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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CAMSTAIRY, CAMSTARY, CAMSTEERIE, adj., n. and adv. Also in forms camstarie, camstrarie, camsterry, camsterie, camstera, camsteery; camstery (Abd. p.1768 A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 176); camsterrie; camsteerin (Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Verses 36), camsterious (Cai. 1972 D. Omand Cai. Book 244, of a horse: frisky); ¶constarei (Rs. 1949 Gsw. Herald (7 Feb.)); cumstrarie, etc. [kɑm′ste:rɪ̢, -′sti:ri, -′stɛrɪ̢, -′stre:rɪ̢, kʌm′st(r)e:rɪ̢, -′stu:ri]

1. adj. Perverse, unmanageable, riotous; given to quarrelling; excitable (Fif.¹⁰ 1938). Ags.¹ 1926 says: “prob. obsol. in talk,” and Arg.¹ 1938 says: “rare (prob. borrowed).” W. Aiton in Agric. Ayrsh. (1811), Gl. 691 gives the form comstairy, and the form cumsturie is given for Lnk. by A. Wardrop in Hamely Sketches (1902) 92.Sc. 1769 D. Herd Sc. Songs (1776) II. 40:
And when she is fu' she is unco camstarie.Abd.(D) a.1807 J. Skinner Amusements (1809) 68:
Time enough to turn camsterry When we're auld and doited.Ags. 1875 J. Watson Samples of Common Sense in Verse 15:
Our camstairy neebours across the saut dub Are aye yarkin' up like the barm in a tub.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 87:
Oor shared deceit:
we're baith camsteery and, for me, I'm prood,
an' that clock's tick, gin it were a hairt-beat,
wad dootless hae doctors skartin their pows. Edb. 1821 W. Liddle Poems 44:
In case a clammehuet then Get o'er the crown: Frae some camstera drunken loun An' think it fun.Arg. 1992:
An she had a wile ... camsterrie wey o lookin. Deest er looks, maybe, the wumman.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 62:
I think ye're a cumstrarie piece o' stuff.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie II. i.:
Howsever, I daresay, the auld countess is nae sic a camstrarie commoditie as may be ye think.Wgt., Kcb. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
camsteery, camstairy, camstam, clamsteery 2. wild, unmanageable; also ramsteery. 3. habitually tiresome or high-spirited (of a child). Kcb. 1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders xxxiii.:
She turned camsteery wi' him, an' gang in harnass she wadna.

Hence (1) camstrariness, camsteerieness, obstinacy, perversity; (2) camsterious, “very frisky (of a horse)” (Cai.⁸ 1934).(1) Fif. 1884 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xiv.:
Pairtly owin' to his camsteerieness, an pairtly owin' to my ain licht head, we tint oor feet.wm.Sc. 1835–1837 Laird of Logan II. 55:
E'en yoursel', Jenny, for a' your camstrariness, couldna hae done itherwise than I did.

2. n.

(1) An obstinate, unmanageable person.Slk. 1818 Hogg Brownie of Bodsbeck I. iii.:
“Here's for ye then, auld camstary,” says they; “an unlucky fish gets an unlucky bait.”

(2) An uproar (Fif.¹⁰ 1938). This meaning seems to be a modern development.Ags. 1934 L. Spence in Gallov. Annual 12:
When the fouk made sic a camsteerie, she seemed fair fleggit.m.Sc. 1898 J. Buchan John Burnet of Barns iii. i.:
If John Burnet cam hame and fund this gaun on, he wad mak a rare camsteery.

3. adv. Helter-skelter, in disorder. Known to Lnl.¹ 1938.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Poems in Two Tongues 38:
And the sky wi' a' its starlicht In glory wid us droon, Gif like a rashel o' hailstanes It cam camsteerie doon.Wgt. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
camsteery, camstairy, camstam, clamsteery 1. precipitately.