no reference is made to
" millshilling."
HIM, iii. 279. " (1) Affectedly modest,
prudish ; (2) Prim, demure." The old
Scotch proverb might have been given
here — " Maidens should be mim till they're
married, and then they may burn kirks."
V. Miscellaneous Essays by Sir William
Stirling-Maxwell, Baronet. London : John
C. Nimmo, 1891, "Proverbial Philosophy
of Scotland," p. 31.
MINNYBOLE, iii. 281. "An old form of
Maybole." The nursery rhyme given : —
John Smith, o' Minnybole,
Can tu spae a wee foal ;
Yes, indeed, and that I can
Just as weel as ony man,
is, of course, simply a variation of the
English nursery rhyme: —
John Smith, fellow fine,
Canst thou shoe this horse of mine, etc.
Mirl—Moathill 99
Robert Chambers, in his " Popular Rhymes
of Scotland," gives : —
Minnybole's a dirty hole,
It stands abune the mire.
Like many other popular sayings, a
popular delusion.
MIRL, iii. 284, is given with the simple
definition " to crumble," but no reference
is made to MURLE, iii. 327, "to moulder,
to crumble down," where a number of
quotations are given by way of illus-
tration, and five derivative words are
also given.
MISHGUGGLE is not given at iii. 287,
It is probably a variation of MISGRUGGLE
[same page], " (1) To disorder, to rumple ;
to handle roughly ; (2) To disfigure, to
deform."
They wha think differently on the great founda-
tion of our covenanted reformation, overturning and
mishguggling the government and discipline of the
Kirk, and breaking down the carved work of our
Zion, etc. — (" Heart of Midlothian, "end of chap, viii.)
MOATHILL is not given at iii. 294. Meethill,
Muthill, " Hill of Judgment," from Mead.
In " Place-Names of Scotland," by James
B. Johnston, B.D., minister of the Free
1 00 Molligruls — Moolie
Church, Falkirk (Edinburgh: David
Douglas, 1892), p. 188, we find— " Muthill
(Crieff), 1199. Mothel, Old English.
Mot-hill, ' Hill of the Meeting.' (Compare
' the Mute Hill,' Scone ; a moot point ; and
Witenage-mot)."
MOLLIGRUBS, iii. 298. Is " molligrumphs "
not the more common form? The English
c?
equivalent, the " doldrums," might have
been given as a meaning.
MOODIEWORT should be given at iii. 304,
with cross-references to MOTHIEWORT, 312,
and MOWDIEWARK, 316, and there should
be added to the definition, " a term of
endearment for children." It is most
commonly applied to one of the description
mentioned under MOTHIEWOKT, 312, "of
small stature and dark complexion, with
a profusion of hair." " If I catch ye, ye
young moodiewort," is often a mother's
threat, not very seriously looked upon
by the delinquent.
MOOLIE or MOOLY, is not given at iii. 305,
yet surely this is a common enough
Scotch word for " soft, flabby, fozy."
" A moolie sort of a chap " is a common
Muckle-Mou'd—My 101
schoolboy expression for a " duffer." The
marbles generally called "commies" (made
of common clay) were sometimes called
" moolies," especially when they were par-
ticularly soft and ill-shaped. MULIE is
given, iii. 322, " friable, crumbling — as
mulie cheese."
MUCKLE-MOU'D, iii. 319. There should
be a cross-reference here to MICKLE-
MOUTH'D, iii. 273, and vice versfr, for
quotations are given at both words
equally applicable to either. Some
reference should surely be made to
" Muckle-mou'd Meg," the heroine of
"The Fray of Elibank," by James Hogg,
"The Ettrick Shepherd," two lines from
which only are quoted, with the very
insufficient reference, "Hogg's Mountain
Bard." There are seventeen different
poems in "The Mountain Bard." The story
of " Muckle-mou'd Meg " is also referred
to by Sir Walter Scott, from whom, if I
am not mistaken, he claimed descent.
MY is given as an interjection, iii. 333,
but not " My certy," which you have to
look for under CERTY, i. 401. " By my
certy, a kind of oath equivalent to
102 Mydlen — Mysie
troth." The "by" is, I think, seldom
used.
MYDLEN is given, iii. 333. " Middle," but
not " mydlyng mane," a happy mean, or
happy medium.
MYSIE, iii. 335. "Abbreviation of Marjory."
There should be a cross-reference here to
MAISIE, MAISY, iii. 215, "a form of Marion
but properly of Margery. V. MAY." At
MAY, iii. 249, we find "abbreviation of
Marjorie." Should be " abbreviation of
Mary, or Marion." V. notes on MARION,
iii. 92.
Narrow-Nebbit — Near -Hand 103
N
NARROW-NEBBIT, iii. 342. " Contracted
in one's views with respect to religious
matters, superstitiously strict." There
should be a cross-reference here to
NIPPIT, i. 365. A favourite saying of
a worthy elder of the " Auld Kirk " used
to be—" Why don't I like him ? Ugh !
because he's jist a ' nippit ' ' U.P.' " A
" narrow-nebbit," or a " nippit," teetotaler
is a common expression.
NEAR-HAND, iii. 346. " Near, nigh ; nig-
gardly." This word has another meaning.
In many Incorporations and Charitable
Societies the son of a member is admitted
for, say, £3 3s., as at the " near-hand."
Others, not sons of members, have to
pay, say, £5 5s., as at the "far-hand."
104 Neffou—Nepus Gable
NEFFOU, NEFFOW, iii. 349. There should
be a cross-reference here to NEIVIE-
NICKNACK, iii. 353.
NEIFFAR, iii. 351. "To exchange. V. under
NEIVE." This entry is wrong altogether.
It should be V. under "NEIFFAR, NIFFAR,
iii. 354. 1. To exchange or barter ;
properly, to exchange what is held in one
fist, for what is held in another. Query, to
pass from one neive to another." Nei is
here brought in after Nev.
NEIVIE-NICKNACK, iii. 353. The correct
spelling is Neevie - Neevie - Nick - Nack,
as in quotation from. " Saint Ronan's
Well." The meaning given is not correct.
It is not necessarily a " trifle " that is held
in the hand. It is generally, with school-
boys, some such thing as, say, a couple of
apples, a large and a small one.
NEPUS GABLE, iii. 355. Jamieson gives
no meaning except what may be gathered
from the conjectural derivation from the
Suio -Gothic knapp (summit), and hus
(house). He only gives a quotation from
Gait's "Provost." I fancy the meaning
Nevel — Nouse
105
is a sort of front gable, if that is not a
contradiction in terms. In the title deeds
of an old property in St. Enoch's Square,
Glasgow, formerly the town house of the
Hunters of Cessnock, clients of my firm
since the beginning of the century, and
lately occupied as an hotel known as
" His Lordship's Larder," reference is made
to "the garret room, ten feet square in
the middle or nepos of the attic storey."
V. notes under GAVEL.
NEVEL. " A blow with the fist," entered at
iii. 353, should be at iii. 357. It is there
in a way " V. under NEIVE." It is not
under NEIVE at all, but under NEIVIE-
NICKNACK, with which it has no mortal
connection.
NIPPIT, iii. 365. There should be a cross-
reference to NARROW-NEBBIT, iii. 342. V.
notes on NARROW-NEBBIT.
NODDY, iii. 370.
NAIGIE, iv. 193.
V. notes on SHANKS-
NOUSE. Intellect, sense. Should this not
be entered at iii. 375 as a Scotch word ? —
Wi' yer auld strippit coul,
You look maist like a fule ;
But there's nouse in the linin',
John Tod ! John Tod !
106 Nyum-Nyum
NYUM-NYUM should surely be given at
iii. 381, as a child's expression for "nice,
sweet, good to eat." Known long before
the days of " The Mikado."
Once- Errand — Orrow 107
o
ONCE-ERRAND is not given at iii. 391.
" Tell John, if you happen to meet him,
that I wish to see him particularly." " I'll
make a once-errand of it," meaning " I'll
go now, at once, before I do anything
else," " I'll make a special business of it."
OPPROBRIE, iii. 398, "reproach," should
be given as more frequently spelt
"opprobrij" and "opprobrii."
ORROW, ORRA, iii. 401. Nine meanings
are given, but none exactly applicable to
Scott's well-known use of the word : —
Donald Caird finds orra things
Where Allan Gregor fand the tings.
The very usual meaning, "odd," in the sense
of " peculiar," or " out of the way," is not
given.
108 Out-About—Outwith
OUT- ABOUT, iii. 411. "Abroad, out of
doors, in the open." A common Scotch
expression also is " out-owre." A country
doctor would say to a patient who was
thinking of getting up and about again,
" Ye'll be thinkin' o' gettin' out-owre the
bedstock yin o' thae days," meaning,
getting up out of, or out over, the side of
the bed.
OUTGIE, iii. 413. "Expenditure, outlay."
This should surely be "outgae." " Outgie "
is " outgive or outgiving." " Outgae " is
" outgo or outgoing," that is, " outlay."
OUTWITH, iii. 420. "Without, on the
outer side, denoting situation." The
Imperial Dictionary says, " Outside of
(a Scots law word)." This is a most
useful word, and if our English friends
would only adopt it (as some of their
counsel learned in the law have had the
sense to do), instead of laughing at it, they
would find that it " supplies a felt want."
It is not merely a law word; it is con-
stantly used in conversation. " Without "
has this other meaning, " being in want
of." " Outwith " has only the one meaning,
" outside of, or beyond."
Oxgate 109
OXGATE, iii. 425. "An ox-gang of land."
There should here be a cross-reference to
PLEUCHGATE, iii. 510, and surely "oxgang"
should be given as well as " oxgate." The
Imperial Dictionary gives " Oxgang. As
much land as an ox would plough in a
year, generally from 15 to 20 acres. . . .
In Scotland it is termed Oxgate." V.
notes under DAVOCH.
Pace— Pal 111
PACE, iii. 427. "V. PAYS,PASCH." You turn,
of course, to PAYS, PASCH, iii. 456, and there
find " PAYS, PAYS-WOUK, etc., V. under PAS,
PASE," and you find no PASCH there. PASE
is entered before PASC. At PAS, iii. 446,
you at last get what you want. Why was
not PAS referred to directly at once ? This
is "only pretty Fanny's way," but it
is constantly recurring, and is a very
aggravating way all the same.
PAFFLE, iii. 429. There should be a cross-
reference to POFFLE, iii. 520.
PAL is not given at iii. 432.
The proprietors on both sides were to " flag and pal
in" (lay pavement with curb stones) their "properties
facing the street." — (Glasgow Past and Present,
By Senex. Glasgow : David Robertson, 1856, vol.
iii., p. 631.)
