sned

en-verb

sned (third-person singular simple present sneds, present participle snedding, simple past and past participle snedded)

sneds (present singular third-person)
snedding (participle present)
snedded (participle past)
snedded (past)
snid (alternative Scotland)
sneed (alternative Scotland)
snade (alternative Scotland)
snedd (alternative Scotland)

(archaic, Northern England, Scotland, transitive) To lop; lop or chop off.


peever

(Scotland) a small stone or other small object, used in hopscotch.


peevers

(Scotland) hopscotch (the children's game)


hunch cuddy hunch

(Scotland) A children's game involving piling up on people's backs.


pilliwinks

From Middle English pirewinkes (“instrument of torture for squeezing the thumbs, thumbscrew”) [and other forms]; further origin unknown. It has been suggested that the word is a variant of Middle English pervink, pervinke (“periwinkle (plant; Vinca minor or Vinca major); (figuratively) evil man”), but the Oxford English Dictionary doubts this due to the difference in meaning. Compare Swedish pille-, related to pilla (“fiddle with the fingers”).

refn

From the collection of the former National Museum of Crime & Punishment in Washington, D.C., USA.

inh

[H]er maiſter to the intent that he might the better trie and finde out the truth of the ſame, did with the help of others, torment her with the torture of the Pilliwinkes upon her fingers, which is a grieuous torture, [...]

[1592?], attributed to James Carmichael, Newes from Scotland. Declaring the Damnable Life of Doctor Fian a Notable Sorcerer, who was Burned at Edenbrough in Ianuarie last. 1591. […], [London]: Printed [by T. Scarlet] for William Wright, →OCLC; republished as G[eorge] H[enry] Freeling, editor, Newes from Scotland, Declaring the Damnable Life of Doctor Fian, […], London: From the Shakespeare Press [for the Roxburghe Club], by W[illiam] Bulmer and Co., 1816, →OCLC:

On the 24th June 1596, John Stewart, Maſter of Orkney, was indicted for conſulting with Aliſon Balfour, a witch, for the deſtruction of Patrick Earl of Orkney, his brother, by poiſon.— [...] No regard can be had to it, in reſpect the ſaid confeſſion was extorted by force of torment; [...] her little daughter, about ſeven years old, put in the pilniewinks; all in the poor woman's preſence, to make her confeſs. [...] It was pleaded for Alaſter Grant, who was indicted for theft and robbery 3d Auguſt 1632, "That he cannot paſs to the knowledge of an aſſize, in respect he was twice put to the torture, firſt in the boots, and next in the pilliewinks or pinniewinks; [...]"

1774, [John] Maclaurin, “Introduction to the Criminal Cases”, in Arguments, and Decisions, in Remarkable Cases, before the High Court of Justiciary, and Other Supreme Courts, in Scotland, Edinburgh: Printed for J. Bell, […]; London: E. & C. Dilly, […], →OCLC, § 9 (Of the Torture), page xxxvi:

They prick us and they pine us, and they pit us on the pinnywinkles for witches; [...]

1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter IX, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume II (The Bride of Lammermoor), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 230:

[S]end me that hag hither; she shall avouch what it was that she hath given to the wretch Dryfesdale, or the pilniewinks and thumbikins shall wrench it out of her finger-joints.

1820, [Walter Scott], chapter V, in The Abbot. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, pages 173–174:

The two generals were ultra Tories, and were regarded not unjustly as acting with uncalled for severity against the disaffected. They introduced "from Muscovy" "Pilliwinks, or Thumbikins,"—"a new invention, used," says Fountainhall, "among the Coilzears [i.e., colliers] when transgressors."

1868, “Bothwell Brig”, in James Maidment, editor, Scotish Ballads and Songs, Historical and Traditionary, volume II, Edinburgh: William Paterson, […], →OCLC, page 298:

[Jeillie Duncan, a servant-girl] made so many cures that she was presently suspected of witchcraft. She was treated to orthodox modes of torture; her fingers were pinched with the pilliwinks, her forehead was wrenched with a rope, but she would say nothing until the Devil's mark was found on her throat, when she gave in and confessed herself a servant of Satan.

1912 November, Francis Watt, “The Supernatural”, in The Book of Edinburgh Anecdote, Edinburgh, London: T[homas] N[oble] Foulis, →OCLC, page 233:

(chiefly Scotland, historical) A torture device for squeezing the fingers; a thumbscrew.

National Museum of Crime & Punishment
Oxford English Dictionary


stob

He climbed from the skiff and tied up at a stob and labored up the thick grassless bank toward the arches where the bridge went to earth.

1979, Cormac McCarthy, Suttree, Random House, page 11:

(dialectal, Appalachia, Northern England, Scotland) A stick, twig or peg, especially in roofing or matting.


stob

en-verb

stob (third-person singular simple present stobs, present participle stobbing, simple past and past participle stobbed)

stobs (present singular third-person)
stobbing (participle present)
stobbed (participle past)
stobbed (past)

(dialect, Appalachia, Northern England, Scotland) To stab.

(dialect, Northern England, Scotland) To roof with stob-thatch.

(dialect, Northern England, Scotland) To make mats with a stob tool.


chark

chark (third-person singular simple present charks, present participle charking, simple past and past participle charked)

charks (present singular third-person)
charking (participle present)
charked (participle past)
charked (past)

Cognate with Scots chork, from Middle English charken, cherkin, from Old English ċearcian, variant of cracian (“to resound, make an abrasive sound, crack”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn, from Proto-Germanic *krakōną (“to crack, crackle; to shriek”). Doublet of chirk, crack, and crake.

der

The hoarse charking conversation which they carried on was calculated to support the delusion.

1820, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, volume 7:


sturt

Lift up your hart and be of gude curage,
Sturt in na way your leiknes can asswage

1837, John Rolland, The Seven Sages: In Scotish Metre:

(obsolete, UK, Scotland, dialect) disturbance; annoyance; care


sturt

en-verb

sturt (third-person singular simple present sturts, present participle sturting, simple past and past participle sturted)

sturts (present singular third-person)
sturting (participle present)
sturted (participle past)
sturted (past)

(obsolete, UK, Scotland, dialect, transitive) To vex; to annoy; to startle.

(obsolete, UK, Scotland, dialect, intransitive) To start with fear.


overset

overset (third-person singular simple present oversets, present participle oversetting, simple past and past participle overset)

oversets (present singular third-person)
oversetting (participle present)
overset (participle past)
overset (past)
overset (infinitive)
overset (first-person present singular)
overset (first-person past singular)
overset (present second-person singular)
oversettest (archaic present second-person singular)
overset (past second-person singular)
oversettedst (archaic past second-person singular)
oversets (present singular third-person)
oversetteth (archaic present singular third-person)
overset (past singular third-person)
overset (plural present)
overset (past plural)
overset (present subjunctive)
overset (past subjunctive)
overset (imperative present)
oversetting (participle present)
overset (participle past)
over-set (alternative)

/ˌoʊvəɹˈsɛt/

PIE word
 *upér
The verb is derived from Middle English oversetten (“to place or set over, cover; to assail; to defeat, overcome, overpower, overthrow; to defer; to discredit, refute; to disregard, overlook, set aside; to hinder; to oppress; to repulse”), from Old English ofersettan (“to put in a position of authority; to overcome or be overcome; to set over”), from Proto-West Germanic *ubarsattjan (“to place above, set over; to establish, install”), from *ubarsittjan (“to abstain from, neglect; to occupy, possess; to sit over or upon”), from *ubar- (prefix meaning ‘above, over’) + *sittjan (“to sit”) (from Proto-Germanic *sitjaną (“to sit”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)). By surface analysis, over- (prefix meaning ‘above, higher; excessive, excessively’) + set (verb). Doublet of oversit.
Sense 1.2.3 (“to translate (a text)”) is probably a calque of German übersetzen.
The adjective is derived from overset, the past participle form of the verb. The noun is also derived from the verb.
cognates
* Dutch overzetten (“to ferry, transport, translate”)
* Old High German ubarsezzen (Middle High German übersetzen, modern German übersetzen (“to cross over, translate”))
* Saterland Frisian uursätte (“to cross over, translate”)
* Swedish översätta (“to translate”)
* West Frisian oersette (“to translate”)

cog

(Lincolnshire, Scotland) To recover from (an illness).


yure

yures (plural)
ewer (alternative)
ure (alternative)

From Middle English ȝowre, from Old Norse júr, júgr (“udder”), from Proto-Germanic *eudarą, *ūdarą. More at udder.

(UK, dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) udder


noit

en-noun

noit (usually uncountable, plural noits)

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Alternative form of note (“business”).


rhone

(Scotland) A horizontal section of guttering, collecting rainwater from a roof.


schemey

(Scotland, colloquial) Someone who lives on an urban housing scheme, especially seen as being poor or ill-educated.


dignosce

en-verb

dignosce (third-person singular simple present dignosces, present participle dignoscing, simple past and past participle dignosced)

dignosces (present singular third-person)
dignoscing (participle present)
dignosced (participle past)
dignosced (past)

[…]
And make Christ's people by peculiar choice
Dignosce the shepherds from the hyrelings voice.

1638, Henry Adamson, The Muses' Threnodie:

For truth being in indivisibili, as is the essence of what ever is, who is most versed in the nature and properties of a thing is alwayes best able to dignosce of its value.

1652, Sir Thomas Urquart, The Epistle Liminary:

Meanwhile there is a committeee appointed to dignosce upon the supplication and how field conventicles shall be suppressed

1676, William Row, Supplement to the History of Mr Blair's Life:


kyrk

en-noun

kyrk (countable and uncountable, plural kyrks)

From Northern Middle English kyrk, kyrke, from chirche, from Old English ċiriċe (“church”), from Proto-West Germanic *kirikā, an early borrowing of Ancient Greek κυριακόν (kuriakón).

Saint Ambroſe, when the Emperor invaded his Kyrk, and the people were ready to make reſcue, ſo farre as that the Invaders could not have ſuſtained their force ; […]

1639, Thomas Lord Bishop of Duresme [i.e., Thomas Morton], “They that reſiſt ſhall receive to themſelves Damnation”, in A Sermon Preached Before the Kings Moſt Excellent Majestie, in the Cathedrall Church of Durham. […], Robert Barker, page 36:

1. First, That Images are not to be had in the Kyrk, nor to be worſhipped.

1644, John Knox, The Historie of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland; […], London: […] John Raworth for George Thomason and Octavian Pullen […], page 2:

All things given in hoſpitality, all rents pertaining to Prieſts and Chanteries, Colledges, Chappelries, Fryeries of all orders, the ſiſters of the Seynes, all which ought to be retained ſtill in the uſe of the Kyrk. Give them but leave to take their breath, ard expect the reſt: The whole revenues of the temporalties of the Biſhops, Deans, and Arch-deans lands, and all rents pertaining to Cathedral Kyrks. Then ſuppoſing an objection that the poſſeſſours had leaſes and eſtates, they anſwer,that thoſe who made them were thieves and murtherers, and had no power to alienate the common good of the Kyrk.

1659, Henry Stubbe, A Letter to an Officer of the Army Concerning a Select Senate […], London: […] T. B. […], page 17:

(Christianity, Northern England, Scotland) Obsolete spelling of kirk.


