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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GRICE, n.¹ Also gryce, grise, †gryse, †grize; gris (Jak.), griss (Cai. 1934). A pig, more esp. a young pig, a sucking pig (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 250, obs.; Fif., Lth. 1926 Id. Cent. Scot. 245; Sh., Ork., Cai., Ags., em.Sc.(b), Kcb., Dmf. 1955.). Formerly Gen.Sc. Sometimes used coll. Dims. gricey, -ie, grycie; gra(i)cie (Rxb. 1825 Jam., ‡1923 Watson W.-B.), †grecie (Abd. 1825 Jam.), griceling (Sc. 1782 J. Elphinston Martial i. xiv. 11). Also fig.: “a fat, ungraceful woman of somewhat loose character” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff., Add. 225, gracie). Also in n.Eng. dial. [Sc. grəis, grɑɪs, Cai. + grɪs]Sc. 1703 Foulis Acc. Bk. (S.H.S.):
Aug. 27: to Jamie Gray to pay for a gryce at easter haills . . . 1. 4. 0.Sc. 1722 Ramsay Three Bonnets 28–29:
And Beef, and Broe, and Gryce, and Geese, And Pyes a' rinning o'er wi' Creesh.Abd. 1755 R. Forbes Jnl. from London 34:
Ane o' the hissies came an' speerd at me, gin I wou'd hae a bit o' a roasted grycie.Sh. 1771 Walls Session Rec. (1 June):
Thomas Frazer Senr. in Seater declares that the said sow with 2 Gryses was Bool'd in Turdail about Dimset.Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 113:
With head and feet of a young gryce, That's rumps o' swine.Fif. 1812 W. Tennant Anster Fair iv. viii.:
A swineherd puts in poke a grice To carry from its sty some little way.Peb. 1817 R. Brown Lintoun Green 22:
Of grice liv'd in it, young, a few, A lean white sow it grac'd.Ags. 1897 Bards Ags. & Mearns (Reid) 301:
Thy waxing foretells that the hams of the gryce Will swell in the pot and be tender and nice.Wgt. 1904 J. F. Cannon Whithorn 13:
A yell soo haes aye guid grise.Ork. 1910 Old-Lore Misc. III. iv. 205:
In the further corner the brood sow and her litter of grizes were separated from the calves by a rough flagstone set on edge to form a pen.Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 31:
And wha wad be a fermer . . . And wha wad kill the gryce?Cai. 1932 John o' Groat Jnl. (25 Nov.):
Anither neebour wanted a gricie an' he beest til hev 'e strong chiel.

Phrs. & Comb.: 1. grice ingans, in pl., the vernal squill, Scilla verna; 2. grice mites [meats], (1) small potatoes used for pig's food (Sh. 1955); (2) the wood hyacinth, Scilla nonscripta (Sh. 1913 J. M. Hutcheson W.-L., Sh. 1955); 3. grice pan, the pot used for cooking pig's meat (Sh. 1955); 4. grice-taattie, = 2. (2) (Sh. 1949 New Shetlander No. 19.27, Sh. 1955); 5. grice trøni, a pig's snout (Sh. 1897 Jakobsen Dial. Shet. 90, Sh. 1955); 6. grice-truggel, a pig's trough (Ib. 34); 7. to bring or lay the heid o' the soo to the tail o' the grice, to balance one's losses with one's gains (Sc. 1705 Observator (2 May) 36). Also to arrange side by side in a neat orderly way (Ork.⁵ 1955), to express a point of view in a clear logical manner, to expound the pros and cons of a subject.1. Sh. 1975 T. A. Robertson Coll. Poems 31:
Grice Ingans! Dat wis what da aald folk caaed dem, Da peerie flooers at growes ower every broo.2. (1) Sh. 1900 Shetland News (20 Oct.):
Shü hüv'd a weet möldie kishie, half foo o' grice mites, apo' da flör.3. Sh. 1898 Ib. (30 July):
Shü flang dem i' da grice pan.7. Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 62:
Bring the Head of the Sow to the Tail of the Grice. That is, balance your Loss with your Gain.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxiv.:
An I am to lose by ye, I'se ne'er deny I hae won by ye mony a fair pund sterling — Sae, an it come to the warst, I'se e'en lay the head o' the sow to the tail o' the grice.Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick viii.:
It's an unco gift ye hae, o' laying the heid o' the soo to the tail o' the grice.