112 Pal-Loll— Parian
PAL-LALL [? PAL-LAL], iii. 433. Surely
the common name " peever " should have
been given here.
PALMIE, iii. 434. V. PAWMIE, iii. 455, " A
stroke on the hand with the ferula."
Surely ferula is much too grand a word
for plain Scots Folk ? Why not say a
rod, a cane, a ruler ? Should it not,
however, rather be a stroke on the palm
of the hand with the Tawse ? Palmie is
the almost universal spelling, and the " a "
is short, not long as in Pawmie. Pawmie
is the Scotch for the Knave in cards.
PAP-OF-THE-HASS, iii. 439, should be
Pap-o'-the-Hass. 0' is Scotch. Of is
English. " Ulva," misprint for " uvula."
PARLICUE should be given at iii. 442, with
a cross-reference to PURLICUE, iii. 564.
PARSENERE, iii. 444. There should here
be a cross-reference to PORTIONER, iii. 529.
PART AN, iii. 445. "Partan-haar" should be
entered here. A good time for catching
crabs. (Fifeshire). V. HAAR, ii. 489.
Peem-Poms — Peralin 113
PEEM-POMS, Pompoons (French, Pompon),
should be entered at iii. 461. The ball
tufts of coloured wool worn by the in-
fantry in front of the shako.
Pooches stuffed wi' peens, bools, string, nails,
peem-poms, an' siclike callan's gear. — (Dr. Duguid,
29.)
Marian drew forth one of those extended pieces of
black pointed wire with which, in the days of toupees
and pompoons, our foremothers were wont to secure
their fly-caps and head-gear. — ("Ingoldsby Legends."
— Leech of Folkestone. )
PEERIE should be entered at iii. 462. A
top made to spin by a cord wound round
it. From French poire, a pear, from
being shaped like a pear.
PEEVER should be entered at iii. 463. The
same as PALLALL, iii. 433; or rather, I think,
the game is " Pal-lal." The piece of stone,
slate, or marble that the game is played
with, is the " peever," not the " pal-lal."
PERALIN, PERALING, iii. 473. "Probably
a kind of dress." Delete " probably." May
not this word be derived from the French
percaline — glazed cotton for lining, a cloth
used in bookbinding ?
I
114 Perjink—Plout
PERJINK, iii. 475. " Exact, precise."
Mrs. Ribley seems a very perjink woman, and
everything is really very creditable-like about them. —
(Miss Ferrier's "Destiny," vol. ii., chap. 21, p. 181.)
PIG, iii. 487. At fourth meaning, " any
piece of earthenware," there should be a
cross-reference to PENNY-PIG, iii. 472,
where there is a cross-reference to PINE-
PiG, but no Pine-Pig is to be found at its
proper place, iii. 492.
PIRLICUE should be given at iii. 496, with
cross-reference to PURLICUE, iii. 564.
PLEUCH-GANG, PLOUGH-GANG, iii. 509,
PLEUCH-GATE, PLOUGH-GATE, iii. 510.
There should be a cross-reference to
OXGATE, iii. 425.
PLOOK, PLOUK, iii. 511. There should be a
cross-reference to PLUKE, iii. 515.
PLOUGH-GANG and PLOUGH-GATE should
be entered at iii. 513, with cross-references
to PLEUCH-GANG and PLEUCH-GATE, iii.
509 and 510.
PLOUT, iii. 513. Five meanings are given,
Plunk— Policy 115
but not the one best known in the West
of Scotland, to plout a sore finger into
as hot water as can be " tholed," to dip or
plunge it quickly into hot water. There
should be a cross-reference to PLOT, iii. 512.
The Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia
gives " Plotted, boiled, or rather plunged
in boiling water."
PLUNK, iii. 516. The meaning of the verb
is given right enough, but the noun,
plunker, the largest or best of a boy's
pocketful of bools (Anglice, marbles), is
not given.
POLICY, iii. 521. "The pleasure-ground
(or improvements) about a gentleman's
seat (especially in planting)." The words
I have put in brackets might judiciously
be omitted, but even then the definition is
not a good one. " In this use its primary
sense is the place or tract within which
one has authority to administer affairs "
(Imperial Dictionary). That is better, but
the definition given by Dr. Murray in
the Historical English Dictionary under
Demesne, ii. 3, "c., Hence in modern
use, the land immediately attached to a
mansion, and held along with it for use or
pleasure ; the park, chase, home-farm,
116 Fook—Portioner
etc.," is still nearer a correct definition of
" policies," for the word is generally used
in the plural.
This is a most useful Scotch word,
as it is more comprehensive and expressive
than Demesne, Park, or Chase, being a
combination of all three, with ornamental
plantations thrown in. Francisque-Michel
gives as the derivation the French " police."
POOR, PUIK, POUK, iii. 524. The saying,
" Pookin' an' pooin' is Scots folk's wooin',"
might have been given here.
POOR-MAN-OF-MUTTON, iii. 524. Surely
" devilled bone " is the simplest descrip-
tion. " Of " is not Scotch.
PORTIONER, iii. 529. The definition given
applies only to heirs-portioners, that is, to
two or more females who succeed jointly
to an estate through default of heirs-male ;
but the most common meaning of the word
" portioner" by itself is the proprietor of a
small feu or portion of land. The quota-
tion from the Statistical Account of the
parish of Jedburgh exemplifies the mean-
ing of the word.
Powan
117
POWAN, POAN, iii. 537. "The Gwiniad,
a fish ; Salmo Lavaretus — Linnaeus." The
Imperial Dictionary gives " POWAN (a form
of Pollan) a rare fresh-water fish peculiar
to Loch Lomond, of the Genus Corregonus
(C. Cepedii), much resembling a herring,
and often called the fresh- water herring.
Its flesh is delicate." In "A Guide to the
Natural History of Loch Lomond and
Neighbourhood, Mammals and Birds by
James Lumsden, F.Z.S. Reptiles and
Fishes by Alfred Brown. Glasgow: David
Bryce & Son, 1895," p. 83, we find :—
The Powan, Coreijonns Clitpeoides of Lacepede.
The Powan, or Fresh-water Herring, frequents the
loch in enormous numbers, and is captured solely by
net, only a few instances of their taking a bait being
on record. The Powan does not enter the streams for
spawning purposes, but deposits its eggs in shallow
bays, on gravel and sand, in October or November ;
the young hatch out in February, and may be seen in
great numbers in small creeks and backwaters in July,
by which time they measure about two inches long.
The Powan generally weighs 10 to 12 ounces, but
occasionally attains to as much as 2 Ibs.
In "British Fishes," by Jonathan Couch,
F.L.S., vol. iv., pp. 280 to 2^6, we find the
following of the Genus Coregonus : —
(1) Coreyonus Thymallus. The Grayling.
(2) ,, Lavaretu-t. The Gwiniad.
(3) ,, Willoufjhbii. The Vendace.
(4) ,, Pollan. The Pollan.
(5) ,, Lacepedii. The Powan.
118 rric.—Progne
Under the last he says, p. 295 : —
This is one of the three fishes which have passed
under the denomination of Fresh-water Herrings.
. . . By this name and that of Powan it appears
to have been long known as a distinct species to the
people living near the lake Loch-Lomond (we) in
Scotland.
Mr. Jonathan Couch, Esquire, gets slightly
redundant here. He adds, p. 296 : —
From the estimation these fish are held in by the
neighbouring inhabitants they are seldom sent far
before they meet with a ready sale, and they are
entirely unknown in the markets of Glasgow.
Which is true to this day.
From the above it would appear that the
Powan is neither a Gwiniad nor a Salmo, as
stated by Jamieson. It is a Fresh-water
Herring. V. notes under VENDACE, iv. 690.
PRIE, PREE, iii. 547, " to taste," refers you
to PREIF, " to prove, to try," which you
find at iii. 542, but does not refer either
from iii. 547 or iii. 542 to iii. 541, where
under PREF, "to prove," you get Jamieson's
idea of the derivation of the word, not
given at iii. 542.
PROGNE, a swallow, should surely have been
given at iii. 551. A name derived from
the Greek nymph Prokne (the daughter
of Pandion), who was changed into a
Puddock—Purlicue 119
swallow. V. « Cox (Sir G. W.) Mythology
and Folk-Lore," p. 196. Strange to say,
neither " Prokne " nor " Pandion " are to
be found in Dr. Wm. Smith's " Dictionary
of Mythology."
The lintwhite loud and progne proud
With tuneful throats and narrow,
Into St. Leonard's banks they sing
As sweetly as in Yarrow.
(Ballad of " Leader- Haughs and Yarrow," by Nicol Burne.
Herd's Collection, vol. L, p. 251, edition of 1870.)
PUDDOCK, iii. 558. "A frog. (Ayrshire)."
Is it not common all over Scotland ?
PUGGIE, iii. 559. " The vulgar name for
all the different species of the monkey
tribe." It is also applied to one under
the influence of John Barleycorn. " A
bonnie like puggie he made o' himsel'."
PUMFLE should be entered at iii. 560, with
a cross-reference to PUMPHAL, "a square
enclosure for cattle or sheep " (same page).
" Pumfle " is the more common spelling.
PURLICUE, PARLICUE, iii. 564. Also spelt
" pirlique," and generally " parlique." This
word is from the French, parler a la queue,
to speak to or address the tail, or those
120 l\u~pie Fever
remaining to the end. On Sacramental
occasions, after " the Preachings," which
had to be endured on the Thursdays all
day, also on the Saturday afternoons,
there was frequently a 'special service
on Saturday night, when the minister
addressed the few and faithful tail who
had patience enough to remain to hear
him. This was called the " Parlique."
PURPIE FEVER, iii. 565. "The name
vulgarly given to a putrid fever." Is
putrid fever not just as vulgar nowadays ?
Presumably it means typhus fever. In
Glasgow Cathedral there is a monument
to Captain Henry Addison, of His
Majesty's 56th Regiment, who died " of
a putrid fever" on 8th January, 1788,
aged twenty-five. At that time " putrid
fever" was not a vulgar expression. No
more was " purpie fever " vulgar in old
Scotch. It was also called the " spotted
fever." These were simply the terms of
the day. Jamieson is very fond of calling
everything " vulgar."
Quhitred — Quisquous 121
Q
QUHITRED, QUHITTRET, iii. 590. "A weasel."
The spellings FUTRAT, ii. 327, and
WHITRACK or WHITRUCK, iv. 787, should
be given here, with a cross-reference.