Fenian

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Fenian.wav

Blend of Irish féinne or fianna, plural of fiann (“soldier”), the name of a legendary band of Irish warriors, and Old Irish Féne or Féni, legendary settlers of Ireland. First attested from 1816.

It was sound advice for anyone visiting Northern Ireland in 1999 and remains so today: do not refer to Protestants as “Prods”, or to Catholics as “Fenians” or “Taigs”, and whatever you do don’t refer to your visit as “being out here”.

[2023 August 23, Rory Carroll, “Files reveal terms ministers were warned not to use in Northern Ireland”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(derogatory, Scotland and Northern Ireland) A Catholic, especially one of Irish ethnicity or descent.

taig

Irish Catholic or supporter of Celtic F.C

(derogatory, Scotland and Northern Ireland) A supporter of Scottish association football club Celtic F.C.


dealgan

From Scottish Gaelic dealgan (“spindle”).

(Scotland) A kind of spindle, around which the cord is rolled as it is made, afterwards being slipped off the end by removing the whorl.


blethering

(especially Northern England, Scotland, Northern Ireland) Alternative form of blathering.


bumbaze

en-verb

bumbaze (third-person singular simple present bumbazes, present participle bumbazing, simple past and past participle bumbazed)

bumbazes (present singular third-person)
bumbazing (participle present)
bumbazed (participle past)
bumbazed (past)

(obsolete, Scotland) To perplex, confuse.


MWI

en-adj

MWI (comparative more MWI, superlative most MWI)

more MWI (comparative)
most MWI (superlative)

'Getting MWI', apparently short for Getting Mad With It (or in other words, drunk).

[2011, Tanya Cooke, Help! I'm a Facebookaholic: Inside the Crazy World of Social Networking, London: John Blake Publishing, →ISBN, page 185:

The live stream was under way and a total of 1.3million folk tuned in to see me blether with [Ewan] McGregor about blasting Born Slippy at empties and if Irvine Welsh had the Monday aff work to get MWI – mad wae it – after the premiere.

2017 January 27, Grado, “I got blanked by Robert Carlyle for calling him Boaby but I felt like luckiest man on the world at T2 Trainspotting premiere”, in Daily Record, archived from the original on 2022-06-27:

It seemed like a great idea at the time. It was New Year's Day, I was slightly rough (okay completely still MWI) and there seemed absolutely no time like the present to ditch the fags for good as my 2019 resolution.

2019 January 31, “The Glasgow Live girls give up their vices for January”, in Glasgow Live, archived from the original on 2022-01-27:

Sharing his purchase, Andy posted: "Really need to stay aff that wish when I'm mwi"

2020 July 3, David Irvine, “KFC share hilarious response to Scot who bought KFC tracksuit from Wish when he was 'mwi'”, in The Scottish Sun, archived from the original on 2021-10-31:

not just saying this cos im mwi and have ran^([sic]) out of booze but it's actually criminal that scotland has an alcohol curfew

2021 May 20, @normaltiffany, Twitter, archived from the original on 2023-06-05:

(British, especially Scotland, Internet slang) Initialism of mad with it (“extremely drunk or intoxicated”).


piner

Apparently from Middle Dutch piner, pijner (Dutch pijnder), from pinen, pijnen (“to labour, toil”).

(Scotland) A labourer, especially a turf cutter.


Steenie

"Here, Dougal," said the Laird, "gie Steenie a tass of brandy down stairs, till I count the siller and write the receipt."

And now the murder is out, and I stand before you as Stephen Broadfoot, or "Little Steenie", as I used to be called when attending Edinburgh College.

1852, William Harrison Ainsworth, “Tale of a Carpet-Bag”, in Ainsworth's Magazine, volume 21, page 17:

(Scotland) A diminutive of the male given name Stephen.


abune

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles

Oxford University Press
w:Oxford University Press

(Northern England, Scotland) Alternative form of aboon


abune

Noo, high abune winds an' waves abune

1877, Peter Burn, English Border Ballads:

And he gaed, and as he was bringing hame the water, a raven owre abune his head cried to him to look...

1991, Katharine Mary Briggs, A Dictionary of British Folk Tales in the British Language:


belive

en-adv

belive (comparative more belive, superlative most belive)

more belive (comparative)
most belive (superlative)
blive (alternative)

From Middle English bilive (“actively, vigorously, eagerly, gladly, quickly, at once”), with syncopated alternative form blive. The adverb is from a contraction of by /bi + live (dative form of lyf, "life"), literally, "by life".

affix

By that same way the direfull dames doe driue / Their mournefull charet, fild with rusty blood, / And downe to Plutoes house are come biliue [...].

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

(obsolete outside Scotland) Quickly, forthwith.

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Soon, presently, before long; by and by; anon


redd up

en-verb

redd up (third-person singular simple present redds up, present participle redding up, simple past and past participle redd up or redded up)

redds up (present singular third-person)
redding up (participle present)
redd up (participle past)
redd up (past)
redded up (participle past)
redded up (past)

There, sir, you are redd up and made decent.

(dialect, chiefly Scotland or US, western Pennsylvania) To clean up, especially a room.


daud

Imitative of a heavy thump. Attested from the end of the 16th century.

onomatopoeic

Imitative

(Scotland and Northern England, archaic) A blow, a heavy thump.


German Ocean

If we take the oldest specimens of Flemish and Frisian, and compare them with the English of King Alfred and the Norse that was spoken by the settlers of Iceland, we realize how very close was the kinship a thousand years ago among the people on all coasts of the German Ocean.

1902, John Fiske, The writings of John Fiske:

(obsolete or dialectal, Scotland) North Sea


reest

en-verb

reest (third-person singular simple present reests, present participle reesting, simple past and past participle reested)

reests (present singular third-person)
reesting (participle present)
reested (participle past)
reested (past)

Gay Garland had carried my father over long to reest with him at the hinderend.

1895, S. R. Crockett, The Men of the Moss-Hags:

(Scotland, England) Alternative form of rest (“to cure, smoke, or dry (meat or fish); (of a horse) to stop or refuse to go, balk”).


forby

en-adj

forby (comparative more forby, superlative most forby)

more forby (comparative)
most forby (superlative)
foreby (alternative)
forbye (alternative)

From Middle English forby, forbi, of Middle Low German or North Germanic origin, equivalent to fore- + by. Compare Saterland Frisian foarbie (“beyond, past”), West Frisian foarby (“over, beyond, past”), Dutch voorbij (“beyond, past”), Low German vörbi, vörbie (“over, up, gone, finished, past”), German vorbei (“over, gone, past”), Danish forbi, Swedish förbi. More at fore, by.

cog

He's a forbye man.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Uncommon; out of the ordinary; extraordinary; superior.


forby

To see the world and folk that went forby, […]

1899, Richard Garnett, Alois Leonhard Brandl, The universal anthology:

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Past; by; beyond.

He was forby kind.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Uncommonly; exceptionally.


forby

foreby (alternative)
forbye (alternative)

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Beyond; past; more than; greater than; over and above; moreover.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic, of time) Past; gone by; over.

Those were the two sonnes of Acrates old / Who meeting earst with Archimago slie, / Foreby that idle strond, of him were told, / That he, wich earst them combatted, was Guyon bold.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Near; beside; by, close to.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) On one side; out of the way.

There was other six forby me.

[T]hey ca' it fasting when they hae the best o' fish frae Hartlepool and Sunderland by land carriage, forbye trouts, gilses, salmon, and a' the lave o't, and so they make their very fasting a kind of luxury and abomination; […]

1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter [VI], in Rob Roy. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 133:

They call it fasting when they have the best of fish from Hartlepool and Sunderland by land carriage, forby [i.e., besides] trouts, grilses, salmon, and all the rest of it, and so they make their fasting a kind of luxury and abomination; […]

"Put on your dress, ye shameless witch, standin' there in your pelt I'll take a strap to, for havin' the conceit out of you, forby your idling had lost me the sup of gin to keep the breath of life in me."

1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 173:

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) Besides; in addition to; as well as; not to mention.

With the exception of
with the exception of

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland, archaic) With the exception of; not taking into account.


offski

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-offski.wav

(colloquial, Scotland, Northern England) away, not here, off

April 24 2009, FirParkCorner - Should I Stay or Should I Go?
However, the signing of Michael Fraser on a pre-contract from Inverness may suggest Smith is offski.

(Scotland, Northern England, colloquial) leaving, on one's way


offski

(Scotland, Northern England, colloquial) to leave, depart, set off


nake

en-verb

nake (third-person singular simple present nakes, present participle naking, simple past and past participle naked)

nakes (present singular third-person)
naking (participle present)
naked (participle past)
naked (past)

From Middle English naken (“to nake”), from Old English nacian (“to bare, strip, make naked”), from Proto-Germanic *nakwōną (“to make naked”), from Proto-Indo-European *nogʷ- (“to make naked”). Cognate with Old Norse nǫkkva (“to bare, expose”). More at naked.

der

Come, be ready, nake your swords.

1606, Thomas Middleton, The Revenger's Tragedy, act 4, scene 4:

(now chiefly Scotland) To make naked; to bare.


plisky

"What!" said BULGER. "Jist playin' a plisky on ye, and he meant that TOM wad pit ye in the way o' becoming a player.

1892, Various, Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 103, November 19, 1892:


buist

(Scotland) A mark put on sheep or cattle to indicate ownership.


buist

en-verb

buist (third-person singular simple present buists, present participle buisting, simple past and past participle buisted)

buists (present singular third-person)
buisting (participle present)
buisted (participle past)
buisted (past)

(Scotland, transitive) To mark with a buist.


ritt

(Northern England, Scotland) Alternative form of rit.


ritt

ritt (third-person singular simple present ritts, present participle ritting, simple past and past participle ritted)

ritts (present singular third-person)
ritting (participle present)
ritted (participle past)
ritted (past)


southron

(archaic, chiefly Scotland) Alternative form of southern: of or related to the south.

(archaic, Scotland) Synonym of English: of or related to England.


southron

(archaic, Scotland) Synonym of Englishman.

(Scotland, uncommon) Synonym of Lowlander: a Scottish person from the low lands south of the Highlands.


blin

blin (third-person singular simple present blins, present participle blinning, simple past blinned or blan, past participle blinned or blun)

blins (present singular third-person)
blinning (participle present)
blinned (past)
blan (past)
blinned (participle past)
blun (participle past)

From Middle English blinnen, from Old English blinnan (“to stop, cease”), from Proto-Germanic *bilinnaną (“to turn aside, swerve from”), from Proto-Indo-European *ley-, *leya- (“to deflect, turn away, vanish, slip”); equivalent to be- + lin. Cognate with Old High German bilinnan (“to yield, stop, forlet, give away”), Old Norse linna (Swedish dialectal linna, “to pause, rest”). See also lin.

cog

Swedish dialectal <i class="Latn mention" lang="sv">linna</i>

nathemore for that spectacle bad, / Did th'other two their cruell vengeaunce blin [...].

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

One while the little foot page went, / And another while he ran; / Until he came to his journey's end / The little foot page never blan.

1846, Moses Aaron Richardson, The Borderer's Table Book: Or, Gatherings of the Local History and Romance of the English and Scottish Border, VI, 46:

A child may cry for half an hour, and never blin ; it may rain all day, and never blin ; the train ran 100 miles, and never blinned.

