Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Spar-rib, n. Also: spair-, spayr-, spere- and -ribb, -ryb, -reb, sparib. [Appar. altered form of MLG ribbesper the roast pig's ribs, the hollow stitched together and filled with apples and spices (Dähnert), rybbesper (1438-1547) (both in Schiller-Lübben), ? with transposition of the elements by association with Spare adj. Cf. e.m.E. spare rib (1596), spar rib (1607).] A cut of meat taken from the ribs, ? the whole rib cage, esp. of beef or mutton. Also, once, pl.sing. 1512 Household Bk. Jas. IV 12a.
i filot & ane spere ryb 1512 Household Bk. Jas. IV 17a.
A spere ribb of beif(b) 1525 Household Bks. Jas. V 25.
j sparrib, j porcus 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 4 Feb.
Ane sparreb 1598 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 10 Sept.
Sparib 1631 Aberd. B. Rec. III 37.
To spuilȝie the caircages of beiff or muttone in the craig, spar rib [etc.](c) 1552 Crail B. Ct. MS 17 Oct.
Gyf ony … fleyscheris breykis beyf or mowtyne that the spayrryb thayrof be broykyne wyth the layf 1611 Inverness Rec. II 83.
That all personis that bringis viueris … sick as muttoun, beiffis, to the marcat … that they haue the spair rib, breistis and schuderis and cragis, and that the sam be nocht impairit of ony flesche it suld haue, vnder the pain of eschetingpl. 1533 Boece 73.
Quhen … was ane ox slane … assignit was … to the wricht the neris with twa schort ribbis, the remanent of the spar ribbis to the leich, off baith quarteris twa ribbis to the medicinare