At the end, where Jamieson says: —
I would rather deduce its name from another quality
of the animal, which would be more readily fixed
on, as being peculiarly characteristic and more gener-
ally obvious. This is the swiftness of its motion.
Icelandic hwatur, quick, clever, fleet. Thus we
proverbially say, "As clever's a quhittret,"
reference might be made to the use of
the word as a term of endearment applied
to a child, particularly to a clever, sharp,
active child, " Ye young wkittret, there's
nae catchin' ye."
QUISQUOUS, iii. 593. "Nice, perplexing
122 Quit-ye
difficult of discussion," is given, but is
there not also a Scotch word, " quis-quis "
(the same in Latin), whoever, whosoever ?
Strangers arriving in a place and being
considered of doubtful character are spoken
of as " Very quis-quis sort of people,"
meaning, " Whoever, or Whosoever, they
may be, we don't know and can't find out."
QUIT-YE, iii. 594. Give over, stop that.
From the French Quitter to quit, to
leave off, to desist from, to give up. V.
notes on KIT-YE, iii. 83.
Rabbie-Rin- Tlie-Hedge —Hatch. 1 23
R
RABIE - RIN - THE - HEDGE should be
entered at iii. 596, with a cross-reference
to ROBIN-RIN-THE-HEDGE, IV. 45.
RACKEL, RACKLE, RAUCLE, iii. 599. "(I)
Rash, stout, fearless ; (2) Stout, strong,
firm." There should here be a cross-
reference to RASCH, iii. 626.
RAMPLOR, RAMPLEK, iii. 616. Also " ramp-
lour."
RASCH, RASH, iii. 626. There should here
be a cross-reference to RACKEL, iii. 599.
RATCH, iii. 628. There should be a cross-
reference to RAX, iii. 632.
124 Rax— Regality
RAX, iii. 632. There should be a cross-
reference to RATCH, iii. 628.
RED, REDE, iii. 642. "3. To explain, to
unfold," and noun " 1. Counsel." To illus-
trate this there might have been given the
proverb : —
To a red man, rede thy rede,
With a brown man break thy bread,
At a pale man draw thy knife,
From a dark man keep thy wife.
RED UP, iii. 641. " To reprehend, to rebuke
sharply, to scold." Surely the most
common meaning is " to tidy up, to clean
up, to sort, to put in order." V. RED,
REDD, on same page.
REGALITY, iv. 1. Some description of the
difference between a Royal Burgh and a
Burgh of Regality should have been given
here.
Kirkcudbright was a Burgh of Regality under
the Douglas until a charter was granted at Perth on
26th October, 1455, creating it into a Royal Burgh. —
(Sir Herbert Maxwell.)
The ultimate criterion of a Royal Burgh as
distinguished from the Burgh of Regality is the
payment of the Burghal Ferme to the Crown by
Provosts (Prepositi), and this may be accompanied by
the holding of Chamberlain Eyres in the town. The
Reiffar—Reyffar 125
Exchequer Rolls, vol. i., pp. 303, 356, 357, show
that in Kirkcudbright in 1330 and 1331 all these
determinant characteristics existed. — (" Athenaeum, "
January, 1897.)
REIFFAR, iv. 5. Five different ways of
spelling are given, but not the most
common, " reiver." " Robber " is hardly
a sufficient definition. An individual
robber, without a following, would hardly
be called a " reiver." It implies either one
of a gang, or the head of a gang of
robbers or pirates. " Sir Ralph the
Rover," who, in the elocution books of
our youth, " tore his hair, and cursed
himself in his despair," was a " reiver " ;
so was Rob Roy ; but Bill Sykes was not
a " reiver." A " reiver " was, as it were,
in the wholesale trade, and would rather
look down on a " robber," who was in the
retail trade.
REIST, iv. 9. Surely the English equivalent
is simply " to jibe."
REIVER should be entered at iv. 9, with a
cross-reference to REIFFAR, iv. 5.
EEYFFAR, REFFAYR, iv. 23, has no cross-
126 Robin-Rin- The-Hedge—Roborate
reference to REIFFAR, iv. 5, where the full
definition of the word is given.
ROBIN-RIN-THE-HEDGE, iv. 45. Is this
not just the " bur " or " burr " ? Query —
Is it the Galium Aperine, called in
England Goosegrass, Cleavers, Grip-
grass, Hariff, or is it the Arctium Lappa,
the Burdock, also called the Heriff, Aireve,
or Airup, from the Anglo-Saxon " haeg " a
hedge, and " reafe " a robber, a reiver, from
" reifFan " to seize ? Jamieson gives BUR,
i. 334. V. CREEPING BUR, i. 528, Lyco-
podium clavatum, and UPRIGHT BUR,
iv. 678, Lycopodium selago. The " bur " is
certainly not a Lycopodium,, which is a
kind of moss. V. "My Garden," by
Alfred Smee, p. 406. A correspondent
says : —
Robin-rin-the-hedge, sometimes in Ayrshire cor-
rupted to Hobin-roun' -the-hedye, is not the Burdock.
It is Galium Aperine of the Rubiaciaz (see Kennedy,
p. 92). The Burdock is Arctium Lappa of the
Composite (see idem, p. 99).
ROBORATE, iv. 45. "To strengthen, to
confirm in a legal manner." Why is
the simple meaning " to corroborate "
not given ?
Rock — Rumgumption 127
HOCK, "a distaff," should surely have
been given at iv. 46. It occurs in both
the quotations given under Tow, iv. 607.
" The Rock and the Wee Pickle Tow " is
distinctly a Scotch song.
RONNELL BELL is not given at iv. 52.
And in it [the Church of Birnie] is still preserved
an old square-sided Celtic altar-bell of malleable iron,
riveted and covered with bronze known as the Ronnell
Bell, similar in character to that of St. Fillan's, at
Glendrochat, and of many others found in different
parts of Scotland. — (" County Histories of Scotland :
Moray and Nairn," p. 55.)
Query — What is the " ronnell bell " ?
Has it anything to do with " roundel " ?
ROOSE,iv.54. "To extol. V. RUSE." Burns
always spells it " roose." The lines in his
very beautiful little song, " Young Jockie
was the blythest lad," might have been
given : —
He roos'd my een, sae bonie blue,
He roos'd my waist, sae genty sma' ;
An' ay my heart cam to my mou',
When ne'er a body heard or saw.
RUMGUMPTION, RUMMILGUMPTION, RUM-
BLE-GUMPTION, iv. 76. "What is commonly
called ' rouch sense'; a considerable portion
of understanding, obscured by confusion
128 Rumm er — Rum mle- Thump
of ideas, awkwardness of expression, or
precipitancy of manner." Surely the
latter part of this definition, as in italics,
should be left out ? A man blessed with
" rummle-gumption " certainly has no con-
fusion of ideas. He might possibly have
awkwardness of expression, but he is not
likely to have precipitancy of manner.
On the contrary, he would be a " canny "
man.
A correspondent kindly furnishes me
with a story of Dr. Chalmers, who, when
some one said of a young preacher,
"I think the lad has some rummle-
gumption though," replied, " I heard a
good deal o' the rummle, but not much
o' the gumption."
RUMMER is not given at iv. 77. The mean-
ing given in the Imperial Dictionary is " a
glass or drinking cup," and in Skeat
" a sort of drinking glass " ; but the mean-
ing in Scotch was surely as often, not the
glass, but the mat on which the toddy
tumbler was placed, to prevent the heat of
the glass spoiling the polished mahogany
table.
RUMMLE-THUMP, iv. 77. « Beat potatoes
Rysart 12&
(Clydesdale), potatoes and cabbage
(Angus)." To begin with, it should be
" rummletythump," and cabbage is as
essential to it in Clydesdale as in Angus.
I do not believe any one ever heard of
beat potatoes without cabbage being
called " rummletythump." This is an
inimitably expressive Scotch word. It
conveys the most graphic idea of the
manufacture of the dish.
RYSART should surely be given at iv. 86.
Francisque-Michel says, p. 61 : —
Rysart, named in one of Ritson's Scottish Songs,
vol. i. p. 212, and appearing under the forms of
Reesort, Rizard, Rizzard-berry, the red currant berry,
likely was also of French origin, and may still be
heard from the lips of some old-fashioned folk.
Sapples—Scart 131
s
SAPPLES, iv. 103. "A lye of soap and
water." Who is to define this definition ?
" Suds," the second meaning given, is all
that is wanted, or rather it should be
" soap-suds."
SAPPY, iv. 103, has surely a third meaning
derived from the noun "sap, a ninny,
a heavy-headed fellow," given on same
page. "Saft heid," "sappy crust," and
" fozy heid " are, or were, favourite com-
plimentary terms applied to each other by
Scotch schoolboys.
SCART, iv. 120. "The corvorant." Why
give the perverted form of cormorant ?
The Historical English Dictionary says,
"Under the influence of etymological
132 Sclidder—Scon
fancies, the word was sometimes altered
to corvorant."
SCLIDDER, SCLITHER, iv. 144. There
should here be a cross-reference to SLID,
SLIDDER, SLIDDERY, iii. 286-7.
SCOMFIS, iv. 145, more frequently spelt
Scumfish, "to suffocate^ to stifle," has a
meaning not given, to take a scumfish
at a person or thing, to take a dislike to,
or disgust at, a person or thing, almost,
but not quite as strong as " to take a
scunner" at a thing. Besides the quotation
from "The Heart of Midlothian," the
following might have been given : —
"And now, Allan," said the laird, "please to
remove your candles, for since the Saxon gentlemen
have seen them, they will eat their dinner as comfort-
ably by the light of the old tin sconces, without
scomfishing them with so much smoke." Accordingly,
at a sign from Allan, the living chandeliers, recovering
their broadswords, and holding the point erect,
marched out of the hall, and left the guests to enjoy
their refreshment.— (" Legend of Montrose," end of
chap, iv.)
SCON, SCONE, iv. 146. "A cake." The full
definition of this word is given under
SKON, iv. 259, a form of spelling very rarely
seen.
Scraigh—Scuddle 133
SCRAIGH, iv. 153. " To shriek ; also, to cry,
to scream, to complain." " SCRAIGH o'
DAY. — The first appearance of dawn. . . .
The orthography scraigh suggests a false
idea as to the meaning and origin of the
term, as if it signified the cry of day. The
radical word is Creek, from Teut. kriecke,
aurora rutilans " (ruddy morn). Query
— Has the scraighing or crowing of the
cock nothing to do with it ?
SCRAIGH, SCRATCH, iv. 153. "A shriek." A
cross-reference is here given to SKRAIK.
It should be to SKRAIGH, iv. 261.