1880, Margaret Ann Courtney, English Dialect Society, Glossary of words in use in Cornwall:

Thus blinned their boast, as we well ken

1908, John Masefield, A sailor's garland:

(obsolete, especially Scotland, Northumberland, Yorkshire) To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up.


thropple

A greater quantitie of victuall is carried from Zeila, [...] and beastes also, as namely sheepe, [...] as also certaine other all white with tayles a fathome long, and writhen like a vine branche, hauing thropples vnder their throtes like bulles.

[1600, Al-Hassan ibn-Mohammed al-Wezaz al-Fasi [i.e., Leo Africanus], “A Briefe Relation Concerning the Dominions, Reuenues, Forces, and Maner of Gouernment of Sundry the Greatest Princes either Inhabiting within the Bounds of Africa, or at least Possessing Some Parts thereof, Translated, for the Most Part, out of Italian”, in John Pory, transl., edited by Robert Brown, The History and Description of Africa and of the Notable Things therein Contained, […] (Works Issued by the Hakluyt Society; no. XCIV), volume III, London: […] Hakluyt Society, […], published 1896, →OCLC, page 982:

Luok, leyke mad bulls they bang about, / Wi' shouts their thropples rivan, / Wheyle whup for smack the rabble rout, / Are yen owr tother drivan; [...]

[1807, John Stagg, “Rosley Fair”, in Miscellaneous Poems, Some of which are in the Cumberland and Scottish Dialects, Wigton, Cumberland: […] R. Hetherton, →OCLC, page 141:

The morse [i.e., walrus] is said to roar or bellow loudly, but the animal we slew made no outcry, [...] Nevertheless, the immense size of its larynx or thropple, which William dissected out and brought with him to England, seems to indicate vast powers of voice in his animal; [...]

1829, [Robert Pearse Gillies], “The Voyage. (Continued.)”, in Tales of a Voyager to the Arctic Ocean. […] (Second Series), volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 66:

In the sentiment of the following lines on "A pipe of Tobacco" by John Usher, all lovers of the plant will heartily join: "Let the toper regale in his tankard of ale, / Or with alcohol moisten his thropple, / Only give me I pray, a good pipe of soft clay, / Nicely tapered, and thin in the stopple; / And I shall puff, puff, let who will say enough, / No luxury else I'm in lack o', / No malice I hoard, 'gainst Queen, Prince, Duke or Lord, / While I pull at my pipe of Tobacco. [..."]

1875, E. R. Billings, “Pipes and Smokers. (Continued.)”, in Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce, […], Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 178:

There is one type of neck which so constantly results in roaring that it is known in Yorkshire as a "roarer's neck," and sooner or later the horse which is so shaped is almost certain to fall a victim to the complaint. The neck in question is a strong thick one, with the head carried high, but there is a peculiar outward curve in front, somewhat resembling that of a fallow deer, with an unusually thick thropple, the formation of which, no doubt, sustains a constant strain on the nerve, which eventually fails in consequence.

1911, R[ichard] F[rederick] Meysey-Thompson, “Simple Ailments”, in The Horse: Its Origin and Development Combined with Stable Practice, London: Edward Arnold, →OCLC, page 289:

'He'll do nowt o' the sort,' I answered; 'and he wi' a hoast in his thropple like a badly cow. I sudn't be surprised if he were dead by Chrissamas.'

a. 1919, F[rederic] W[illiam] Moorman, “Tales of a Grandmother: I. The Tree of Knowledge”, in More Tales of the Ridings, London: Elkin Mathews, […], published 1920, →OCLC; republished as More Tales of the Ridings (EBook #18260), [United States]: Project Gutenberg, 2006 May 4, archived from the original on 2016-11-04:

(chiefly Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland) Alternative spelling of thrapple.


thropple

en-verb

thropple (third-person singular simple present thropples, present participle throppling, simple past and past participle throppled)

thropples (present singular third-person)
throppling (participle present)
throppled (participle past)
throppled (past)

"They throppled t' ane t' other;" took each other by the throat.

1868, J[ohn] C[hristopher] Atkinson, “Thropple”, in A Glossary of the Cleveland Dialect: Explanatory, Derivative, and Critical, London: John Russell Smith, […], →OCLC, page 531:

And oft we fratched and fret about, and throppled udder sair, / Upon the whol' the fell hes meade mischief for ivver mair, [...]

1875 December 9, Miss Powley, “Art. XXXI.—Past and Present among the Northern Fells. No. II.”, in Richard S[aul] Ferguson, editor, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmoreland Antiquarian & Archæological Society, volume II, Kendal, Westmorland: […] T. Wilson, published 1876, →OCLC, page 370:

(transitive, chiefly Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, dated) Alternative spelling of thrapple.


smoor

smoor (third-person singular simple present smoors, present participle smooring, simple past and past participle smoored)

smoors (present singular third-person)
smooring (participle present)
smoored (participle past)
smoored (past)
smore (alternative)

From Old English smorian, akin to Dutch and Low German smoren, German schmoren (“to stew”). Compare smother.

smoor the fire

The death o' devils smoor'd wi' brimstone reek

(transitive, obsolete, Scotland) To suffocate, smother, or extinguish


och aye

(Scotland) yes, OK; used to state agreement


rammy

(Scotland) A disorderly argument or disturbance; a fracas.


nithered

en-adj

nithered (comparative more nithered, superlative most nithered)

more nithered (comparative)
most nithered (superlative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-nithered.wav

I did spend a couple o' nights out in the open but I got so bloody nithered I couldn't sleep. I daren't sleep any road, 'cause it were that bloody cold...

1985, Sheelagh Kelly, A long way from heaven:

‘You'll be warm enough.’
‘I bloody won't. I'm nithered now.’

1993, Pat Barker, The Eye in the Door (The Regeneration Trilogy), Penguin, published 2014, page 344:

Talk About Nithered! In several severe winters - 1739, 1880, 1963 - the Hardraw waterfall at Hawes had become a giant icicle, just under 100 feet long.

2003, Howard Peach, Curious Tales of Old North Yorkshire:

I'm fair nithered, sat sittin' here in this bloody draught.

(Scotland, Northern England) Very cold; shrivelled with cold.


lairdship

en-noun

lairdship (countable and uncountable, plural lairdships)

He would as soon have thought of wearing a white linen shirt or having the lairdship of a barony, as of getting ham to his breakfast.

1715, S.R. Crockett, Bog-Myrtle and Peat:

II. I whyles claw the elbow o' troublesome thought; But man is a sodger, and life is a faught: My mirth and guid humour are coin in my pouch, And my freedom's my lairdship nae monarch dare touch.

1855, Robert Burns, Allan Cunningham, The Complete Works of Robert Burns= Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence.:

They talked of affairs, particular and general, of Ian's late proceedings and the lairdship of Alexander, of men and places that they knew away from this countryside.

(Scotland) The state or condition of being a laird.


dought

dought (usually uncountable, plural doughts)

A back-formation from doughty (compare Scots doucht, from douchty). Related to dow.

(Scotland, Northern England, obsolete except in derivatives) Power, strength, ability.


yanker

"Ay, billy, that is a yanker !" said Tam aside : " When ane is gaun to tell a lie, there's naething like telling a plumper at aince, and being done wi't

1822, James Hogg, The Three Perils of Man, page 330:


forspeak

en-verb

forspeak (third-person singular simple present forspeaks, present participle forspeaking, simple past forspoke or (archaic) forspake, past participle forspoken)

forspeaks (present singular third-person)
forspeaking (participle present)
forspoke (past)
forspake (archaic past)
forspoken (participle past)
forespeak (alternative)

From Middle English forspeken (“to bewitch”), from Old English forspecan, forsprecan (“to speak in vain; to speak amiss; to denounce; to deny”); analysable as for- + speak.

One is said to forspeak another, when he so commends him as to have a supposed influence in making him practically belie the commendation. If one highly praises a child for sweetness of temper, and the child soon after betrays ill humour; the person, who bestowed the praise, is said to have forspokin the bairn.

[1808, John Jamieson, “To FORSPEAK”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language: […], volume I (A–K) (in Scots), Edinburgh: […] University Press; for W[illiam] Creech, A[rchibald] Constable & Co., and W[illiam] Blackwood; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, T[homas] Cadell & W. Davies, and H. D. Symonds, →OCLC, column 2:

"I take ye a' to witness, gude people," said Mortheugh, "that she threatens me wi' mischief, and forespeaks me. If onything but gude happens to me or my fiddle this night, I'll make it the blackest night's job she ever stirred in. [...]"

1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter VII, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume III (The Bride of Lammermoor), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 98:

When a healthy child suddenly becomes sickly, and no one can account for the change, the child is said to be "forespoken." Or when a stout man or woman becomes hypochondriac, or affected with nervous complaints, he or she is "forespoken." Some one has perhaps said "He's a bonny bairn," or "Thou ar' lookin weel the day;" but they have spoken with an ill tongue. They have neglected to add, "God save the bairn," or, "Safe be thou," &c.

1854 September 16, “F.”, “Orkney Charms”, in Notes and Queries, volume X, number 225, London: George Bell, →OCLC, page 221:

(transitive, dialectal, Northern England and Scotland) To injure or cause bad luck through immoderate praise or flattery; to affect with the curse of an evil tongue, which brings ill luck upon all objects of its praise.


cleverality

klĕvərăʹlĭtĭ

/klɛvəˈɹælɪtɪ/

Formed irregularly as clever + -ality on the pattern of comicality and other such terms.

I protest, it is to me the most difficult of things to write to one of your female - geniuses — there is a certain degree of cleverality (if I may so call it), an easy kind of derangement of periods, a gentleman-like — fashionable - careless — see-saw of dialogue — which I know no more of than you do of cruelty.

1803, Ignatius Sancho with Joseph Jekyll, Letters of the late Ignatius Sancho, an African, page 140:

But the time wearing late, and Tammie Bodkin having brought ben the shop-key, after putting on the window-shutters, Nanse and I, out of goodfellowship, thought we could not do less than ask the honest man, whose cleverality had diverted us so much, to sit still and take a chack of supper;

1868, David Macbeth Moir, The life of Mansie Wauch: tailor in Dalkeith:

There there dwelt a robber, much at his ease, because he had with him the only boat on the Loch: so that when he had robbed a passing traveller or party he had only to slide away in his boat to his Mand, where he could enjoy the spoil at his leisure, though an army should be raging for his apprehension on the shore. But we all, know what became of the man who was too clever: he perished of spontaneous combustion, consumed by his own excessive cleverality.

1882 March 18, The Lecturer, “BALQUHIDDER IN THE HIGH LANDS.”, in Otago Witness, number 1582, Dunedin, NZ, page 26:

"That," said Professor Denis Donoghue, "is what in Ireland is called 'cleverality.'" We had been talking of a contemporary American poet whom I admired for ironic and dazzling wit.

