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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Slicht, adj.¹ Also: slichte, slycht, slight, schlicht, sleicht. [(Orig. north.) ME and e.m.E. slight (Cursor M.), slecht (1393-4), sleight (c1400), slite (1558), OScand. *sleht- (ON sléttr), MDu., MLG slecht, slicht).]

1. Describing articles of commerce, commodities, etc.: Of inferior or ordinary quality; ? occas., small, light in weight, not substantial. b. specif. Describing coins. Cf. croun of wecht (Croun(e n. 5 d.). 1502 Halyb. xxi.
ij breddis of bughe, ane better and ane slichtor 1506 Treas. Acc. III 80.
Ane cheseb of rede chamlot to the Gray Freris … with cors of slicht gold 1537–8 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 215.
Vermiewling slycht asur quhit leid [etc.] 1563 Old Dundee II 244.
Twa slicht coverings, to 16 s. 1567 Edinb. Test. I 59.
Ane gros of slycht silking pointis 1569 Edinb. Test. I 247.
Ellevin slicht hattis price … iiij li. 1575 Edinb. Test. III 352.
ix eln … of slycht veluot blak colourit price of the eln lv s. … tuelf eln of blak veluot price of the eln iiij li. iiij d. 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII 85b.
Thrie dosane of cristell spectacles price of the dosane xvj s. … vj dosane of slicht spectacles price of the dosane v s. 1583 Edinb. Test. XII 286b.
Thrie rym of paper of the slicht hand price of the rym xvj s. 1583 Edinb. Test. XII 355b.
Ane fyrrekin of slycht saip, estimat to iiij li. iiij s. iiij d. c1590 J. Stewart 3.
Ane ȝoung and imperfyt prentes quho at his first interprys of schaiping takith not in hand the fynnest stuff bot rather sum slycht cloth 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV 160b.
Ringis with slycht staneis 1615 Edinb. Test. XLVIII 214b.
Fourtie pair [gloves] slicht browderit heidis at lj s. the pair 1618 Edinb. Test. L 164b.
Aucht schlicht cowmon stringis at x s. the peice 1625 Brechin Test. IV 201 (see Knappet(t n. (b)). 1640 Aberd. B. Rec. III 250.
Item, the secund [sort of shoes] of slichter leather, double sollit [to be sold] at fourteine penneis 1674 Cunningham Diary 41.
For two pair of slight gloves, 5 s.(b) 1615 Edinb. Test. XLVIII 249b.
Ane dosone of sleicht penner scheithis price of thame fyve schillingisb. 1540 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS XIII 83.
v gaudeis of slycht crounis 1540 Maxwell Mem. I 411.
Sax wnicornis, tua slicht crownis, … ane demy 1566 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 89 (22 May).
[Coined gold consisting of] slycht crownis … lewis of wecht, [etc.] 1568 Edinb. Test I 204b.
Ane slicht croun of gold 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 297.
Cunȝeit … of siluer … half merk peices and xl pennie peices, being bot slycht and vj pennies fyne layit money c1650 Spalding I 264.
Thir slicht turnouris wes the onlie money almost passing throw all Scotland

2. Of things, events, etc.: Small, insubstantial, not great, in degree, size, etc. b. Unimportant, trivial. c. Incomplete, unsatisfactory; careless, casual. 1572 Buch Detect. (1727) 26.
Ane uther that was not gyltie … bot twichit ane lytill with a slicht suspicioun 1596 Dalr. I 93/21.
Breickis thay had verie slichte, and indeid mair to hyd thair memberis than [etc.] 1596 Dalr. I 96/8.
Thair constancie … is nocht worthie of sobir and slicht prais 1596 Dalr. II 276/8.
The Erle of Moray … preparet the banket, nocht of the slicht maner, bot verie fyne and fair a1605 Montg. Misc. P. v 32.
So mony things my mynd molest My sleiping is bot slichtproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1121.
Manie hands maks slicht [Ferg. Prov. (1641) No. 606, light] wark [L. onus levius] a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1139.
Manie hands maks slicht wark, namelie at the meateb. a1538 Abell 79a.
Edwert his eldest sone in ane slicht batell … wes wondit quharof … he deit 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I 47.
I am sory that for sic slicht caus ye sould be put to so greit expensisc. 1590 Waus Corr. 462.
I haife ressauit ane of the vessis that hais your cheyn, quhilk I think verray slycht tikat, for it declaris nocht quhow mykill it lyis in vad of a1658 Durham Commandment (1675) 91.
In your overly, rash, and slight way of using obtestations … as when ye say, for God's sake, … only as a customary by-word(b) 1595 Cal. Sc. P. XI 606.
[Angus gave but a] sleicht [answer and] ewill vordis [to the Provest]proverb. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 90/11.
Establishe honest diligent but feu searcheris for many handis makis slichte uarke

3. Of persons: Lacking seriousness or substance (in character, etc.); of little account, worthless, good-for-nothing; low; disreputable. b. specif. Of a woman: Loose, immoral.(1) a1568 Scott xx 29.
Thow hir for lufe did cheis … thocht thow knew hir slicht 1587 Acts III 450/1.
The commoun armes maid be messingeris in tymes bipast wer sa slender and guid chaip that the greater nowmer of slicht men socht to be admittit to that office quhilk aucht& … to be vsed be personis of discretioun honestie and credite 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV 268.
Alexander Cullane convocat ane grite nowmer of slicht men and invyous personis … to withhald the said complenare fra the said burgh a1589 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. in Paisley Mag. (1828) 385.
Now lychtest, untychtest and slychtest I sie, … My hart thinkis it ryctest with thé to be frie 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV 295.
Johnne … accumpanyed with certane utheris slicht personis … had taken away two horses 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Vappa, spilt wine; a slicht man 1596 Dalr. II 403/5.
Troupis of the commoun peple, of the slychtest sort 1597–8 Warrender P. (SHS) II 354.
We find the occasione of thir odius vycis … verai comond … becaus sa monei yong slycht men ver sustenit in thir partis 1613 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 20b (5 Aug.).
Seing the sclanderer wes bot ane slicht boy requestis the magistrat to put him in firmance [etc.] 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 27/178.
Yon fleing godhead slight [sc. Cupid] c1650 Spalding I 293.
Six slicht soldiouris, alledging warrand … to tak salmound … thir lounes cumis [etc.] [marg. knaverie of soldiouris] 1653 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 61.
Robers nor any idl nor slight persones(2) 1596 Dalr. II 398/16.
Al slicht in maneris, or waik in learning not able for the administratione of the sacramentisb. 1668 Alyth Par. Ch. 97.
Ther was a scandall delated upon Janat Red … for recetting ane lowse man … and ane slight woman M^t M^ckynzie in her howse 1685 Caldwell P. I 159.
I haveing from somewhat of her discourse been suspicious of her being a slight person, would goe into no room with her