SCRUBBIE, SCRUBBY, iv. 159, is surely an
English word.
SCUD, iv. 161. "A stroke with the open
hand, or with a ferula." It is not so
serious as a stroke. It is a very light
touch, glancing off, not falling heavily like
a stroke or a blow.
SCUDDLE, iv. 161. "4. A kitchen-drudge,
a scullion (Clydesdale)." This in Clydes-
dale is generally spelt " scuclgie," which is
not given.
1 34 Scudd-y — Scunn er
SCUDDY, iv. 162. "A term applied to an
infant when stript to the shirt." Is it not
rather when stript of the shirt ?
SCUNCHEON, iv. 164, is as much English
as Scotch. It is entered in the Imperial
Dictionary as an English word, and it is
used by English architects and builders.
Sometimes spelt "scuntion." Francisque-
Michel gives it as from " Old French,
escoinson, esconisson, an undressed stone
on the inner side either of a window or
door."
SCUNNER, iv. 164. "Loathing, abhorrence."
Is not this rather strong ? It is more
repugnance. " A deid scunner " • may
perhaps amount to loathing or abhorrence.
In fact, however, even "disgust" is too
strong. Scunner and Scumfish are two
Scotch words illustrative of the benefit of
maintaining the Scotch language, for their
meaning cannot be expressed in English.
" Disgust " implies something serious and
permanent, not to be got over. "Scunner"
implies only a sort of temporary disgust,
that may pass away, or be got over.
" Scumlish " is milder still. " He took
some sort of scumfish at me" implies no
Scutle — Seventeen- Hunner Linen 135-
very deadly hatred, only a sort of taking
offence, in an unreasonable way, a thing
that time will mend.
SCUTLE, iv. 166. Query— Scuttle or Skittle,
as " a tea skittle."
T know you like to scuttle with the tea things,
Molly. — (Miss. Ferrier's "Destiny," vol. i., chap. 39.)-
SEATH, SEETH, SETH, SAITH, SEY, iv. 168.
" The Coal-fish, Gadus Carbonarius of
Linnaeus." V. notes under LYTHE, iii. 199.
SEMMIT is not entered at iv. 177. This is
given in the Imperial Dictionary as " an
undershirt, generally woollen (Scotch)."
Probably a contraction of the French
chemisette.
SEVENTEEN -HUNNER LINEN is not
given at iv. 187. Query — What is it
exactly? A correspondent kindly answers
this query : —
This is a trade term. By using a web-glass
and counting the strands that appear under the
square, the linen merchant can tell which hundred it
belongs to. Seventeen-hunner linen was the fineness
required for making shirts.
Another correspondent kindly sends me
136 Sey— Shake
a specimen of " Twenty -twa-huuner
linen," and says : —
It just means the count by the Scotch glass, so
many hundreds.
Another correspondent says "Seventeen-
huuder-Linnen " (sic) :—
The reed through which the threads are put in the
loom determines the fineness of the cloth. A reed
with 1700 divisions would produce very fine linen.
Nanny's sark cost her Grannie "twa pund Scots,"
and it was made of "Paisley harn." "Harn" is
still in use in Ayrshire. A "harn shirt" is a coarse
linen shirt, home-woven, or woven by a customer-
weaver.
SEY. "The Coal-fish. V. SYE," iv. 187.
The reference should be to SEATH, iv. 168.
SHACHLE, iv. 190. No cross-reference is
made to SHAUCHLE andSHAUGHLiN',iv. 195,
where a quotation is given. " Schauchlie "
is not given at all. It means more than
"shuffling or shambling." It means in-
kneed or weak-kneed, loose-jointed about
the legs. In the quotation at iv. 195, " You
poor in-kneed bit scray of a thing," should
it not be " scrag " or " scrae " ? V. iv. 153,
" any thing puny, scraggy, or shrivelled."
SHAKE, iv. 191. " He's nae great shakes, not
Shank— Shauchle 137
of good character." This is surely wrong.
It has nothing to do with character. It
might be said of a doctor, a lawyer, or a
minister, "He's nae great shakes," without
any slur upon his character. It applies
rather to his ability or standing in his
profession. It is said also of a man who
poses as a " swell," but is not.
SHANK, iv. 126. "To travel on foot." Is
not the general expression "to shank it"?
" Ye'll hae tae shank it " — you'll have to
walk.
SHANKS-NAIGIE, iv. 126. "To ride on
Shanks Mare, Nag, or Nagy, a low phrase
signifying to travel on foot." (Repeated
at iv. 193.) It is not at all a " low " phrase,
unless all old Scotch is " low." It is simply
a common Scotch expression made use of
by high and low alike. I think it is
just as often " Shanks's Noddy." This is
not given.
SHAUCHLE, iv. 195. The cross-reference
here should be, not to SHACH, iv. 189, but
to SHACKLE, iv. 190. In the quotation,
should " scray " not be " scrag " ?
138 tihaw—tihed
SHAW, iv. 196. " A piece of ground which
becomes suddenly flat at the bottom of a
hill or steep bank." Is this a correct
definition ? In Tannahill's " Braes o'
Gleniffer " we have :—
Keen blaws the wind o'er the Braes o' Gleniffer,
The auld castle's turrets are covered wi' snaw,
How changed frae the time when I met wi' my lover,
Amang the brown bushes by Stanley-Green Shaw.
Stanley-Green Shaw is on the banks or
braes, not at the foot of them. Shaw
occurs in Norwegian as "skov," pronounced
" show " — a wood. The Scotch name
Birkenshaw is frequently met with in
Norway as Bjorkenskov — a birch wood.
SHAW, verb, to show, is not given at iv. 196.
At iv. 127, SCHAW, SCHAU, SHAW are given
as forms of the noun "show," but not as
forms of the verb, though they are just as
much the one as the other. " Let the
Deed shaw" is the motto of the Scotch
family of Fleming. Our Sassenach
friends will persist in corrupting it into
" show," which is feeble. " Shaw " has
infinitely greater " vim " in it.
SHED (of the hair), iv. 199. Is this a pure
Scotticism ? Would an English nurse not
say to a schoolboy, " Your shed's not
Sherra—Shilpie 139
straight," just as soon as " Your division "
(or your parting) "is not straight"?
German "scheiden," to divide. Skiddaw
is said to be so called from its divided top.
SHERRA, SHIRRA, iv. 201. "A Sheriff (West
of Scotland)." Not used in the West of
Scotland only. Sir Walter Scott was
always spoken of as " The Shirra " about
Abbotsford and Selkirk, with Well-merited
reverence and affection.
SHEUCH, iv. 201. "A furrow, a ditch."
Does it not mean also "a gutter, a syver"?
Does it not also imply dirt? The only
quotation given certainly bears this out.
A clean, clear ditch with nothing but pure
water in it is not a " sheuch."
SHILFA, SHILFAW, iv. 202. "The chaffinch."
Is this not much more frequently written
<«,nd pronounced " shilfey " or " shilfy " ?.
SHILL1N, SHILLING, iv. 202. V. notes on
MlLLSHILLING.
SHILPIE, SHILPIT, iv. 203. The meaning
that is given under the verb SHIRP,
204, "to shrink, to shrivel," should have
140 Shoivl—Sibo
been given here. " Shilpet " is shrunk,
shrivelled, thin, pinched-looking about
the face. A correspondent favours me
with the following: —
In chapter xi. of " Waver ley " the following
sentence occurs : — " He pronounced the claret shilpit
and demanded brandy with great vociferation." He
meant that Claret is not a good liquor for " gettin'
foret wi\"
SHOWL (or SHOUL), iv. 211. Besides "to
make wry mouths," means also " to make
faces at a person."
SIB, iv. 213. "Akin." The two Scotch
proverbs might have been given: —
A' Stuarts are na sib tae the King.
A' the Campbells are sib tae Argyll.
SIBO, SEBOW, should have been given at
iv. 214, and SYBO, SYBOW at iv. 485, with
cross-references to SEIBOW, SEBOW (most
uncommon forms), iv. 172. "A young
onion." Francisque-Michel says, p. 63 : —
Sybows are spoken of in connection with rysarts.
. . . Syboiu, and in other forms Seibow, Sebow,
.Vy&oe, Sybba, a young onion, is the Old French Cibo
(French Ciboule, a young onion).
Sicker — Sinnery 141
And in a sub - note reference is made
to Nares's Glossary, voce " Chibbals " or
" Chibbols."
An' when those legs to gude, warm kail,
Wi' welcome canna bear me ;
A lee dyke-side, a syboiv-ta.il,
And barley-scone shall cheer me.
—(Burns, "To Mr. M'Adam," verse 5.)
SICKER, iv. 215. Five different forms of
spelling are given, but " siccar," the most
common, is not given. The expression
made use of by Kirkpatrick when he
despatched the Red Comyn in Grey-
friars Church, Dumfries, " I'll mak
siccar," now the motto of the Kirk-
patrick family, might have been referred
to. Also the punning motto of the Almack
family, " Mack al Sicker." The fifth
meaning given is the best for the modern
use of the word, "cautious, tenacious of
his own rights." " He's a gey siccar chiel
tae deal wi'/' means a man who can't be
got round or humbugged, not necessarily
a mean man, but stiff a little in his
dealings — a cautious, canny man.
SINNERY, the most common form of the
word, should be entered at iv. 225, with a
cross-reference to SINDRY, iv. 224.
142 Sinnie — Skaigher
SINNIE, iv. 226. " Contraction for Siniva,
a female name (Shetland)." Query—
Should "Siniva" not be "Sunnifa"? V.
Saint Sunnifa, Baring-Gould's " Lives of
the Saints," July 8th. Reputed to be a
sister of St. Alban: —
In 1170 the relics of Saint Sunnifa were brought
from Selja to Bergen. . . . Saint Sunnifa and
Saint Alban are regarded as the proto-martyrs of
Norway.
Query — Is Sine not the Gaelic form of
Jane ? Sinnie or Seeny, nowadays, is the
contraction for Alexandrina.
SIVER, SYVER, iv. 230. " 1. A covered drain.
2. It sometimes denotes a gutter. 3. A
rumblin or rummlin syver, a drain filled
with stones thrown loosely together so as
to leave a passage for the water." A
syver is not a covered drain ; it is an
open gutter. One often hears of " a
rumliri' drain," never of " a rumlin' syver,"
for the simple reason that the drain is
covered over with soil, the syver never is.
A syver is essentially open.