1975 April 10, Doris Eyges, “Beware of being too clever”, in The Christian Science Monitor, page 31:

The cleverality did not end there as McCreevy decided to borrow some of the old clothes from Tony Blair's spin machine

2003 December 7, “The chips are down for Bertie's kebabs - Analysis, Opinion ...”, in Irish Independent:

(formerly Scotland, now chiefly Ireland) cleverness


sowth

sowth (third-person singular simple present sowths, present participle sowthing, simple past and past participle sowthed)

sowths (present singular third-person)
sowthing (participle present)
sowthed (participle past)
sowthed (past)

we'll sit an' sowth a tune (Robert Burns)

(Scotland, ambitransitive) to hum or whistle a low tone


arrestment

en-noun

arrestment (countable and uncountable, plural arrestments)

(law, Scotland) The process that prohibits a debtor from making payment to the creditor until another debt due to the person making use of the arrestment by such creditor is paid.


badderlocks

Perhaps Baldr's locks, after the Norse god.

(Scotland) The edible seaweed Alaria esculenta


justiciary

justiciary (countable and uncountable, plural justiciaries)

From Late Latin justitiaria, justiciaria (“judgeship, judiciarship; court sessions”), justitiarius, and justiciarius (“justiciar, judge, justice [of the peace]; judiciary, related to justice”), all from Latin iūstitia (“justice”) + -āria (“-ary”). Paralleled in Middle English and Early Modern English by forms from Anglo-Norman justiserie (“judgeship, judiciarship”), from Anglo-Norman and Middle French justicerie (“judgeship; tribunal”), from justice + -ery. As a translation of various Continental European offices, via Middle French justicier, Spanish justiciero, etc.

cog

(Scotland, countable, chiefly historical) A judgeship: a judge's jurisdiction, power, or office.

judgeship

The jurisdiction, power, or office of a judge

(originally Scotland, uncountable) The judiciary: a collective term for the court system or the body of judges, justices etc.


brulzie

brulzies (plural)
bruilzie (alternative)
brulyie (alternative)

"Here's a brulzie!" cried several voices, rushing into the hall, as a Highland quarrel was now fairly a-foot, and sides began to be taken, and a Babel of Gaelic confusion already prevailed in the motley assembly.


trinkle

en-verb

trinkle (third-person singular simple present trinkles, present participle trinkling, simple past and past participle trinkled)

trinkles (present singular third-person)
trinkling (participle present)
trinkled (participle past)
trinkled (past)


strinkle

strinkle (third-person singular simple present strinkles, present participle strinkling, simple past and past participle strinkled)

strinkles (present singular third-person)
strinkling (participle present)
strinkled (participle past)
strinkled (past)

(rare, Scotland, ambitransitive) to sprinkle or scatter


skilly

en-adj

skilly (comparative more skilly, superlative most skilly)

more skilly (comparative)
most skilly (superlative)

From Middle English skylly, skily, equivalent to skill + -y.

So, being a fell impatient man, and skilly with his hands, he took Sam Gourlay a clout in the lug that couped him down in the stour […]

1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 80:

(Scotland, Northern England) Skilled, skilful.


electric soup

(Scotland, slang) Strong fortified wine.


retiral

en-noun

retiral (countable and uncountable, plural retirals)

/ɹɪˈtʌɪəɹəl/

(now chiefly Scotland) Withdrawal, retreat.

By that time I had sold the main business, being past retiral age.

2003, Alasdair Gray, “Job's Skin Game”, in Every Short Story, Canongate, published 2012, page 731:

(now chiefly Scotland) Retirement from employment.


forcasten

en-adj

forcasten (comparative more forcasten, superlative most forcasten)

more forcasten (comparative)
most forcasten (superlative)

Originally the past participle of obsolete forcast (“to cast away”); also from Middle English forcasten, a variant of forcast (“rejected, cast away”), past participle of forcasten (“to cast away, reject”), of North Germanic origin, compare Danish forkaste (“to reject”), Swedish förkasta (“to reject”), equivalent to for- + cast.

They dread full ill I was right poor, By my forcasten company.

1976, David Craig, Scottish literature and the Scottish people:

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Abandoned; forlorn.


beal

en-verb

beal (third-person singular simple present beals, present participle bealing, simple past and past participle bealed)

beals (present singular third-person)
bealing (participle present)
bealed (participle past)
bealed (past)

From Middle English belen, from bele (see above).

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland, Western Pennsylvania) To gather matter; swell; come to a head, as a pimple; fester; suppurate.


bammy

en-adj

bammy (comparative bammier, superlative bammiest)

bammier (comparative)
bammiest (superlative)

Those who persist are shown up as perverse, slightly bammy, crackpots – or occasionally as unpatriotic.

1992, James Kelman, “Let the Wind Blow High Let the Wind Blow Low”, in Some Recent Attacks, page 86:

He was quite a bammy Glasgow guy who had hit on the idea of playing a Tolkienesque character who could turn things to mud with his magical finger.

2009, Frankie Boyle, My Shit Life So Far, HarperCollins, published 2010, page 183:


bammy

(Scotland, slang) A crazy person; wacko.


oncost

From on- + cost, or from Middle English uncost (“additional expense”), from Middle Dutch oncost (“expenses, overhead”) (Modern Dutch onkost), equivalent to un- + cost. Cognate with German Unkost (“expenses”).

der

(UK dialectal, Scotland) The indirect expenditure incurred for the purpose of increasing the productive power of organised labour.


mutchkin

From Middle Dutch mudseken (“mutchkin”), from mutse (“mutch”), from Classical Latin modius (“peck; Roman dry measure”), from Proto-Indo-European *med-.

Paint Scotland greetin owre her thrissle;
Her mutchkin stowp as toom's a whissle;
An' damn'd excisemen in a bussle,
Seizin a stell,
Triumphant crushin't like a mussel,
Or limpet shell!

1786, Robert Burns, The Author's Earnest Cry And Prayer:

(Scotland) A unit of fluid capacity approximately equal to three-quarters of an imperial pint (0.43 litres)


tass

From Middle English *tasse, from Old French tasse (Modern French tasse (“cup, cupful”)). Cognate with Dutch tas (“cup”), German Tasse (“mug”). Doublet of tazza.

"Here, Dougal," said the Laird, "gie Steenie a tass of brandy down stairs, till I count the siller and write the receipt."

(dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) A cup or cupful.


hooly

[…]bee by our Executours hooly and perfitely finiſshed in every behalve, after the maner and fourme before rehersed, and futingly to that that is begoune and doon of theim.

c. 1500, Henry VII, “The Will of King Henry VII”, in The Will of King Henry VII, published 1775, page 6:

This couldna hae lasted abune some ten minutes or less, when he began to wax weakish, and to stay rather langer at a time aneath than seemed consistent wi' prudence; sae I walked hooly doon to the bank, and cried on him to come oot, unless he was set on felo-de-se.

1834, Noctes Ambrosionæ No. LXIX: Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, volume 36, page 832:

1840, Joanna Baillie, Hooly and Fairly, Fugitive Verses, 1851, The Dramatic and Poetical Works of Joanna Baillie, 2nd Edition, page 819,
O, gin my wife wad drink hooly and fairly!

(archaic, Scotland) Wholly; all the way.


alkin

alkyn (alternative)
allkins (alternative)
allkyn (alternative)
alkine (alternative)
alkyne (alternative)
allkin (alternative)
aw kin (alternative)

From Middle English alkin, alkinnes (“of all kinds”) [and other forms], from Old English ealle cynn (“of all kinds”) [and other forms], from eall (“all”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“all; beyond; other”)) + cynn (“kind; family”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget, give birth; to produce”)). The English word is analysable as all + kin (“(obsolete) class (of animals, persons, or things) having common attributes, kind”). Compare Swedish allsköns, Danish alskens.

nb...

(Late Middle English) alle skenus, alle skynnes, (Middle English) alken, alkens, alkine, alkines, alkinne, alkinnes, alkinnes, alkins, alkyn, alkynnes, alkyns, alle cunnes, allekin, alle kinne, alle kinnes, alle kunne, alle kunnes, alle kyn, alle kyne, alle kynne, alle-kynez, alle kynnez, alles cunnes, alles kennes, alles kinnes, alles kunnes, alles kennes, alleskynnes, alles kyns, all-kyn, all kynnus, all kyns

(Late Old English) ealles cynnes, (Old English) *ealra cynna

af

alkin crafty men

I saw ane plane of peirles pulchritude, / Quhairin aboundit alkin things gude / Spyce, wine, corne, oyle, tre, frute, flour, herbis grene, / All foullis, beistis, birdis, and alkin fude.

1501, Gavin Douglas, “The Palice of Honour [The Palace of Honour]”, in John Small, editor, The Poetical Works of Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld, […], volume I, Edinburgh: William Paterson; London: H. Sotheran & Co., published 1874, →OCLC, 3rd part, page 54, lines 16–19:

I saw a plain of peerless pulchritude, / Wherein abounded all kinds of things good / Spice, wine, corn, oil, tree, fruit, flower, herbs green, / All fowls, beasts, birds, and all kinds of food.

Alas, I have no time to tarry / To show you all the fery fary [footnote: bustle and confusion]; / How those that had the governance / Among themselves raised variance, / And who most to my scathe consentit / Within few yearis sore repentit, / When they could make me no remeid: / For they were hurlit out by the heid, / And others took the governing / Well worse than they in alkin thing.

c. 1528–1530, David Lindsay [i.e., David Lyndsay], “John Skelton and Sir David Lindsay, with Others.—a.d. 1500 to a.d. 1550. [Lindsay’s Complaint.]”, in Henry Morley, editor, Shorter English Poems […] (The Library of English Literature; part 1), London, Paris: Cassell & Company, published [1875], →OCLC, pages 148–149, lines 290–299:

Throw quhilk thay ar exaltit in to pryde, / Thair violence and wrang walkis full wyde / Throw thair grit micht in alkin luſt they leif, / Quhat thay can think vnto thair hart thay geif.

c. 1540 (date written), John Wedderburn, James Wedderburn, Robert Wedderburn, “Quam bonus Deus Israel [How Good is the God of Israel]. Psal[m] lxxiij.”, in David Laing, editor, A Compendious Book of Psalms and Spiritual Songs, Commonly Known as “The Gude and Godlie Ballates.” […], Edinburgh: W[illiam] Paterson, published 1868, →OCLC, page 88:

Through which they are exalted into pride, / Their violence and wrong walks full wide / Through their great might in all kinds of lust they live, / What they can think unto their heart they give.

The Emprice heiring yᵉ child ᵹit was not deid / Ane new conſait than tuik ſcho in hir heid, / Throw all the toun gart fle in alkin artis / The carage hors yat wald draw wanis & cartis / And fillit the ſame with alkin kinde of geir, / Hir Ornamentis and clais that ſcho ſuld weir. / Maid hir to pas vnto hir Father hame, / Saying ſcho wald na langer thoill ſic ſchame.

1578, John Rolland, “The Fyft Taill of the Emprice [The Fifth Tale of the Empress]”, in The Seven Sages, in Scotish Metre, Edinburgh: The Bannatyne Club, published 1837, →OCLC, page 156:

The Empress hearing the child yet was not dead / A new conceit then took she in her head, / Through all the town, [she] made flight in all directions / The carriage horse yet would draw wains and carts / And filled the same with all kinds of gear, / Her ornaments and clothes that she should wear. / Made her to pass unto her father's home, / Saying she would no longer thole [endure] such shame.

