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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ANTRIN, ANTER(I)N, ANTRAN(T), AUNTERN, Anteran, Hantrin, Antra, Antrim, ppl.adj., occas. used as n. [′ɑntrɪn, ′ɑntrən, ′ɑntərn Sc.; ′ɑntrə Nai.; ′ɑntrɪm Bnff.; ′ǫntrən em.Sc.(b) but Lth. + ′hɑntərɪn]

1. ppl.adj. Occasional, chance, single, rare, odd. Gen.Sc. Used in mod. liter. Sc. in the extended sense of odd, strange, peculiar, prob. by misunderstanding of the orig. meaning. Sc. 1808 Jam.:
Ane antrin ane, one of a kind met with singly and occasionally, or seldom.Sc. 1925 H. McDiarmid Sangschaw 2:
Ae weet forenicht i' the yow-trummle I saw yon antrin thing. Sc. 1934 L. G. Gibbon in Scottish Scene 183:
This was a queer and antrin stuff put into a queer and antrin drink.Sh.(D) 1916 Burgess Rasmie's Smaa Murr Aagust 2:
At antrin times, even aeditors can mak a mistak.Nai. a.1927 (per Mry.¹):
An antra chiel.Mry.¹ c.1920:
Antran, antrant, anteran, occasional, not frequent. “Whiles we see an antran solan.”Bnff. 1905 A. I. Shand Days of the Past 7:
Ay, it's lettin' in some water . . . but it's gey thick, and there are but antrim drops.Abd.(D) 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xvi.:
Ou, but ye ken there's nane o' oor fowk comes hame eenoo, 'cep Rob, an' Nelly at an antrin time.Abd. 1992 David Toulmin Collected Short Stories 109:
At an antrin time in the night. Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 18:
... an the heir tae Clashies gaed aff tae Lunnen tae study music at a Sassenach schule, far he learned Sassenach wyes an seldom luikit ower his showder at the fowk back hame, apairt frae screivin the antrin caird at Yule or his Mither's birthday.em.Sc.(a) 1991 Kate Armstrong in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 110:
This is the laund that bigs the winds; winds big the cloods;
the cloods, the weit, the weit, the grun; an antrin steer
o syle an rain. Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 227:
Antrin F[if]., Awnturin L[th]., Hanturin L[th]. [Simplified spelling.]m.Lth. a.1885 “J. Strathesk” More Bits from Blinkbonny (2nd ed. 1885) 66:
To occasional or “anterin'” customers, James was a ready-money man.Edb. 1775 R. Fergusson Sc. Poems (1925) 73:
Antrin fock may ken how snell Auld Reikie will at morning smell.Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 23:
But that was but an auntern ane here an' there.Hdg. 1885 “S. Mucklebackit” Rural Rhymes 92:
At hantrin times.wm.Sc. 1835 Laird of Logan II. 55:
He used to ca' on me. . . . I'll no sae but he micht, on an antrin week, be three times.Lnk.¹ 1929:
Antrin is well known and in daily use in Stonehouse.Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 56:
A lad may gie an antran sten', Ayont the prudent scores o' men.Gall.(D) 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 159:
Some cam frae abot Stranraer, an antrin yins wud come frae aboot Glesca or Embro.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales, etc. (1837) IV. 10:
Stay nouther to put on clean bussing, kirtle, nor barrie, else ye may be an antrin meenut or twa ower lang.

2. n. An occasional one, “one now and again, one here and there” (Gregor D. Bnff.).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 215:
Antrins are staivrin' aboot through the girs.Abd.(D) 1923 R. L. Cassie Heid or Hert xiv.:
Though there war some antrins . . . o' the kin' that naething will saitisfee.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 223:
Oh, man may work frae morn to mirk, An' borrow antrins [odd moments?] o' the mune, An' late an' ear' his darg be sair, But woman's wark is never dune.