SKAIGHER, iv. 231. " One who obtains any
thing by artful means." If the definition
had stopped there, it would have been
Ska illie-Pen — Skeenklin 1 43
insufficient, but not absolutely erroneous ;
but it goes on, "nearly the same with
English thief!' This is utterly and entirely
wrong, and a vile calumny upon the
ordinary Skaigher, Skecher, or Skeicher,
who is little worse than a Sponge. A man
is said to "skaigh for his dinner" who
calls upon a friend just at dinner time.
Compare SORNER, iv. 338. A Skaigher is
one who sponges upon his friends for an
occasional meal or dram. A Sorner is a
degree worse, one who habitually fastens
himself upon a friend. Neither the one
nor the other, however, is a thief. There
are a good many very genteel Skaighers
and Sorners, not in Scotland only, but in
England also, who would have good
ground for an action of damages against
you if you called them thieves.
SKAILLIE-PEN, iv. 233. There should
here be a cross-reference to KEELIVINE,
iii. 11.
SKEGH should be entered at iv. 239, with
a cross-reference to SKAIGH, iv. 231.
SKEENKLIN should be entered at iv. 240,
with a cross-reference to SKINKLIN, iv. 252.
144 Skeit— Skerry
SKEIT should be entered at iv. 241, with a
cross-reference to SKITE, iv. 255.
SKELP, iv. 244. The second meaning of
the verb, "to strike, in whatever way, to
drub," is surely wrong. This is another
Scotch word that cannot well be rendered
by an English one. Strike is too strong.
Skelp almost implies a certain amount of
kindness, or at least of gentleness. It
certainly conveys no meaning of vindictive-
ness, violence, or passion. The first mean-
ing of the noun, "a stroke, a blow," used
in a general sense, is also wrong. " A skelp
on the lug " is not a very deadly assault. It
is neither a stroke nor a blow. The English
"cuff" is nearer it, though even cuff is too
strong. There is an element of playfulness
in the word "skelp," though perhaps the
small boy that gets " a guid skelpin' " from
his mother may fail to see it in that light,
and yet this just illustrates the true
meaning of the word — a boy gets a
skelping from his mother, a thrashing or
a drubbing from his schoolmaster.
SKERRY, iv. 246. "An insulated rock."
Skerryvore might here have been referred
to, with a cross-reference to VEIR, VER, VOR,
iv. 690, though the derivation is sometimes
Skimp— Skittle 145-
given, perhaps more accurately, as Skerry-
mhor, " the big skerry." Norwegian
" Skjaer " Rock, and " Skjaeroe " Rock
Island.
SKIMP, iv. 251, not given with the meaning
attached to it as a Scotch word in the
Imperial Dictionary, viz., " to scrimp."
SKINKLIN, iv. 252. Should the form
"skeenklin" not be given with the meaning
"sparkling, shining, glittering"? To illus-
trate the other meaning of the word,,
"a sprinkling, a very small portion or
quantity," Burns's lines might have been
quoted : —
Squire Pope but busks his skinklin patches
O' heathen tatters !
— ("Poem on Pastoral Poetry," iv.)«
SKITE, iv. 255. A very common meaning
of the word is not given, " a spree, a
jollification." "He's been on the skite,"
" he's been on the spree," perhaps from the
meaning given by Jamieson, "a dash, a
sudden fall, as a skite o' rain, a flying
shower."
SKITTLE should be given at iv. 256, with a
cross-reference to SCUTLE, iv. 166 — a tea
skittle, a tea party. V. note on SCUTLE,
iv. 133, supra.
L
146 ,S7/</
SLID, SLIDDER, SLIDDERY, iv. 286-7. There
should here be a cross-reference to
SCLIDDER, iv. 144.
SLYP, SLYPE, iv. 298. "A kind of low
draught carriage or dray without wheels."
Surely the simple English equivalents
" sledge " and " sled " might have been
given as the meaning.
SMA'-FOLK, SMALE-FOLK, iv. 300. " People
of the lower class." Query — Does it not
rather mean very respectable people in a
small way of business ? It certainly does
not mean " The Great Unwashed " or " The
Striking (not Working) Man" — they are
very Big Folk nowadays. Query — Are
" The Snia'-Folk " not " The Fairies" ? also
called THE Gum FOLK, ii. 473.
SMEDDUM, iv. 303. In addition to meanings
" spirit, mettle, liveliness," there might be
added, " go, grit, backbone."
SNAP, iv. 313. "A small brittle cake of
gingerbread." Brandy -snap should be
given. It also means gingerbread cakes
made into the shape of animals, etc.
Never to speak o' Mr. Parley, the baker's, wi'
Snirt— Snotty 147
the s/io/j-polismen, the wee carrant laifs, etc. — (Dr.
Duguid, p. 14.)
SNIRT is given at iv. 322. " 3. To burst
out into a laugh, notwithstanding one's
attempts to suppress it." But "snirtle"
is not given.
He would have laughed at ma doonfa', and
snirtled at ma confusion. — (Dr. Duguid, p. 114.)
SNOKE is given at iv. 323, as a verb, " to
smell at objects like a dog," but the
noun "snoke" or "siioak" is not given —
a smell, a scent, a sniff, as " a snoak o'
the caller air." A correspondent kindly
furnishes the following : —
SXOKER. A half choking sob, or laugh. As " Ye
anokering idiot," or " What are ye snokering there
aboot?" — in fact, " half blubbering."
SNOTTY is not given at iv. 326. Is not this
a very common Scotch word, somewhat
analagous to, but not exactly the same as,
SNUFFIE (same page), " sulky, displeased "?
More allied to SNOIT, iv. 323, "a young
conceited person who speaks little," (to
which the Gallovidian Encyclopedia adds)
"thought to be the beginning of some
genius, but alas ! it generally remains a
Snoit all its days." " He was very snotty
to me," seems rather to mean, " He was
148 Socher—Souch
very high and mighty," almost, but not
quite, implying rudeness. This is another
Scotch word you can't get an exact English
equivalent for.
SOCHER is given at iv. 329, "lazy, effeminate,
inactive from delicate living," but the
noun " socherer," one who is lazy, etc., is
not given.
SONYIE, iv. 335. " Excuse." Francisque-
Michel gives the derivation of this word as
" Old French, cssoigne, essoine, exoine, an
old law term of the same signification,"
i.e., " an excuse."
SORNER, iv. 338. There should here be a
cross-reference to SKAIGHER, iv. 231, as
the words are very nearly synonymous.
SOUGH, SOUGH, iv. 341. "A rushing or
whistling sound." Very seldom spelt
"souch." Is it not more the eerie sound
of rather a gentle wind (certainly not
a rushing or whistling wind) sighing
through the trees, premonitory, perhaps,
of the rushing, whistling sound of a
storm ? It is essentially gentle, not violent
or stormy.
Koudoun Land — Souple 149
The following quotations from Burns
might have been given: —
Dark, like the frowning rock, his brow,
And troubled, like his wintry wave,
And deep as sughs the boding wind
Aniang his caves, the sigh he gave.
— (" As on the banks o* wandering Nith," ii.)
The clanging sugh of whistling wings is heard.
— (" The Brigs of Ayr," line 66.)
November chill blaws loud wi' angry sugh.
—("The Cotter's Saturday Night," ii.)
Burns spells the word " sugh " three
times, and " sough " twice.
SOUDOUN LAND, iv. 342. « The land of
the Soldan or Sultan." Should not the
English name " Soudan" or " Sudan" have
been given ? It has nothing whatever to
do with the Sultan ; it is from the Arabic
black."
SOUPLE, iv. 345. •' Supple." I have heard
this word used in rather a peculiar way by
the driver of a coach. " The roads are
mair souple the day," meaning " The roads
are not so stiff as they were yesterday."
Burns uses the word in a peculiar way
also : —
On thee aft Scotland chows her cood,
In souple scones, the wale o' food !
—(" Scotch Drink," iv.)
meaning, as in Note to Centenary Edition,
" very thin, pliable cakes of barley meal,"
presumably something like potato scones.
1T)0 Spain — Squeef
SPAIN, SPANE, SPEAN, iv. 354. " To wean."
SPANE is not entered at iv. 354, nor
SPEAN at iv. 360, with cross-references
to SPAIN, iv. 354. "Spean" is the most
common spelling.
Ugly enough to spean a bairn. — (Miss Ferrier's
"Destiny," vol. i., p. 330.)
But wither'd beldams, auld and droll,
Bigwoodie hags wad spean a foal.
— (Burns, " Tarn o' Shanter," verse 14.)
SPEAK- A-WORD-ROOM, iv. 360. "A
parlour." This is hardly correct. A
parlour implies a room which is pretty
regularly used ; a sitting-room. A Speak -
a-word-room is more a waiting-room in a
large mansion-house, or a club, never used
as a sitting-room.
SPINNIN- JENNY, SPIN-MAKY, iv. 366.
"Also called Spinnin Maggie." The other
names, " Jenny-Nettle" and " Daddy- Long-
legs," should have been given, with a
cross-reference to JENNY-SPINNER, ii. 697.
SPUD is not given at iv. 377. In the
Imperial Dictionary it is given, " Spud,
a potato ; Scotch, slang." It is Scotch
(and Irish), but not slang.
SQUEEF, iv. 382. "A mean, disreputable
fellow, one who is shabby in appearance
Stam- Ram— Stey 151
and worthless in conduct." V. quotation
under OUT-AN'-OUT, iii. 412. "He's an
out-an'-out perfect squeef (Clydesdale)."
It may be Clydesdale, but I don't think
the word is in use in Glasgow, though
it is just possible some squeef s may
have been imported into that good city.
STAM-RAM is given at iv. 390 without any
cross-reference to RAM-STAM, iii. 617, where
the word is fully explained. No example
of the use of such a word as " stam-ram " is
given. Is there such a word ? Halliwell
gives "ram-stam," but not "stam-ram."
STEERIN' is not given at iv. 402, in the
sense of "a steerin' wean." You have
to go to iv. 410, where you find " STERAND,
active, stirring, lively, mettlesome," a
very uncommon spelling of the word.
Till butter'd so'ns, wi' fragrant hint,
Set a' their gabs a,-steerin."
—(Burns, " Hallowe'en," 28.)
STEY is given at iv. 413, with a cross-
reference to STAY, iv. 399. " Stey " is the
almost universal spelling. The well-known
proverb might have been given, " Set a
stoot hairt tae a stey brae." Is this word
152 Htirk— Stoop
not derived from the Flemish " steeg " ?
The Covenanters had a close connection
with the Low Countries.
STIRK, iv. 418. The meaning of the word
Stot is given here instead of at its proper
place under STOT, iv. 428. The second
meaning under STIRK, " a coarse, stout,
stupid or ignorant fellow," applies more
to Stot than to Stirk.