(obsolete except Midlands, Northern England, Scotland) Of all or every kind; all kinds or sorts of; intermingled and various.


parritch

en-noun

parritch (countable and uncountable, plural parritches)

"You know my father's name?" / "It would be strange if I didnae," he returned, "for he was my born brother; and little as ye seem to like either me or my house, or my good parritch, I'm your born uncle, Davie, my man, and you my born nephew. So give us the letter, and sit down and fill your kyte."

1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, “I Make Acquaintance of My Uncle”, in Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC, page 17:

" It's vera different frae my last place," says I, discontented-like. And the words were true eneugh, for auld Fairmer Scott only gave me a pund a month and parritch twice a day.

1895, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Mystery of Cloomber, page 85:

Kirstie gives milk for Isabella and my parritches.

1977, David Garnett, Up she rises, page 171:

And here was me thinkin' as I should add a bit o' ginger and brimstone to your parritch, young man, so as to bring ye up to scratch!

2015, Diana Gabaldon, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, →ISBN, page 200:


skeel

From Old Norse skjóla, from Proto-Germanic *skeulǭ.

The dairywoman now rolls the whole into one lump[…], closing the fingers, partially, at every stroke; thereby leaving it at the bottom of the skeel, exceedingly rough.

1789, William Marshall, The Rural Economy of Gloucestershire:

(UK, Scotland, dialect) A shallow wooden vessel for holding milk or cream.


hummel

Antoine-Louis Barye
George Bell & Sons
Ludgate Hill
Metropolitan Museum of Art
OxfordDictionaries.com

Probably from Middle English hamelen (“to maim, mutilate; to cut short”), from Old English hamelian (“to hamstring, mutilate”), from Proto-Germanic *hamalōną, *hamlōną (“to mutilate”), from Proto-Indo-European *kem- (“hornless; mutilated”). Cognate with Dutch hamel (“wether”), English hamble, Low German hommel, hummel (“an animal lacking horns”), humlich, dialectal hommlich (“lacking horns”), Bavarian humlet (“lacking horns”), German hammeln, hämmeln (“to geld”), Icelandic hamla (“to maim, mutilate”).
OxfordDictionaries.com suggests that the “ear of grain with its awns removed” sense preceded the “animal without antlers or horns” sense.

der

A pure Aberdeenshire heifer was served with a pure Teeswater bull, to whom she had a first-cross calf. The following season, the same cow was served with a pure Aberdeenshire bull; the produce was a cross calf, which at two years old had very long horns, the parents both hummel.

1850 January, “[Quarterly Summary of the Improvements and Discoveries in the Medical Sciences. Anatomy and Physiology.] On the Fœtus in Utero, as Inoculating the Maternal with the Peculiarities of the Paternal Organism; and on the Influence thereby Exerted by the Male on the Constitution and the Reproductive Powers of the Female. By Alexander Harvey, M.D. (Monthly Journ. of Med. Sciences, Oct. 1849.)”, in Isaac Hays, editor, The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, volume XIX (New Series), number XXXVII, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea & Blanchard; London: John Wiley, and John Miller, →OCLC, page 180:

A little hillock gave me ample concealment and an excellent rest for my rifle; and there I reposed as hinds and little stags filed by. First came the wary old hind, looking sharply about her; then a little stag, indifferent to consequences; then more hinds and calves; and last of all the great hummel. As he landed on top of the brow, about fifty yards from me, he stopped to look around. I drew a bead on the junction of his neck and shoulder, pressed gently on the trigger; a bang—smack, followed, and the great hummel lay stretched upon the heather.

1872 February, “An Old Mountaineer” [pseudonym], “Deer-stalking in the Highlands”, in Baily’s Monthly Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, volume XXI, number 144, London: A. H. Baily & Co., →OCLC, page 233:

Hornless Stags are not unknown, especially in the German forests. By this expression is meant, not stags wich have once carried antlers and shed them, but stags which have never possessed any. In the Highlands they are termed hummel stags; […] Haviers, or stags which have been gelded when young, have no horns, as is well known, and in the early part of the stalking season, when seen through a glass, might be mistaken for hummels; but as the season advances, the necks of the latter swell, and (except in the matter of horns) they assume all the characteristics, both in appearance and behaviour, of ordinary stags, and are thus easily distinguished from haviers.

1898, J. E. Harting, “RED DEER—(Cervus elaphus)”, in the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire [Henry Charles Howard, 18th Earl of Suffolk and 11th Earl of Berkshire], Hedley Peek, and F. G. Aflalo, editors, The Encyclopædia of Sport, volume II, London: Lawrence and Bullen, Ltd. 16 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, page 248:

Regeneration in the animal kingdom always requires a wound stimulus. Regrowth of antlers is no exception, the wounded pedicle exposed by the casting of the previous set of antlers serving as a vital stimulus for renewal of antler growth. This was convincingly demonstrated in congenitally polled (‘hummel’) red deer, which lack antlers, have pedicles, and can be induced to form a set of antlers if the tips of the pedicles are amputated.

2005, Brian K[eith] Hall, “Antlers”, in Bones and Cartilage: Developmental and Evolutionary Skeletal Biology, San Diego, Calif., London: Elsevier Academic Press, →ISBN, page 107, column 1:

Contrary to popular sporting belief[…], it has also been postulated that the reason for the hummel’s lack of antlers is not genetic, but relates to poor nutrition in the early stage of life, and a consequent failure to grow pedicles[…].

2013, Steven P. Ashby, “Some Comments on the Identification of Cervid Species in Worked Antler”, in Alice Choyke, Sonia O'Connor, editors, From These Bare Bones: Raw Materials and the Study of Worked Osseous Objects: Proceedings of the Raw Materials Session at the 11th ICAZ Conference, Paris, 2010, Oxford, Oakville, Conn.: Oxbow Books, →ISBN:

(Northern England, Scotland, also attributive) A stag that has failed to grow antlers; a cow that has not developed horns.


hirn

From Middle English hirne, herne, from Old English hyrne (“horn, corner, angle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hurnijā, from Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ (“horn, corner, angle”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-. Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ is a diminutive form of *hurną, from which comes English horn. Doublet of hern.

inh

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Corner; nook; hiding-place.


bardie

[…]Burns signals her distance from the Classical Muses, and his position as more bardie than bard.

1998, Carol McGuirk, Critical Essays on Robert Burns, page 168:

(Scotland) A minor poet or bard; used as a self-deprecatory epithet by Robert Burns.


beardie

(Scotland) A fish, a bearded loach or stone loach (Barbatula barbatula).


driegh

en-adj

driegh (comparative more driegh, superlative most driegh)

more driegh (comparative)
most driegh (superlative)

“Step in by, the both of ye, gentlemen,” says Cluny. “[…] My life is a bit driegh,” says he, pouring out the brandy; “I see little company, and sit and twirl my thumbs, and mind upon a great day that is gone by, and weary for another great day that we all hope will be upon the road. And so here’s a toast to ye: The Restoration!”

1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC:


whang

en-verb

whang (third-person singular simple present whangs, present participle whanging, simple past and past participle whanged)

whangs (present singular third-person)
whanging (participle present)
whanged (participle past)
whanged (past)

onomatopoeic

Imitative

I ought to have whanged him one in the eye.

(US, Scotland, British, dialect, slang) To whack or beat.

(Scotland) To slice, especially into large pieces; to chop.


whang

Imitative

(British, Scotland, dialect, colloquial) A large piece or slice; a chunk.


bigging

The back door, that behind the pulpit, led out across the kirkyard to the Manse and its biggings, set up in the time of the Old Queen […]

1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 18:

(Scotland, Northern England) A building, especially an outbuilding.


annet

annets (plural)
annot (alternative)
anny (alternative)

From Middle English ende, enede, from Old English ened, æned (“drake, duck”), from Proto-West Germanic *anad (“duck”), from Proto-Germanic *anadz (“duck”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énh₂ts (“duck”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Oante (“duck”), West Frisian ein (“duck”), Dutch eend (“duck”), German Low German Aant (“duck”), German Ente (“duck”), Norwegian and Swedish and (“duck, mallard”), Icelandic önd (“duck”), Latin anas (“duck, drake”), Lithuanian antis (“duck, mallard”), Russian у́тка (útka, “duck”), Sanskrit आति (ātí, “aquatic bird”).

Somateria mollissima
Somateria mollissima#Translingual

(now chiefly dialectal, Scotland) The common eider (Somateria mollissima).


divil

(Scotland, Ireland) Alternative form of devil.


umbethink

en-verb

umbethink (third-person singular simple present umbethinks, present participle umbethinking, simple past and past participle umbethought)

umbethinks (present singular third-person)
umbethinking (participle present)
umbethought (participle past)
umbethought (past)
unbethink (alternative)
onbethink (alternative)

From Middle English umbethenken, from Old English ymbeþencan, ymbþencan (“to think about, consider, deliberate”), from ymb- (“around”) + þencan (“to think”), equivalent to um- + bethink or umbe- + think.

(dialectal, chiefly Northern England, Scotland) To recall to mind; remember; recollect.

(reflexive, dialectal, chiefly Northern England, Scotland) To consider; think about; bethink.


circumduce

circumduce (third-person singular simple present circumduces, present participle circumducing, simple past and past participle circumduced)

circumduces (present singular third-person)
circumducing (participle present)
circumduced (participle past)
circumduced (past)

But come, Dominie, I have allowed you a competent space to express your feelings. I must circumduce the term; you must let me proceed in my examination.

1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC:

(archaic, law, Scotland, transitive) To declare elapsed, as the time allowed for introducing evidence.


fure

fure (third-person singular simple present fures, present participle furing, simple past and past participle fured)

fures (present singular third-person)
furing (participle present)
fured (participle past)
fured (past)
fur (alternative)
fuir (alternative)
four (alternative)
fwir (alternative)
fuyr (alternative)

From Danish føre, from Proto-Germanic *fōrijaną. Cognate with Dutch voeren (“to lead”), Low German fören (“to lead”), German führen (“to lead”), Luxembourgish féieren (“to lead”), Icelandic færa (“to move, carry, convey”), Faroese føra (“to lead, carry”), Swedish föra (“to lead, guide, steer, direct”), Danish føre (“to lead”), Norwegian Bokmål føre (“to lead”).

cog

So far as his labor and his wisdom fures.

To his master, the Kings Majesty or General, that fures or leads the war.

(dialectal, rare, obsolete, Northern England, Scotland) To lead.

No goods should be fured upon the over-loft of the ships.

(dialectal, rare, Northern England, Scotland) To carry, bear, convey, transport.


unchancy

en-adj

unchancy (comparative more unchancy, superlative most unchancy)

more unchancy (comparative)
most unchancy (superlative)

(chiefly Scotland) Unfortunate, unlucky.

the Kinraddies sat them quiet and decent and peaceable in their castle, and heeded never a fig the arguings of folk, for wars were unchancy things.

1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song:


brawly

en-adv

brawly (comparative more brawly, superlative most brawly)

more brawly (comparative)
most brawly (superlative)

“And how is yourself, Cluny?” said Alan. “I hope ye do brawly, sir. And I am proud to see ye, and to present to ye my friend the Laird of Shaws, Mr. David Balfour.”

He was good to look on, brawly dressed, and with a tongue in his head that would have wiled the bird from the tree.

1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:


chield

chields (plural)
chiel (alternative)
childe (alternative)

Borrowed from Scots chield, apparently a variant form of child retained in specific senses.

