Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
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.

CAULDRIFE, Cauldrif, Coldrife, adj. and adv. Coldrife is an anglicised form. [′kɑl(d)rɪf, ′kɑl(d)rəɪf]

1. adj.

(1) Cold, chilly; of things: causing the sensation of cold; of people: susceptible to cold. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems II. 28:
Ah Heavens! did e'er this lyart Head of mine Think to have seen the cauldrife Mools on thine!Sc. 1928 W. Soutar in Scots Mag. (Feb.) 363:
Attour auld Arthour's Sate nae stern glours doon Intae the cauldrife city.Bnff.⁶ 1920:
Ye're a cauldrif crater.Abd.(D) 1920 C. Murray In the Country Places 8:
Noo that cauldrife Winter's here There's a pig in ilka bed.em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 19:
"An ye that laithed ma haly wurd
An sut in kirk, cauldrife an drear,
An thocht ower lang an oor-lang sermon,
That seemed in yer lugs tae last a year: ... "Gsw. 1991 James Alex McCash in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 14:
wind buff'd intill the
cauldrife, hyperboreal licht. Kcb. 1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders ii.:
The hour of slack tide, when a watcher sitting up with the sick gets chill and cauldrife.

(2) Cold or chilly in manner; indifferent; wanting in cheerfulness. Known to Bnff.², Abd. correspondents, Ags.², Fif.¹ 1938.Sc. 1718 R. Wodrow Corresp. (1843) II. 401:
Mr Mitchell wrote to some of our Jurant brethren at our Synod to delay this matter a little. Accordingly, we found them coldrife, and we were so likewise.Sc. 1828 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 60:
Oh, sir, but his [Sheridan's] comedies are cauldrife compositions.Fif. 1897 “G. Setoun” George Malcolm iii.:
He's but a cauldrife cratur i' the pulpit.Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Simple Sc. Rhymes 82:
Driven by my cauldrife scorn an' pride, He sought the maid o' Gowan-side.Ayr. 1889 H. Johnston Chron. of Glenbuckie xv.:
It's an unco cauldrife meeting.sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
cauldrife, caudriff, cauldrifted cold-hearted.

Hence coldrifness, indifference, want of zeal. Sc. 1700 R. Wodrow Early Letters (S.H.S.) 58:
Its oun discouragement at home from divisions among the Councelours and the seeming coldrifness of higher pouers.

2. adv. Coldly, indifferently.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 47:
And gars them cauldrife nod Throuch poortith's glen.Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poems II. 97:
Cauldrife the honest man looks on The rising and the setting sun.Slk. 1991 Harvey Holton in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 132:
Syne cauldrife claitteran the scree frae the summit
byles up the bluid wi the chaunce o a chase.