STOON, STOUN, iv. 426. "Same with
STOUND (Clydesdale and Banffshire "),
which see at iv. 429. " STOUND, STOON,
STOUN, an acute pain, affecting one at
intervals ; as, a stound of the on beast, or
toothache." But the adjective Stoonin',
much the most common form of the word,
is not given. Is " a stoonin' pain " riot a
dull, heavy pain, rather than an acute
pain ?
My heart it gae a stoun.
— (Burns, " To the Weavers gin ye go," iv.)
STOOP, iv. 426. "2. A prop, a support."
" Stoop an' room" should have been given
here, the old method of working out coal,
stoops or pillars of coal being left in to
prop, or support, the roof. Frequently as
much was left in as was taken out. The
Stoor—Xtoot 153
modern system of working back from a
face is called the " lonsrwall."
STOOR is given at iv. 427. "Strong;
austere." V. STURE, STUR, STOOR, iv. 451,
" strong, hardy, robust " ; but " stoorie " or
"stourie," an endearing term applied to
children, is not given.
Weary is the mither
That has a stoorie wean.
— (Wm. Miller, " Wee Willie Winkie," 5.)
" Stoorie " here certainly does not mean
" austere," and it means more than " strong,
hardy, robust." It has more the meaning
of "steerin'," q.v. Scandinavian "stor,"
big, as in the Stor Rock, in the Island
of Sky e.
STOOT should be given at iv. 427, as the
Scotch form of " stout," and the Scotch
meaning " healthy " should be given. I
well remember a lady who, on her restor-
ation to health after a long illness, took
dire offence at a very decent Scotchwoman
who said to her, "Oh ! my lady, I'm glad
to see ye looking sae stoot" meaning in
such good health, without any reference to
obesity. " Strong, robust," is really the
original meaning of the English word
1 .">4 Stouthw— Sturdy
" stout." " Fat, corpulent," is, as the
Infperial Dictionary puts it, " a modern
popular and colloquial meaning." Richard-
son does not give the meaning "fat" at all,
and none of the thirteen quotations from
old English authors in his Dictionary
bring in the word as meaning " fat " or
" corpulent."
STOUSHIE, STOUSSIE, iv. 432. " Squat ;
strong and healthy." The much more
common form, " stousie " or " stoosie," is
not given.
A wee stum pie stousie
That canna rin his lane.
— (Wm. Miller, "Wee Willie Winkie," f>.)
STRAY AIG, iv. 438. " To stroll, to wander ;
to go about idly." Applied not only to
people : —
The moon has rowed her in a cloud,
Stravaiging win's begin,
To shuggle and daud the window brods
Like loons that wad be in.
— (Wm. Miller, " Gree, Bairnies, Gree," 1.)
STUMPIE, iv. 450. "A short, thick, and
stiffly-formed person." It is also a term
of endearment applied to children. "A
wee stumpie stousie." V. quotation under
STOUSHIE.
STURDY, iv. 451. "A disease producing
Stye — Swnph 155
giddiness to which sheep are subject." Do
we not also speak of a child taking " the
sturdies," meaning, not a giddy fit, but a
stubborn fit ?
He took the sturdies, and wad gang nae farther.
STYE, iv. 453. V. BUFF NOR STYE, i. 323.
SUCKERED is not given at iv. 456. " Suck,"
in schoolboy language, " a muff, a duffer,"
is not given either.
He was an only wean, a suckered gaste, and
spoiled from the first. — (Dr. Duguid, p. 25.)
SUMPH, iv. 461. "A blockhead, a soft,
blunt fellow." I think the first definition
is right, the second wrong. A " sumph "
is essentially an ill-conditioned fellow. A
soft, blunt fellow may be very amiable
and good-natured.
The saul o' life, the Heav'n below,
Is rapture-giving woman.
Ye surly numphs, who hate the name,
Be mintlfu' o' your mither :
She, honest woman, may think shame
That ye're connected with her.
— (Burns, "To the Guidwife of Waukope-House," iv.)
Surliness is part of the character of a
" sumph." Davies and Halliwell both
give " simpleton " as the meaning, but the
Scotch word " sumph " means more than
156 Swatch— Sioeert
that. You may be sorry for a " simple-
ton," but you are never sorry for a
" sumph." A "simpleton" can't help him-
self ; a " sumph " is wilfully disagreeable.
There should be a cross - reference to
TUMFIE, iv. 642.
SWATCH, iv. 473. " A pattern." Reference
is here made to DALLOP, which, at ii. 10,
refers you to DOOLOUP, ii. 80. The usual
form is " dollup " — a lump of anything.
" Take the whole dollup," is a very com-
mon expression, meaning the whole lot,
the whole lump.
SWEERT is not given as a leading word,
but has to be looked for under SWEER,
SWEERT, " slow," iv. 476. V. SWEIR, SWERE,
SWEER, iv. 477, "lazy, indolent," where
there is a sub-note — " This term is, I think,
most generally in the West of Scotland
pronounced sweert." Undoubtedly that
is so, but the meaning is more — loath to do
a thing, hesitating, doubtful about doing
it, than " slow, lazy, or indolent." The
second meaning given under SWEIR is
nearer it, " reluctant, unwilling." It is
often said, "He was gey sweert tae pairt
wi' his siller."
Sweishter — Sye 157
SWEISHTER is not given at iv. 478.
He rummled my hass wi' a spune-shank, and
sweiahtered my throat wi' cowstick. — (Dr. Duguicl,
p. 117.)
SWIDDER, iv. 479. " To doubt, to hesitate."
The most common spelling, "swither," is
not given here, though at SWITHER, iv. 483,
there is a cross-reference to SWIDDER. In
Burns, " swither " occurs three times,
"swidder" not at all.
SYE, iv. 485. There should be a cross-
reference here to SEY, iv. 187.
Tade—Tae 159
TADE, iv. 492. " A toad." V. TAID, iv. 494,
where the spelling " ted " is also given, but
not the more common spelling " taed."
Miss Ferrier spells it " tead ": —
Here's t' ye,. Glenfern, an' your wife, an' your wean,
puir tead ; it's no had a very chancy ootset, weel-a-
wat. — ("Marriage," vol. i., chap. 34, p. 340,
edition of 1881.)
Burns spells it " taed." Jamieson says,
" 3. A term of fondness for a child, both
in the North and South of Scotland."
I don't think it ever has been so used in
the West of Scotland.
TAE, iv. 492. "One." Is this word not
almost always used along with " tither " —
" on the tae hand, and on the tither " ?
Also " tain and tither."
leo
TA'EN AHOl'T. iv. 4 -.»•:. V. TANK. -
TAE-XAME should be entered at iv. I
with a c: t :vnce to TEE-NAME. i\
TAHKK a • ,iven. iv. 494. V. TEI
A loud lar._
A great number of people stentorioosl v laughing
and gaping with tafew of laughter.— (Chambers s
"Traditions of Edinburgh." Major Weir, P
TAMMY is not pven at iv. 503. Eug
Taniis, Temse, Terns. A scarce, a
bolter.
TAMMY Bi KS > not given at iv. 50a
Weekly or fortnightly account books
kept by working men with grocers, etc.,
squared up on pay-djv
TAM-TAIGLE. iv. 503. « A rope by which
the hinder leg of a horse or cow is tied to
the foreleg, to prevent straying." Why is
the simple English equivalent " hobble ~
not given as the meaning ?
TAMTALLAX. iv. 503. "To ding TamtaUan.
to surpass all bounds ^BantFshireX Prol>-
ably acorroptiofiof ToiOtttfflm," Xothing
Tanc 161
is to be found under TANTALLAN. Surely
this is rather Haddingtonshire than
Banffshire ? We should have had here
the old saying, generally given with a
preliminary sort of sneering, "Ou, aye!"-
Dins doun Tantallon,
An' build a Brig tae the Bass,
indicating something deemed to be im-
possible before the days of Dynamite and
Forth Bridges.
Come forrit, honest Allan !
Thou need na jouk behint the hallan,
A chiel sae clever ;
The teeth o' time may gnaw Tantallan,
But thou's for ever.
—(Burns, " Poem on Pastoral Poetry," vi.)
TANE, iv. 504. " The tane an' the tither."
Does not the first quotation show that
Douglas, or indeed, Virgil himself, was,
like Shakespeare, " not of an age, but for
all time " ?
And they war clepit, the tane. Catillus,
The tother Coras, strang and curagius.
—(Douglas, "Virgil," 232, 13.)
V. ^Eneid, book vii., line 672. " Catillusque,
acerque Coras." This clearly foreshadows
the Caledonian Railway Stock of the
present day. (V. Stock Exchange Share
Lists passim.) Only, Coras or Caledonians
are just as often "stern and wild" as
" strang and curagius."
M
162 Tane Out— Tains
TANE OUT, iv. 505. " Weel tane out,
receiving much attention," is given, but
" taen " or " ta'en " in the ordinary sense,
"taken," is not given. It occurs thirty-
four times in Burns, spelt sixteen times
" taen " without the apostrophe, and
-. eighteen times " ta'en " with the apos-
trophe.
TASH, iv. 515. "To soil, to tarnish, to injure."
Is the meaning just as strong as that ?
You will hear it said, " The flowers have
got tasked wi the rain," but that does
not mean either soiled, tarnished, or
seriously or irrecoverably injured. This
is another Scotch word that has no exact
English equivalent. It means slightly
spoiled, in such a way that things will
come right again.
TAWIS, TAWES, TAWS, iv. 518. " 1. A whip,
a lash. 2. The ferula used by a
schoolmaster. Scotch, tawse." Why
on earth is " tawse," by far the most
common form, not given as the leading
spelling ? It is not entered at all as a
leading word. I do not claim any more
intimate acquaintance with the tawse
than can be claimed by all who were
once boys, but ferula is no more applicable
Tead— -Tehee 163
than thumb-screw. A ferula is a very
grand, high-falutin' name for a cane or
rod, or, sometimes, a ruler. The tawse are
essentially of leather.
TEAD should be entered at iv. 520, with
a cross-reference to TAID, iv. 494.
TEE-NAME, iv. 522. " A name added to a
person's surname." Also frequently spelt
" taename." Is it not simply a nick-name ?
A correspondent says, " No ! It is an
adjunct-descriptive, as ' Muckle Lang
Gle'ed Sanny White.'" This, of course,
is taken from that very amusing little
brochure by Cosmo Innes, "Concerning
Some Scotch Surnames." — (Edinburgh :
Edmonston & Douglas, 1860, p. 18). In a
quotation from " Blackwood's Magazine "
(March, 1842), note, p. 17 of Mr. Innes's
book, we find, " The Grocers in ' booking '
their fisher customers, invariably insert
the nick-name or fee-name.' " That seems
to support my contention that a tee-name
is simply a nick-name.