Kinraddie fair seethed with the news next day, all about the attack on the Mill and how Rob had chased the childes that came up against him […].

1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 196:


ferd

ferds (plural)
fard (alternative)
faird (alternative)

Either from Middle English ferde (“went, fared”), past participle of faren, or from Middle English ferde (“army”), from Old English fierd; see fyrd.

It was our great desire to have at once been at handy-strokes, well understanding that the ferd of our hot spirits could not long abide in edge.

A dainty husband, an' the best o' men, Fresh in his eild as the gree simmer glen. An' still he maks a ferd his bread to earn— His aim to hae a canty but-an'-ben, Wi' something aye to spare to ilka bairn, That they the gude auld hospitality might learn.

1832, John Nevay, “The Cotter's Birth-Day”, in Margaret De Courcy, Beatrice De Courcy, editors, The Ladies' Cabinet of Fashion, Music, and Romance, page 381:

(Scotland, Northern England, obsolete) Effort, impetus, speed; a violent onset.


ferd

George the ferd Erle of Hunlie and second of that name his sone, three. And Jane Gordoun his dochtir, the ferd.

1565, Proces of Divorce twixt Erle Bothwell and his Wife:

Gevin vunder our signet, at Edinburgh, the xxiij day of Marche, and of our regnne the ferd yer.

The first & secund regents sall haif quarterlie ilkane threttein schilling four penneis. The thrid fyfteen sehillings and the ferd and principall twenty shillings.

1614, Register of Town Council of Edinburgh, vol x:


troak

en-verb

troak (third-person singular simple present troaks, present participle troaking, simple past and past participle troaked)

troaks (present singular third-person)
troaking (participle present)
troaked (participle past)
troaked (past)
troke (alternative)

What's this for cash your tapster troaks, / That colics and affronts the fowks?

1812, William Rankin, “A Friendly Hint to a Porter Brewer”, in Poems, on Different Subjects, Archibald Allardice, page 97:

She'll not loose the letters that come to her by the King's post, and she must go on troking wi' the old carrier, as if there was no post-house in the neighbourhood.

1823, Walter Scott, Saint Ronan's Well, page 119:

The trade of Greenland is a strict monopoly of the Danish Government, and accordingly the Government puts a check upon any trading or fishing within a certain distance of the coast. It does not, however, prohibit the sale of small articles not used in their trade being sold, and accordingly, in addition to obtaining news of the ice and such-like other lore, here commences a curious traffic with the natives, well-known, to the Scottish whalers at least, under the name of "troaking" or bartering.

1873 May 10, Robert Brown, “A Cruise with the Whalers in Baffin's Bay”, in Ocean Highways: The Geographical Record, volume 1, number II, N. Trübner and Co., page 51:

(Scotland) To barter or trade, especially outside a government monopoly.

قايض

exchange goods or services without involving money

In those days, when Prince and Adam were my heroes, I had no "troakings" with lassies. "Troakings" came afterwards, and these deserve a whole essay to themselves.

1901, J. H. Balfour Browne, “‘Roaring Games’”, in Essays in Paradox, Longmans, Green & Co., page 152:

But as soon as we had driven these same kings and queens into exile, we became tremendously loyal, and kept up constant trokings with the exiled at Carisbrook, in Holland, or drinking to "the king over the water."

1904, S. R. Crockett, Raiderland: All About Grey Galloway, Dodd, Mead & Co., page 83:

(Scotland) To have familiar intercourse.


mawn

An apple-mill and press had been erected on the spot, to which some men were bringing fruit from divers points in mawn-baskets, while others were grinding them, and others wringing down the pomace, whose sweet juice gushed forth into tubs and pails.

1887, Thomas Hardy, The Woodlanders, Harper & Brothers, page 173:

(Scotland, dialect) A maund; a basket or hamper.


wankle

en-adj

wankle (comparative more wankle, superlative most wankle)

more wankle (comparative)
most wankle (superlative)

From Middle English wankel, from Old English wancol, from Proto-West Germanic *wankul.

(UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Weak; unstable; unreliable; not to be depended on.


foredeal

foredeals (plural)
fordele (alternative)
fordeal (alternative)
fordeale (alternative)
forthdeal (alternative)
fordell (alternative)
fordel (alternative)

From earlier fordele, from Middle English foredel, foredele. Equivalent to fore- + deal. Compare Saterland Frisian Foardeel (“advantage, gain, benefit, profit”), Dutch voordeel, Low German fortel, German Vorteil (“advantage”), Danish fordel, Swedish fördel. More at fore-, deal.

cog

(UK dialectal, Scotland) The first place; lead; precedence; preference.

(UK dialectal, Scotland) Progress; advancement.


foredeal

en-verb

foredeal (third-person singular simple present foredeals, present participle foredealing, simple past and past participle foredealed)

foredeals (present singular third-person)
foredealing (participle present)
foredealed (participle past)
foredealed (past)
fordele (alternative)
fordeal (alternative)
fordeale (alternative)
forthdeal (alternative)
fordell (alternative)
fordel (alternative)

(UK dialectal, Scotland) To store; lay past; keep in reserve; hoard.


thrang

en-adj

thrang (comparative more thrang, superlative most thrang)

more thrang (comparative)
most thrang (superlative)

From Middle English thrang, throng (“dense, thick, tight, constrictive”), cognate with Old Norse þrǫngr (“narrow, close, tight”). Related to English thring (“to press”).

cog

(dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Busy, preoccupied.


thrang

en-verb

thrang (third-person singular simple present thrangs, present participle thranging, simple past and past participle thranged)

thrangs (present singular third-person)
thranging (participle present)
thranged (participle past)
thranged (past)


fleech

fleech (third-person singular simple present fleeches, present participle fleeching, simple past and past participle fleeched)

fleeches (present singular third-person)
fleeching (participle present)
fleeched (participle past)
fleeched (past)
fleich (alternative)
fleitch (alternative)
fleche (alternative)

From Middle Dutch fletsen (“to flatter, fawn”). More at flatter.

der

I fleeched him, and I coaxed him, and I kicked him, and I cuffed him; but I might as weal hae kicked my heel upon the floor, or fleeched the fireplace.

1884, John MacKay Wilson, Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, page 64:

(transitive, Scotland) To wheedle; coax; cajole; induce with fair words; flatter.

(intransitive, Scotland) To use cajoling or flattering words; speak insincerely.


shoogle

en-verb

shoogle (third-person singular simple present shoogles, present participle shoogling, simple past and past participle shoogled)

shoogles (present singular third-person)
shoogling (participle present)
shoogled (participle past)
shoogled (past)

I heard the sparks who drove us saying something like, ‘You keep these three Doc; we'll shoogle up the mess boys and find some breakfast.’

2005, David Fiddimore, Tuesday's War, unnumbered page:

Suddenly, a rhythmic shaking and rattling overtook the room, shoogling and shimmying the structure in time to the acid jazz stomp riverboat boogie shuffle beat of the song.

2005, Neil Keir Henderson, An English Summer in Scotland and Other Unlikely Events, page 225:

He dipped it, scooped up a sheet's worth of pulp from the vessel and shook it even, rocking it back and forth to let out the water. There is a wonderful Scots word, ‘shoogle’, for precisely this rocking motion. After shoogling the frame, he let it drip for a few seconds, then, as if opening the window, he raised the deckle and lifted out the gauze.

2008, Mandy Haggith, Paper Trails: From Trees to Trash - The True Cost of Paper, page 25:

(transitive, Scotland, Northern England) To shake or rock rapidly.


shoogly

en-adj

shoogly (comparative shooglier, superlative shoogliest)

shooglier (comparative)
shoogliest (superlative)

(Scotland) shaky, giddy, unsteady, rickety


ourie

ourie (comparative more ourie, superlative most ourie)

more ourie (comparative)
most ourie (superlative)

From Old Norse úr (“drizzle, spray”), from Proto-Germanic *ūrą, from Proto-Indo-European *uh₁r-, zero grade form of *weh₁r- (“water”).

(Scotland) Chill; having the sensation of cold; drooping; shivering.

Familiar with all the seasons he represents the phases of a northern winter with a frequency characteristic of his clime and of his fortunes; her tempests became anthems in his verse, and the sounding woods "raise his thoughts to Him that walketh on the wings of the wind"; full of pity for the shelterless poor, the "ourie cattle," the "silly sheep," and the "helpless birds," he yet reflects that the bitter blast is not "so unkind as man's ingratitude."

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4, "Bulgaria" to "Calgary" (BURNS, ROBERT [1759-1796], Scottish poet)


wither-

From Middle English wither-, from Old English wiþer- (“again, against”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþra-, from Proto-Germanic *wiþrą (“against, toward”), from Proto-Indo-European *wī-tero- (“further apart”), *wī- (“separate, alone”). Cognate with Low German wedder (“against”), Dutch weer (“again, back”), German wider (“against, contrary to”), wieder (“again”). More at with.

der

weather- (alternative)
wother- (alternative)
widder- (alternative)

(now chiefly UK dialectal, Scotland) Prefix meaning: "against", "in opposition to"; "in return"; "counter-"; "contrary (to)"; "in the opposite direction (of or to)"; "backwards".


tee-name

(chiefly Scotland) Alternative form of to-name.


all on a sudden

(chiefly Scotland) Alternative form of all of a sudden.


torfer

From Middle English torfer, torfere, torfayr, a borrowing from Old Norse torfǽra (“a difficult road or passage”) whence the Icelandic torfæra (“an obstacle; a difficult drive, a difficult route”) and torfær (“of a path: difficult to negotiate”), torfǽrr (“hard to pass”, adjective), from tor- (“hard, difficult”) + fara (“to go, pass”). More at tore, fare.

cog

(dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Difficulty, trouble.


torfel

en-verb

torfel (third-person singular simple present torfels, present participle torfeling, simple past and past participle torfeled)

torfels (present singular third-person)
torfeling (participle present)
torfeled (participle past)
torfeled (past)
torfle (alternative)

Origin obscure. Perhaps a variant of terfle or a variant of Middle English torfer (“hardship, harm, injury”). More at torfer.

unk

obscure

inh

(dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To fall; decine; pass away; die.


mannie

(Scotland) An undersized or insignificant man


slive

en-verb

slive (third-person singular simple present slives, present participle sliving, simple past slove or slived, past participle sliven or slived)

slives (present singular third-person)
sliving (participle present)
slove (past)
slived (past)
sliven (participle past)
slived (participle past)

From Middle English sliven, from Old English slīfan (“to cleave, split”), from Proto-Germanic *slībaną (“to split”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to cut”).

der

(transitive, obsolete or dialectal, chiefly Scotland) To cut or slice something off; separate by slicing.


slive

en-verb

slive (third-person singular simple present slives, present participle sliving, simple past and past participle slived)

slives (present singular third-person)
sliving (participle present)
slived (participle past)
slived (past)

(dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To sneak; skulk; proceed in a sly way; creep.


stevvon

stevvon (third-person singular simple present stevvons, present participle stevvoning, simple past and past participle stevvoned)

stevvons (present singular third-person)
stevvoning (participle present)
stevvoned (participle past)
stevvoned (past)

Says he, whispering, — "Ah wunder'd what yer'd goan art for; keep it art o't' seet ur yer'll hev Somb'dy darn on yer pretty quick;" an' cocking up his head agean he stevvons art "Silernce!"

