Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BACK-FEAST, —FAESTE, n. A feast given by the best man at a wedding in return for the marriage feast. [′bɑk′æst, -fist]Sh. 1908 J. M. E. Saxby in Old-Lore Misc., Ork. Sh., etc. I. vii. 271:
“Da Backfaeste” was an entertainment given by the principal groomsman in return for the wedding festivities to which the best-man contributed nothing, but where he was regarded as the most important guest.Ork. 1845 A. White in Stat. Acc.2 XV. (Orkney) 113:
The best-man [felt] himself called upon to give the back-feast, which occurred a month or two after the wedding, and in which he was assisted by contributions from some of the other young men in the immediate neighbourhood.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Back-feast n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 22 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/backfeast>