TEHEE, iv. 523. V. note under TAHEE,
iv. 494.
164 Teuchit—Tid
TEUCHIT, iv. 533. " The lapwing." Refer-
ence should be made to quotation under
SEGG, iv. 171.
THETIS, THETES, iv. 544. Jamieson gives
here, " I hae nae thete o' that = I don't like
' that — I have not a good opinion of it."
Surely the much more natural explanation
of the meaning of the word is simply,
" I've nae thocht (thought) o' that."
TID, iv. 573. "Metaphorically used as
denoting humour, whether in a good or
in a bad sense." The definition given in
the Gallovidian Encyclopedia is much
better — " Inclination, an inspiration of
small duration." To be " in the tid " for
doing a thing is to be in a passing humour
for doing it, to be in the key for it. " A
bit braw hairst tid" a fine harvest time,
continuance uncertain.
TID, TYD, iv. 573. "Happened." Thomas
the Rhymer's lines might have been given
here : —
Tyde, tyde, whate'er betyde
There's aye be Haigs in Bemersyde.
Tiddie— Timmertuned 165
TIDDIE, iv. 573. " Cross in temper." It is
not so much " cross " as of a peculiar,
uncertain humour — nighty, fanciful, crot-
chety, eccentric.
TIEN should be entered at iv. 573, with
a cross-reference to TINE, iv. 580.
TIMMERTUNED, iv. 579. " Having a
harsh voice, one that is by no means
musical." Surely the latter is not a cor-
rect definition. A man may have the
very keenest appreciation of music, and
yet be " timmertuned " ; that is, he may
be very fond of music, but may not have
the faculty of expressing it upon any
instrument, not even by the humble
whistle. Many a " timmertuned " man
much more thoroughly enjoys Ballad
Music (words wedded to music) than other
men, who would go mad if called timmer-
tuned, enjoy, or pretend to enjoy Mendels-
sohn's " Lieder ohne Worte," with regard
to which, if you put a question as to the
meaning, to a dozen cognoscenti, you
would get a dozen different interpretations,
one saying it represented the rippling of
a brook, another a thunderstorm, another
the sounds of a farmyard, another the
wailing of an infant, another a battle-
166 Tiding -Pin
piece, and so on. To most people — if they
would only have the candour to confess
it — Mendelssohn's "Songs without Words'*
are simply " Songs without Meaning,"
or with a different meaning for each
listener.
A timmertuned man has this consola-
tion, that at a concert he has much more
real enjoyment than those who would
murder you if you ventured to question
their having the finest — if not, indeed, the
longest — of ears, and whose main enjoy-
ment at a concert seems to be to find
fault.
The sub-note in Jamieson says it is not
so much a harsh un tuneable voice as the
want of a musical ear, and then he con-
tradicts himself by saying it is applied to
one who is unable to sing in melody. A
timmertuned man may have a harsh
voice, and may not be capable of express-
ing music, but he is quite capable of
feeling it. If he has a harsh voice, he
does not attempt to sing. The fault is in
the inability to express the music that is
in him, but, for all that, he need not
necessarily have a harsh voice.
TIRLING-PIN is not given at iv. 584. " To
tirl at the pin, fco twirl the handle of the
Tirling-Pin 16T
latch " (which is quite wrong), is given at
iv. 583. The following two interesting
communications to " Notes and Queries "
are, I think, well worth quoting in full : —
I. In No. for 27th Nov. 1897, 8th S. xii., p. 426.
" Tirling-pin. — This is a term to be found in some old
Scotch ballads — ' Glasgerion ' and ' Charlie is my
Darling,' and also in others. 'He tirled at the pin,
the lady rose and let him in.' I often wondered what
' the tirling at the pin ' meant, and found no help
in dictionaries. Dr. Brewer says : — ' The pin is the
door-latch, and before a visitor entered a room it was,
in Scotland, thought good manners to fumble at the
latch to give notice of your intention to enter.' But
having recently come across a real tirling-pin in
the Antiquarian Museum at Edinburgh, and still
more lately a plaster cast of one at the Brussels
Exhibition, I am constrained to believe Dr. Brewer is-
in error. The tirling-pin has no latch. It consists of a
piece or rod of iron about half an inch in diameter,
coiled or twisted like a rope. It is placed vertically
on the door, the upper and lower ends of it being bent
at right angles, and these ends fixed in the door ; but
before being so fixed, a ring of iron, of the same
diameter in thickness as the rod, also coiled or twisted
like it, is slung on the upright piece. The upright
piece, which when fixed thus forms a sort of handle to-
the door, is, I believe, called the ' door-sneck.' The
upright part of this door-sneck, not counting the parts-
bent towards the door, would be about six inches in
length, and up and down this, round about this, the=
ring can be freely twirled or twisted or set spinning,
and I imagine there would be a good deal of scope
for individual play in the manipulation of the ring
on the rod of iron — more so than in the rat-a-tat-tat of
our street-door knockers ; and there would be a.
168 Tirling-Pin
peculiar tirring noise accompany the twirl, from the
rope-like make of the sneck and the ring. The
word schnecke in German means a snail or cockle,
and schnecJcenlinie, German, I find, means a spiral
line, conchoid — that is, having curved elevations and
depressions, which the door-sneck and the ring both
have, as I have shown, in each case that I have seen.
Dr. Brewer goes on to say that ' tirl is the Anglo-
iSaxon thv:er-an, Dutch dwarlen, our twirl, etc., or
Danish trille, German triller, Welsh treillio, our trill,
to rattle or roll.' No doubt the sound produced
by the twirling of the ring would correspond to a
trill."— E. A. C.
II. In No. for llth Dec., 1897, 8th S. xii., p. 478.
"Tirling-pin (8th S. xii., 426).— I am the fortunate
possessor of one of these curiosities, now seldom met
with in situ. I have never seen a better specimen,
a,nd it certainly excels any in the National Museum of
Antiquities at Edinburgh. Not only has it the usual
twisted rod and ring, but it has a beautifully designed
plate of iron, made to fasten on the door behind it so
a,s to form a background or setting for it. I believe it
originally came from one of the royal residences in
Scotland ; and now it is not merely kept as a chamber
-curiosity, but performs its duty on the front door of a
very picturesque old house. May I point out that
your correspondent, E. A. C. , is mistaken in supposing
that it has anything to do with a ' door-sneck ' ? —
which is simply the latch (vide Jamieson's ' Diction-
ary'); neither is the ring freely twirled or twisted, or
set spinning round the rod. On the contrary, it is held
firmly in the hand and drawn sharply up and down
the rod. Deaf indeed will be the servant who does not
hear this summons. From this method of using the
ring is derived the other name of the instrument,
Risping-pin, from risp, to grate or make a rasping
sound."— J. B. P.
Tirr 169
It does not require any very special
talent in the way of seeing through mill-
stones to guess that "J. B. P." is my
esteemed and learned friend Mr. James
Balfour Paul, Lord Lyon King -of -Arms,
and that the "very picturesque old house"
is Tullibole Castle, Crook-of-Devon, Kin-
ross-shire, at present inhabited by him.
This interesting old castle is noticed in
"The Castellated and Domestic Archi-
tecture of Scotland," by David MacGibbon
and Thomas Ross. Edinburgh : David
Douglas. 1892. Vol. iv. At p. 108
there is an illustration of the castle, and
at p. 110 a very good illustration of
the " tirling - pin," as described by the
Lyon.
TIRR, iv. 585. " 5. To pare off the sward by
means of a spade. Persons are said to
tirr the ground, before casting peats."
This definition is deficient. The most
common meaning is, to remove the soil
and sub-soil from above a bed of sand-
stone in a quarry.
TIRR, noun, the stuff so removed, is not
given.
170 Toddy— Toft
TODDY, iv. 591. Here one stands aghast I
Fancy a Scotch dictionary without the
word " toddy " in it ! It is something
too awful and appalling. The Imperial
Dictionary, which is on many occasions
a better book of reference for Scotch
words than Jamieson, gives it as, " 2. A
mixture of spirit and water sweetened,
as whisky-toddy, rum-toddy, etc. Toddy
differs from grog in having a less pro-
portion of spirit, and in being sweetened ;
and while grog is made with cold water,
toddy is always made with boiling
water."
The lads an' lasses, blythely bent
To mind baith saul an' body,
Sit round the table, weel content,
An' steer about the toddy.
—(Burns, " Holy Fair," 20.)
TO-FALL, iv. 591. A cross-reference to LEAN-
TO, ii. 112, should have been given here.
The definition of " a building whose roof
rests on the wall of the principal building"
is incorrect. It falls to, or leans to, or
against, the wall. Hence the name. Not
necessarily on the wall, for it is seldom
the full height of the wall.
TOFT, iv. 592. The true meaning is only
given in the middle of a small-print
Tokie—Toon 171
sub-note, " the premises of a house,
a yard." The usual phraseology of Scotch
law documents might have been quoted in
all its sweet simplicity, " with the haill
tofts, crofts, outfield, infield, mosses, muirs,
marshes, meadows, coals, coal-heughs,
annexis, connexis, parts, pendicles, and
pertinents of the same." A correspondent
kindly furnishes me with the following : —
The true meaning of " Toft" is a toom place, an
empty place. In Norwegian and Danish Dictionaries
"Toft" is referred to "Tomt" from Tom, which is
just the Scots "Toom "or " Tume " or " Tuim." In
Christiania I saw building plots were placarded as
"Tomts for sale." The change from "m" to "f"
comes, I believe, under Grimm's "Law of Change."
Tofts and Crofts mean " empty land " and " cropped
land."
TOKIE, iv. 593. "An old woman's head-
dress, resembling a monk's cowl." Then
in a sub-note, " French, toque, a fashion of
bonnet or cap (somewhat like our old
courtiers velvet cap), worne ordinarily by
schollers, and some old men." The one
definition contradicts the other ; the latter
is the more correct one. It is more a
young woman's than an old woman's
head-dress nowadays.
TOON should be entered at iv. 596, with
a cross-reference to TOUN, iv. 603.
1 72 Toot-[ Toots]— Track
TOOT-[TOOTS], iv. 597. " Interjection ex-
pressive of contempt. Same with English
Tut." The Imperial Dictionary gives " Tut,
an exclamation used to check or rebuke,
or to express impatience or contempt."
