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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

†HADDISH, n. Also hadish; hathis(c)h; huddish (Abd. 1749 Monymusk Papers (S.H.S.) 236); haddies.

1. A measure of grain equal to one quarter (Ags. 1808 Jam.) or one third of a peck (Abd. 1825 Ib.); hence, a vessel holding this amount.Mry. 1716 W. Cramond Grant Court Bk. (1897) 22:
Ilk malender and servant . . . shall have of pay . . . 3s. Sc., or ane hadish meall ilk day he is from home.Abd. 1743 Session Papers, Leith v. Gordon (6 Dec.):
3 Bolls 2 Firlots 2 Pecks and 2 Haddishes of Bear, as the Victual-Stipend paid out of the Lands of Leith-hall.ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore 63:
In a parish on the east coast of Buchan, one wild night in winter, in the twilight, a little woman, dressed in green, went into a farm kitchen and begged for a “hathisch o' meal” from the gueedwife.

Combs.: (1) haddish cog(ue), haddies —, the vessel with which the grain was measured (†Abd.⁴ 1930, haddish-cog); (2) haddish-rig, that portion of a field sown with this quantity of mixed seed.(1) Abd. c.1754 Sc. N. & Q. (March 1924) 42:
Bellabeg shall immediately cause to be made at Aberdeen . . . a haddish cogue agreeable to the meal peck of the county . . . for every boll or sixteen pecks, the suckeners shall be obliged to pay one haddish of unsifted meal measured with the aforesaid haddish cogue.Ags. 1808 Jam.:
Haddies Cog . . . A measure formerly used for meting out the meal appropriated for supper to the servants. It contained the fourth part of a peck.ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore 178:
The new tenant, along with a friend, went from farm to farm, and got a peck or two from this one, a leppie from the next one, a hathish-cogful from the next one.(2) Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS.:
The haddish rig wis a rig sawn wi' barley, beans, an' peys, an' they were a' ta'en tae the mull thegidder an' grun'. Syne they were made inta a kin' o' scones that the fowk ca'd bargnap.

2. The mixed crops grown on a haddish rig used as fodder, or to make meal (see quot. under (2) above).Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS.:
We had some haddish for gnap.