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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CRAMPET, CRAMPIT, CRAMP-BIT, n. Cf. Cramp, n.² [′krɑmpɪt]

†1. “The guard of the handle of a sword” (Sc. 1808 Jam.; w.Sc. 1741 A. M'Donald Galick Vocab. 115).Sc. 1701 Acc. Bk. Sir J. Foulis (S.H.S. 1894) 291:
Apr. 7: for a new silver crampit to my sword, . . . rebaiting y^e old crampit weighing 2 drap.Sc. 1706 Speech Fife Laird in J. Watson Choice Collection (1869) i. 28:
No Hilt or Crampet richly hatched; A Lance, a Sword in hand we snatched.

†2. “The iron guard at the end of a staff” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²); cf. Crampard.Sc. 1720 Caled. Mercury (4 June) 101:
Heads and Crampets for Canes, all made, and Sold at reasonable Rates by Gavin Godsman.Sc. 1785 Lumsden and Aitken Hammermen of Gsw. (1912) 296:
A crampet for a staff.

†3. A cramp-iron (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Used fig. in quot.Sc. 1790 Burns Letters (Ferguson) No. 263:
If I chuse to bind down with the crampets of Attention the brazen foundation of Integrity, I may rear up the Superstructure of Independence.

4. “An iron spike driven into a wall for supporting any thing” (Abd. 1825 Jam.²); a roof-gutter bracket (Abd.²⁷ 1947). Known to Bnff.², Abd.⁹ 1940.

5. “A flat piece of iron with 4 spikes, bound to the sole of the shoe to keep a curler from slipping” (Ayr.⁴ 1928). Known to Ags.¹⁷, Fif.¹³ (for s.Per. and Dmf.), Lnk.¹¹ 1940. Cf. Clampet, n., 2.Sc. 1771 J. Graeme Poems (1773) 38:
Firm on his cramp-bits stands the steady youth Who leads the game.Sc. 1890 J. Kerr Hist. of Curling 177:
The use of crampits attached to the feet was forbidden, as they injured the ice.Abd. publ. 1767 W. Meston Poet. Wks. 11:
And for a crampet to his stumps, He wore a pair of hob-nail'd pumps.Dmf. 1830 R. Brown (ed.) Mem. Curl. Mab. 56:
We would suggest cloth or roon shoes as an excellent substitute upon artificial rinks, or any limited ice field, for crampets.

6. The iron sheet on the ice on which curlers stand when delivering their stones (Abd.⁹, Fif.¹⁰, Kcb.¹⁰ 1940). Cf. Cramp, n.², 3.Ags. 1905 A. N. Simpson Bobbie Guthrie 111–112:
Stepping upon the crampit, he twisted his stone on the ice to assure himself of its running powers.Edb. 1895 J. Tweeddale Moff 161:
Johnnie Dodd, grocer, next occupied the crampit.

7. “An iron runner of a sledge” (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Not known to our readers.