The former part of this definition is the
more correct. When a young woman
says " Hoot-toot " to a young man who
attempts to kiss her, the expression does
not imply " contempt," or even " im-
patience," though it may imply a (mild)
" check or rebuke."
TOW, iv. 607. Some reference might have
been made to Alexander Ross's song,
" The Rock and the Wee Pickle Tow " :—
There was an aulcl wife had a wee pickle tow,
And she wad gae try the spinning o't,
She louted her doun, and her rock took alow,
And that was a bad beginnin' o't.
TROCK, TROKE, iv. 626. "To bargain, traffic,
exchange, barter, to be busy about little."
Is " troke " not just equivalent to
" stravaig," with this difference — it would
be said that a girl was always "stravaigin"
about with some young fellow, implying
walking about outside ? On the other
hand, it would be said that a woman was
always trokin about from house to
house, implying inside visitations.
Trone— Tmk 173
TRONE, iv. 627, 628. "Tron" should surely
be given as the much more frequent
spelling. We, in Glasgow, are all familiar
with the Tron Steeple and the Trongate,
but never heard of the Trone Steeple or
the Tronegate. Is "trone" known now
anywhere else in Scotland ?
TRUFF, iv. 634. "Corruption of English
Turf." Here might be given the following
from Chambers's "Popular Rhymes of
Scotland," p. 24 :—
The people of Moffat being far removed from any
coal district, and therefore under the necessity of
digging their fuel from a neighbouring moss, the
phrase "a Moffat fire" has long been proverbial, being
thus explained by the authors of the above joke—
" twae peats and ae trvff."
TUMFIE, iv. 642. "A stupid person." There
should be a cross-reference to SUMPH,
iv. 461.
TUSK, iv. 645. "The torsk of Pennant."
There should here be a cross-reference to
QUHITE FISCH, iii. 589.
Unco — Upright Bur 175
u
UNCO, iv. 662, is not very well defined. It
is one of those Scotch words that are of
almost illimitable meaning. One or two
out of the forty-one occasions Burns makes
use of the word might surely have been
given by way of illustration, particularly
his reference to "The Unco Guid." The
meaning as a noun in the plural, "Uncos" —
auld nick-nackits, curiosities, old relics —
is not given, nor is the meaning " wonders,
strange things."
Each tells the uncos that he sees or hears.
—(Burns, " The Cotter's Saturday Night," v.
UPRIGHT BUR, iv. 678. "The Lycopodium
selago" A lycopodium is not a burr, it
is a moss. The burr is the Galium
Aparine.
Vassal — Vastage 177
VASSAL should be given at iv. 688, with its
Scotch meaning, a feudatory, a tenant
holding lands under an overlord or feudal
superior, formerly for some feudal service,
nowadays for payment of a fixed annual
sum of money in name of feu-duty.
The relation of superior and vassal is,
unfortunately, unknown in England, where
leasehold properties fall in to the landlord,
and leases are often only renewed at
greatly enhanced ground rents. A feu-
duty is a fixed and perpetual ground rent
that cannot be raised upon the vassal by
the superior or landlord.
VASTAGE is not given at iv. 689. Query—
Wastage, or waste ground ? " And the old
N
178 \'<'na II — Viewers
vastage called the Millhillhouse on the
east." (Title of old property in Kit-
winning). Halliwell gives " VAST. (1)
waste ; deserted place ; " and " VASTACIE,
waste and deserted places."
VENALL, VINELL, iv. 690. The most
common spelling, "vermeil," should have
been given.
VENDACE, iv. 690. "The Gwiniad. The
Salmo Lavaretus of Linnseus." Either this
is wrong, or POWAN, iii. 537 (which is
described in exactly the same words) is
wrong. The Powan and the Vendace are
of the same genus Coregonus, but the
Powan is indigenous to Loch Lomond, the
Vendace to Lochmaben, while the Powan
is longer than the Vendace, 8J inches on
an average, as against 6J inches. V. notes
on POWAN.
VIER, VYER, iv. 693. " Other." Vyerwayis,
" otherwise," might also have been given.
See Crawfurd, "Sketch of the Trades'
House of Glasgow," p. 65.
VIEVERS, iv. 693. " Provisions, food."
There should here be a cross-reference to
Vyer 179
VIVERIS, iv. 696, where illustrations of the
use of the word are given.
VYER and VYERWAYIS should be entered at
iv. 702, with cross-references to VIER, iv.
693.
Walkrife — Wanchancie 181
w
WALKRIFE, WAKRIFE, WAUKRIFE, iv. 717.
" Watchful, Scotch wakrife." Surely this
is very seldom spelt with an "1," and
generally also spelt "riff," the "i" being
short.
WALK, WAUK, iv. 717. "To full cloth."
About Glasgow it is always spelt " waulk."
"The Waulk-miln of Partick." WAULK
should have been given at iv. 750 as a
cross-reference.
WAMBLE, iv. 722. There should be a
cross-reference here to WAUMLE, iv. 750.
WANCHANCIE, iv. 723. "Unlucky." This
is also spelt "winchancie." There should
be a cross-reference to UNCHANCY, iv. 662.
182 Wan ter — Waulk
WANTER, iv. 727. "A term applied, both to
a bachelor, and to a widower ; from the
circumstance of wanting, or being without
a wife." Is it not applied to a spinster
also?
Mony words are needless, Katie,
Ye're a wanter, sae am I.
—(Burns : Song, " Will ye go and marry, Katie?"
WARSELL, WERSILL, iv. 739. " To wrestle,
to strive. WARSELL, WARSLE, a struggle ;
wi' a warsle, with difficulty." This is
another Scotch word for which there is
no exact English equivalent. It means
more than "wrestle, strive, struggle." It
almost implies doing so successfully.
" Don't you fash yersel' aboot him ;
he'll warstle through."
WASTELL, iv. 743. "Willie Wastell, the
name given to a game common among
children." The last sub -note is, "This, I
am informed, is the same game with that
in England called Tom Tickler." Presum-
ably this is a misprint for " Tom Tiddler's
Ground."
WAULK and WAULK - MILN should be
entered at iv. 750, with a cross-reference
to WALK, iv. 717, WAUK and W AUK- MILL,
iv. 749.
Wee— Whiskie 183
WEE, iv. 753. " Small, little." It means a
great deal more than that. This is
notably one of those Scotch words that
has no English equivalent ; accordingly
our English friends have very sensibly
adopted it. You will nowadays hear
English people, just as much as Scotch,
saying to a child, " Oh ! you are a dear
wee pet." " Little " pet would not convey
half the meaning. " Wee " has a sort of
kindly meaning, even as applied to in-
animate things, as " A dear wee book."
WEED should be entered at iv. 759. It is
thus defined in the Imperial Dictionary,
"A general name for any sudden illness
from cold or relapse, usually accompanied
by febrile symptoms ; taken by females
after confinement or during nursing
(Scotch)."
WERDIE, iv. 769. " The youngest or feeblest
bird in a nest." Youngest is surely wrong.
The proverb, " Ilka nest has its werdie,"
does not mean "every nest has its youngest
bird" — which goes without saying — but
" every nest has its feeblest bird."
WHISKIE, WHISKY, iv. 784. " A species of
1 84 Whorle— Willie- Waught
ardent spirits, distilled from malt." Whisky
gets but scant attention from Jamieson,
and rightly so, for it is not Scotch Drink.
It is a modern innovation. Claret for the
upper classes, and Ale for the lower classes
was the real " guid auld Scotch Drink " of
the time of Burns, and before his time.
The spelling " Whiskie " is not Scotch.
Burns has " Whisky " nine times, but
never " Whiskie."
WHORLE, iv. 788. " A very small wheel."
Query — What was a whorl-pit ? Was it
a pit worked by a " gin " ?
WHUPSDAY is not entered at iv. 789.
What is its meaning ?
WTERD, iv. 795. "Troublesome, mischiev-
ous ; as, ' 0, but ye're a wierd laddie.' "
Does it not rather mean, " peculiar, rather
uncanny " ? Burns uses the word only
once, and spells it " wierd." It is spelt
" weird " in English dictionaries.
WIFFIE, iv. 795. " A little wife, a fondling
term." It is just as often applied to a
child as to a wife.
WILLIE-W AUGHT should be entered at
Wite— Wumble 185
iv. 799, with a cross-reference to WAUCHT,
iv. 748. It is rather amusing that in Mr.
T. Humphry Ward's " English Poets," the
line from Burns's "Auld Lang Syne" is
quoted :—
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught—
with the hyphen between " guid " and
" willie " in place of between " willie " and
"waught." Query— Should it not be
" richt " in place of " right " ?
WITE, WYTE, iv. 814. " To blame, to accuse."
Mony a ane wytes their Wife
For their ain thriftless life.
—{Sir William Stirling-Maxwell—" Miscellaneous Essays
—Proverbial Philosophy of Scotland," p. 32.)
WINCHANCIE should be entered at iv.
805, with a cross-reference to UNCHANCY,
iv. 662, and to WANCHANCIE, iv. 723.
WIRN, iv. 811. "To become." WIRR, "to
gnar, to growl as a dog, to fret, to
whine."
The winning win' of a grand hairst-time was
steering amang the stocks. — (Dr. Duguid, p. 84.)
WIRRY-COW, iv. 811, generally spelt
" worry-cow " or " wurry-cow."
WUMBLE should be given at iv. 837 as
186 Wycht
well as WUMMIL. A wimble, an auger, a
gimlet.
But he was gleg as onie wimble, — (Burns, "On a
Scotch Bard gone to the West Indies," iv. 5.)
WYCHT is given at iv. 838, with a cross-
reference to WIGHT, iv. 790, " strong,
powerful ; active, clever." It denotes
something more than this. It means not
only a Man, but " a Man and a Leader of
Men." We talk of " Wallace Wycht," and
we might also speak of " Wellington
Wycht," though it would certainly sound
a little incongruous to modern ears. It
could not be properly applied to merely
the strongest man at throwing the caber,
or anything of that sort. A whole regi-
ment, though all strong, powerful men,
would never all be called " Wycht." It is
applicable only to a Leader, a head and
shoulders above the rest.
Several quotations are given, but one
from And row of Wyntoun applicable to
a "Knycht" of a certain Noble Family
might also have been given : —
Schire Davy Flemyng of Cumbirnald
Lord, a Knycht stout and bald,
Trowit and luvit wel with the King :
This ilke gu.d and gentle Knycht
That was baith manful, lele, and ivycht.
PRINTED BY WILLIAM HODGE & CO.,
GLASGOW AND EDINBURGH.
Fleming, James B
2106 Montgomerie
J36F5 Desultory notes on
Jamieson's Scottish
dictionary
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