1862, C. Clough Robinson, The Dialect of Leeds and Its Neighbourhood, page 67:

Then sez Mattha: "Ah've felted a bottil Aback o' yon cam-dyke near-by, An Ah lay at a sup wad be welcome," An t'rist on us stevvoned oot: "Aye! " Seea Mattha e grobbed iv is jacket, Then let oot 20.

1963, Bill Cowley, A Cleveland anthology: dialect poems from Cleveland and the North Yorkshire Moors:

The amazon saw her and stevvon'd, “Get back upstairs!”

(Northern England, Scotland, obsolete) To speak (especially loudly) or shout.


umbedraw

umbedraw (third-person singular simple present umbedraws, present participle umbedrawing, simple past umbedrew, past participle umbedrawn)

umbedraws (present singular third-person)
umbedrawing (participle present)
umbedrew (past)
umbedrawn (participle past)
onbydraw (alternative)
onbydrew (alternative)

From umbe- + draw. Compare Dutch omdraaien (“to turn around”).

(chiefly Scotland) To turn about, turn around.

(chiefly Scotland) To draw back or aside, withdraw; retire.


speer

speer (third-person singular simple present speers, present participle speering, simple past and past participle speered)

speers (present singular third-person)
speering (participle present)
speered (participle past)
speered (past)
spear (alternative)
sper (alternative)
spere (alternative)
speir (alternative)
spire (alternative)
spyrr (alternative)

From Middle English spuren, from Old English spyrian, from Proto-Germanic *spurjaną. Cognate with German spüren, Danish spørge, Norwegian Bokmål spørre, Swedish spörja.

Afore lang days, I hope to see him here, / About his milkness and his cows to speer.

1778, Alexander Ross, Helenore: Or, The Fortunate Shepherdess, page 87:

"A town ca'd Glasgow!" echoed Andrew Fairservice. "Glasgow's a ceety, man.—And is't the way to Glasgow ye were speering if I ken'd?[…]"

1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], Rob Roy. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:


umbeset

umbeset (third-person singular simple present umbesets, present participle umbesetting, simple past umbeset, past participle umbeset or umbesetten)

umbesets (present singular third-person)
umbesetting (participle present)
umbeset (past)
umbeset (participle past)
umbesetten (participle past)

From Middle English umbesetten (“to surround”), from Old English ymbsettan (“to set around, surround, beset, encompass”), from Proto-Germanic *umbi (“around”) + *satjaną (“to set”); equivalent to um- + beset or umbe- + set. Compare also Old English ymbsittan (“to sit around, surround”), Dutch omzetten (“to convert, transpose”), German umsetzen (“to move to another place, convert, transform, transplant, adjust, rearrange”). More at set.

cog

The Lord Gordon ships with some friends. Monro umbesets his way; yet he escapes, ignorant of Monro's devyse.

1828, John Spalding, The history of the troubles and memorable transactions in Scotland:

[…] to underly the law at the lext Justice-aire of Renfrew, for umbesetting the high-way, by way of Murder;

1891, William Robertson, Historic Ayrshire, volume 1, page 9:

[…] , and pressing to have bereft them of their lives by umbesetting of the high gates to that effect at divers times of before, […]

1922, J. Maitland Thomson, The Public Records of Scotland, Maclehose, Jackson and co., page 48

[…] that king on one occasion, April 1535, having to grant a letter of protection in favour of him ‘and his wife and bairns’ against Sir Patrick Hepburn of Wauchtonne and thirty-four others for ‘umbesetting the highway for his slaughter.’

1972 (originally 1901), William Baird, General Wauchope, Books for Libraries Press, page 16

(archaic or dialectal, chiefly Scotland) To block, obstruct; act detrimentally toward.

The Opponents Umbeset with Trickery.

1885, John Humberger, The Conquest and Triumph of Divine Wisdom and Love in Predestination, J. L. Traiger, unmarked page

But soothly, of sithes the more I am umbeset with anguish of heart, and destitute of all men’s comfort, the more favourable and godly I find her to me.

1952, Walter Milton, The Goad of Love, Faber & Faber, page 201:

Certainly a good soul umbeset with many diseases, and noyed with the heat of temptation, can not feel the sweetness of God’s love as it is in itself;

1971, Richard Rolle, The Fire of Love, CCEL, page 164:

(archaic or dialectal, chiefly Scotland) To overwhelm; cover completely.


finnock

finnocks (plural)
finnac (alternative)
finnack (alternative)
finnoc (alternative)
phinnock (alternative)

A possible anglicisation of Scottish Gaelic fionnag (“young salmon”). Compare fionnag (“whiting”), a calque of English whiting, from fionn (“white”).

der

Previous to their descent, I caught in all, not far from the tideway, about half-a-dozen finnocks, on two or three different occasions.

1866, Thomas Tod Stoddart, An Angler's Rambles and Angling Songs, page 46:

Have you ever had a day's finnock-fishing? If you have not, and you happen to be a keen disciple of Izaak Walton, take my advice and seize the first opportunity of doing so.

Emigrating smolts were captured by fyke net in 1998 and early 1999. […] The returns to date suggest that the sea survival of stocked fish returning as finnock is consistently lower than that of wild smolts and that the survival of both groups to mature sea trout is almost non-existent at present.

2006, Graeme Harris, Nigel Milner, editors, Sea Trout:

(Scotland) A young sea trout, in the year after they return to fresh water after their smolt migration stage.


fidge

en-verb

fidge (third-person singular simple present fidges, present participle fidging, simple past and past participle fidged)

fidges (present singular third-person)
fidging (participle present)
fidged (participle past)
fidged (past)
fitch (alternative)

Probably an assibilated form of Middle English fiken (“to jitter; move restlessly; hustle; flinch; hasten away”), perhaps related to Old English befician (“to deceive”) or from Old Norse fika (“to climb up nimbly, as a spider”), akin to Norwegian fika (“to strive after”), Swedish fika (“to strive for; hurry”). See also fike.

der

"Look, Jim, how my fingers fidges," he continued in the pleading tone. "I can't keep 'em still, not I. I haven't had a drop this blessed day. That doctor's a fool, I tell you. If I don't have a dram o' rum, Jim, I'll have the horrors..."

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

(obsolete, dialectal, Scotland) To fidget; jostle or shake.


fidge

(obsolete, dialectal, Scotland) A shake; fiddle or similar agitation.


waugh

en-adj

waugh (comparative more waugh, superlative most waugh)

more waugh (comparative)
most waugh (superlative)

From Middle English walh, from Old English wealg. More at wallow (“tasteless, flat”).

(dialect, Scotland and Northern England) Insipid; tasteless.


stotter

en-verb

stotter (third-person singular simple present stotters, present participle stottering, simple past and past participle stottered)

stotters (present singular third-person)
stottering (participle present)
stottered (participle past)
stottered (past)
stowter (alternative)
stauter (alternative)
stawter (alternative)

From Middle English stoteren (compare also participle Middle English staterand (“staggering; tottering; stumbling”)), a frequentative form of Middle English stoten (“to stumble”), related to Dutch stoten (“to push; bump; butt; stumble against”), German stoßen (“to push; butt; knock; bump”), Icelandic stauta (“to struggle through; pound; grind”), equivalent to stut + -er (frequentative suffix).

cog

When she sang in the kirk, folk have told me that they had a foretaste of the musick of the New Jerusalem, and when she came in by the village of Caulds old men stottered to their doors to look at her.

1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:

(intransitive, dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To stagger; totter; stumble


upcome

From Middle English upcomen, from Old English ūpcuman (“to come up, arise”), from Proto-Germanic *upp (“up”), *kwemaną (“to come”), equivalent to up- + come. Cognate with West Frisian opkomme (“to arise, stand up”), Dutch opkomen (“to come up, ascend, occur”), German aufkommen (“to come up, arise, emerge”), Danish opkomme (“to arise, meet”), Icelandic uppkoma (“an outbreak, appearance, arising”).

cog

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) An outward appearance, especially pertaining to the future; a promising aspect or outlook.

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) A comment, saying, expression.

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) The final or decisive point; result, outcome.

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) One's upbringing, development from childhood to adulthood.


poustie

From Middle English pouste, from Anglo-Norman pousté, Old French poesté, posté etc., from (the stem of) Latin potestās (“power”). Doublet of podesta.

‘A, good knyght,’ seyde he, ‘thou arte a foole; for that jantillwoman was the mayster fyende of helle, which hath pouste over all other devyllis[…].’

1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book XIV:

2020 Department of Health (NI), An Roinn Sláinte, Männystrie O Poustie

(now Scotland, Ireland) Power, authority, strength, health.


Mas

Masses (plural)
Mass (alternative)
Mas' (alternative)
Mars (alternative)
Mess (alternative)

(obsolete, Scotland) The title of someone holding a Master of Arts, especially a Presbyterian minister.


aftercome

From after- + come. Compare Scots eftercum (“aftercome”).

(archaic, Scotland) A subsequent result; consequence.


tadger

From Scots tadger (“penis”). Compare English todger (“penis”).

2005, Liz Rettig, My Desperate Love Diary: by Kelly Ann, Corgi Books, UK, page 302,
G says just the thought of trying to bonk in my house was enough to shrivel his tadger and that he′d rather have sex in Argyle Street in the rush hour than try to do it at my place.

I mean childhood doesn′t last long anyway, by the time you realise you are a child ten years later you′re tugging at yer tadger.

2008, Andrew Melrose, Palace Pier Blues, Lulu, page 70:

[…]we found this very funny and were laughing, sniggering and started washing our tadgers with the soap, copying this guy, the guy took exception to this and started shouting at us.

2009, Andy Bell, If Your Feet Are Tired and Weary: A Childhood Memory of a Young Boy Growing Up in the West of Glasgow ... Known Simply to Many as the Land of Temple Scurvy, AuthorHouse, page 129:

2011 (2009), Bernardo Atxaga, Margaret Jull Costa (translator), Seven Houses in France, page 97,
‘But just in case, I'm going a bit farther off,’ he pointed to the solitary teak tree and added: ‘That′s the best place in Yangambi for a piss, but l don′t want to risk him seeing my tadger.’

Of course the medical staff had seen all this before, and they were quick to put our minds at ease—“Come of^([sic]) then—get your fucking kit off, the officer said, now move it!” came the caring and helpful advice, or “Come on, move it, these nurses aren′t embarrassed at seeing your little tadger—why should you be?”

2012, Stephen Bridgman, My Bloody Efforts: Life as a Rating in the modern Royal Navy, page 43:


testificate

The statutory part is, " that no tenant or servant be received without testificate of their carriage, agreeable to the bond annexed," upon the pain of arbitrary punishment ;

1829, Robert Wodrow, The History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to the Revolution, page 399:

...and the same day a proclamation was issued, requiring all heritors, and in their absence, their factors and chamberlains, to convocate all the inhabitants on their lands, and to bring them before any of the privy councillors or commissioners appointed by the counil, and cause them to swear the abjuration-oath, and receive a testificate to serve as a free pass, without which any person who should adventure to travel should be holden and used as a communer with the said execrable rebels ;

1842, James Aikman, Annals of the Persecution in Scotland, page 506:

Roger Hastie, parochiner of Keithe, compeired, desireing mariage of a woman in the forsaid parishe, and being demanded concerning a testificate from Irland, quher he had resided of late, as he alleadged, answered ingenuouslie that he had brought none over with him from thence, being forced to omitt it throghe the troubles of the countrie, but was able to give his oathe, and qualifie otherwise, that he was nether maried as yet, nor scandelous in his cariage in the place quher he had liued.

1843, John Stuart, Extracts from the Presbytery Book of Strathbogie:

... there seems no reason why a certificate should not have been written and signed by the same person but, in any event, the woman who presented it was ordered to leave the parish, a decision which may have had something to do with the fact that she was presenting a child for baptism on her own, the father being dead according to the testificate and so there was no one to support mother and child apart from kirk funds.

1992, Anne Gordon, Candie for the Foundling, page 300:

In the eighteenth century there was a system of interparish testificates that was very similar to the internal passport system imposed upon serfs in Czarist Russia up to the late nineteenth century.

2013, Thorbjørn Campbell, Arran: A History, →ISBN:

(historical, Scotland) A certificate of good character that was required to allow travel between parishes in the 18th and early 19th centuries.


wanchancy

en-adj

wanchancy (comparative more wanchancy, superlative most wanchancy)

more wanchancy (comparative)
most wanchancy (superlative)

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Unlucky; unchancy.

It was the day of warlocks and apparitions, now happily driven out by the zeal of the General Assembly. Witches pursued their wanchancy calling, bairns were spirited away, young lassies selled their souls to the Evil One, and the Accuser of the Brethren, in the shape of a black tyke, was seen about cottage doors in the gloaming.


wanfortune

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Misfortune.


wanweird

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Misfortune; ill or unhappy fate.


wanrestful

wanrestful (comparative more wanrestful, superlative most wanrestful)

more wanrestful (comparative)
most wanrestful (superlative)

From wan- + restful. Compare Scots wanrest (“unrest”).

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Restless; uneasy.


wanse

en-verb

wanse (third-person singular simple present wanses, present participle wansing, simple past and past participle wansed)

wanses (present singular third-person)
wansing (participle present)
wansed (participle past)
wansed (past)
wanze (alternative)

From Middle English wansen (“to decrease, diminish”), from Old English wansian (“to diminish”), from Proto-West Germanic *wansōn, a variant of *wanisōn, from Proto-Germanic *wanisōną (“to lessen”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty”). Cognate with Old Norse vansa (“to do too little, suffer loss”), Old Norse vansi (“lack, want”). More at wane.

cog

(intransitive, UK dialectal, Scotland) To wane; waste, waste away; pine; wither.


wanthriven

en-adj

wanthriven (comparative more wanthriven, superlative most wanthriven)

more wanthriven (comparative)
most wanthriven (superlative)
wan-thriven (alternative)

From wan- + thriven. More at wan-, thrive.

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Stunted; ill-grown; decayed; in a state of decline.

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Emaciated; weakly.


offcome

(UK, dialectal, chiefly Scotland) An apology; excuse.

(UK, dialectal, chiefly Scotland) An escape or evasion by subterfuge or pretext; a way of avoiding or getting out of a difficult or uncomfortable situation.


afterhind

en-adv

afterhind (comparative more afterhind, superlative most afterhind)

more afterhind (comparative)
most afterhind (superlative)
afterhin (alternative)
afterhint (alternative)


geck

en-verb

geck (third-person singular simple present gecks, present participle gecking, simple past and past participle gecked)

gecks (present singular third-person)
gecking (participle present)
gecked (participle past)
gecked (past)

From Dutch gek or Low German geck, from an imitative verb found in North Sea Germanic and Scandinavian/North Germanic meaning "to croak, cackle," and also "to mock, cheat" (Dutch gekken, German gecken, Danish gjække, Swedish gäcka).

onomatopoeic

imitative

To say that ye was geck'd ye'se hae nae need.

1812 [1768?], Ross Alexander, Helenore : or the fortunate shepherdess, a pastoral tale, page 92:

And Jenny geck'd at Roger, […]

1815, Robert Tannahill, Poems and Songs, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, page 59:

I brought her frae England, and, during our whole journey, she gecked and scorned at my northern speech and habit

1816, [Walter Scott], The Antiquary. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:

She ... gecks at me , and says I smell o' tar.

1828, Allan Ramsay, The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy. With Notes, and an Original Memoir of the Author, page 21:

Oh, geck na' at hame hodden grey, Jean Linn! Oh, geck na' at hame hodden grey!

1893, Robert Ford, The Harp of Perthshire: A Collection of Songs, Ballads, and Other Poetical Pieces Chiefly by Local Authors, page 163:

(ambitransitive, chiefly Scotland, Northern England) To jeer or mock; to show contempt for.


straught

en-verb

straught (third-person singular simple present straughts, present participle straughting, simple past and past participle straughted)

straughts (present singular third-person)
straughting (participle present)
straughted (participle past)
straughted (past)
straucht (alternative)

From Scots straucht (“stretched, stretched out”). Compare Scots strauchten (“to straighten”).

der

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) To stretch; make straight.


straught

en-adj

straught (comparative more straught, superlative most straught)

more straught (comparative)
most straught (superlative)
straucht (alternative)


umgang

From Middle English umgang, umbegang (“circumference, circuit”), from Old English ymbgang, ymbegang (“going about, going round, circuit, circumference, surrounding belt, a winding course, bend, a going about a business”), from Proto-West Germanic *umbigang, from Proto-Germanic *umbigangaz, equivalent to um- + gang. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Uumgong, West Frisian omgong, Dutch omgang (“dealing, handling”), German Umgang (“dealings, handling”), Danish omgang (“game”). More at um-, gang.

(UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland) An instance of going or passing around; a trip.

(UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland) A circuit; circumference.


jow

en-verb

jow (third-person singular simple present jows, present participle jowing, simple past and past participle jowed)

jows (present singular third-person)
jowing (participle present)
jowed (participle past)
jowed (past)

Alteration of jowl (“to knock, strike, ring a bell”), with loss of final l.

(Scotland, transitive) To ring or toll (a bell).


long drink of water

en-noun

long drink of water (plural long drinks of water)

long drinks of water (plural)
tall drink of water (alternative)

/lɒŋ ˈdɹɪŋk əv ˈwɔːtə/

/lɔŋ ˈdɹɪŋk əv ˈwɔtɚ/

The term originated in the United States, and was presumably used in vaudeville performances. It was derived from earlier Scots lang drink.

Stair had grown up into a great lang drink, and would faukled, as Robin Cummell said, if he fell.

[1887, John Service, chapter XVI, in The Life and Recollections of Doctor Duguid of Kilwinning. Written by Himself, and Now First Printed from the Recovered Manuscript, Edinburgh: Young J. Pentland, →OCLC, page 103:

Other acts will include Klein, Abe and Nicholson, “the fat bellboy, the corpulent Scot and ‘the long drink of water,’” in a comedy of melody.

1915 August 1, “Photoplays, Vaudeville and outdoor amusements”, in The Washington Post, page 3, column 1:

Mr. [David] Kirkwood [Independent Labour Party member] addressed his reproof to Lord Winterton [Edward Turnour, 6th Earl Winterton], who, along with his colleagues, had protested against the defiance of the speaker's ruling. "Ye are not treating with Indians, ye big long drink of water," he shouted. Immediately the Speaker reproved the member for Dumbarton.

1924 May 10, “The Speaker defied”, in The Times, London, page 12:

American Dialect Society
Robert Wadlow
Stack Exchange


behad

en-adj

behad (comparative more behad, superlative most behad)

more behad (comparative)
most behad (superlative)

From Old Scots behald, behauld, reduced variant of behalden, behaulden (“beholden, indebted”), from behald, behauld (“to look at, regard”). More at behold.

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Beholden; indebted.


begunk

en-verb

begunk (third-person singular simple present begunks, present participle begunking, simple past and past participle begunked)

begunks (present singular third-person)
begunking (participle present)
begunked (participle past)
begunked (past)
begink (alternative)

Perhaps from a nasalised variant of Scots begeck (“to deceive, disappoint”), equivalent to be- + geck.

(transitive, dialectal, chiefly Scotland) To befool; deceive; balk; jilt.


begunk

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) An illusion; trick; cheat.


striddle

striddle (third-person singular simple present striddles, present participle striddling, simple past and past participle striddled)

striddles (present singular third-person)
striddling (participle present)
striddled (participle past)
striddled (past)

Frequentative of Middle English striden (whence modern English stride), from Old English strīdan, from Proto-West Germanic *strīdan, from Proto-Germanic *strīdaną. Equivalent to stride + -le (frequentative suffix).

I'm going along like a lame duck striddling a gutter.

1890, George Manville Fenn, Cormorant Crag:

(dialectal, Scotland, Northern England) To straddle.


guga

It is well known that young gannets or gugas are not only highly edible but their fat has remarkable curative properties.

(Scotland) solan goose or northern gannet


chate

chate (third-person singular simple present chates, present participle chating, simple past and past participle chated)

chates (present singular third-person)
chating (participle present)
chated (participle past)
chated (past)

"You want to chate me!" said Teddy, angrily.

1899, Horatio Alger, Jr., Paul the Peddler:

I'm up to your tricks, you young spalpeen, thryin' to chate a poor widder out of her money."

"But ye better beg than chate me out of me honest dues.

But they'll murdher my boy when they find out the chate," said Mrs. Rooney. "

1873, Various, The World's Greatest Books, Vol VI.:


chate

With that, he began to swear and call me a chate, and threaten me with the police.

1885, Grace Greenwood, Stories and Legends of Travel and History, for Children:

That there's been chatin' yez are all agreed; only yez can't identify the chate.

1865, Thomas Mayne Reid, The Ocean Waifs:


gnag

gnag (third-person singular simple present gnags, present participle gnagging, simple past and past participle gnagged)

gnags (present singular third-person)
gnagging (participle present)
gnagged (participle past)
gnagged (past)
knag (alternative)

From Middle English *gnaggen, *gnagen, from Old Norse gnaga (“to gnaw”), from Proto-Germanic *gnaganą (“to gnaw”). More at English gnaw.

(Northern England, Scotland) To gnaw; nibble; bite at (something)

(Northern England, Scotland) To worry; scold; torment; nag


bewith

From be + with, in the sense of what one can be with or do with.

(UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland) A makeshift; substitute.


bewest

From Middle English be west, biwesten, from Old English be westan (“west, from the west”).

inh

(UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland) To the west of.


wheech

en-verb

wheech (third-person singular simple present wheechs, present participle wheeching, simple past and past participle wheeched)

wheechs (present singular third-person)
wheeching (participle present)
wheeched (participle past)
wheeched (past)


freit

He was a toad, a worm, a freit – not fit for human company.

1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 215:

(Scotland) A superstitious object or observance; a charm, an omen.


wiselike

en-adj

wiselike (comparative more wiselike, superlative most wiselike)

more wiselike (comparative)
most wiselike (superlative)
wise-like (alternative)

From Middle English wiseli, wisliche, from Old English wīslīc (“wise, sagacious, prudent”), equivalent to wise + -like.

inh

(dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Resembling that which is wise or sensible; judicious; sensible.