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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HARN, n.¹ Also †harne, harran, haur(i)n, haarn (Sh. 1933 J. Nicolson Hentilagets 11), harren (Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 126); hairn, hern (Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) I. 152); and arns (Rs. (Avoch)). [hɑrn(z), hǫrn(z), ‡he:rn(z)]

1. In pl. The brains, lit. and fig., the intelligence (Sc. 1693 Sc. Presb. Eloquence (1718) 116, hairns; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Per., Ayr. (hairns) 1915–23 Wilson; Mry.¹ 1925; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; I., n. and em.Sc.(a), Peb., Ayr., Kcb. 1956). Also fig. the contents of anything.Sc. 1722 Ramsay Poems (1800) II. 390:
Nor shall our Herds as heretofore, Rin aff with ane anither's Store, Nor ding out ane anither's Harns.Sc. 1755 Scots Mag. (Aug.) 410:
Say but that again, and I will gar your harns clatter, though it be the Sabbath-morning.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 61:
On me ye've laid yer crazy harns, An' fix't me for a bouster.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xvii.:
Thae whigamore bullets ken unco little discretion, and will just as sune knock out the harns o' a psalm-singing auld wife as a swearing dragoon.Ags. 1861 R. Leighton Poems 24:
His haurins are dosen'd, his een sair bedizen'd.Rnf. 1870 J. Nicholson Idylls 104:
When the string at the mouth, wi' the wecht within it, broke, An' oot fell the haurns o' my muckle meal-pock.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb ix.:
The lad was a natural born dunce . . . his “harns,”after deducting the outer case, might have been contained in an eggshell.Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 371:
Their heads had aye mair hair than hairns.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 102:
Shü wis sittin' waitin for a shance o' da harns, whin da lamb's head wis klov'n.Sc. 1923 R. Macrailt Hoolachan 7:
Is he a wyce bairn — mensefu', — wi' a' his harns aboot him?Bwk. 1943 W. L. Ferguson Vignettes 69:
The mair ye bittle her auld harns, The waur she bleezes oot at ye!Mearns⁵ 1956:
Ye'll blaw your harns out! — said to anyone blowing his nose violently.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 35:
The warl's nae wyce.
The boot's in on the harns
on Empty Street. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 8:
Sae Davie cuppit his haun tae his heid wi the boolie inno his nieve an made on he wis scrattin his harns, thouchtfu-like.

Hence harnless, brainless, stupid (Abd.¹⁹ 1930; Sh., Cai., Bnff., Knr. 1956).Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 83:
Du's, güd traath, a harnliss snül Ta be sae led.Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Songs 88:
Juist fancy yonder hernless wight.Bnff. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 83:
The lave o' them haiveless like harnless deer.

Combs. (in sing.): (1) hern-coul, the plant skull-cap, Scutellaria galericulata (Rnf. a.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) H. 37). See Cool; (2) harnpan, the skull (Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 692, hern-; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 256, haurn-; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., hern-, harn-; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags., Knr., Peb. 1956).(2) Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 188:
The Harn-pan of an umquhile Mare, He strung, and strak Sounds fast and clear.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 24:
A hag sailt i' his toom hairn-pans Awa' to France.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie ciii.:
Robin has gotten an awful cloor on the broo, we think his harnpan's surely dunklet.Abd. 1828 P. Buchan Ballads I. 273:
I'll lea' to you my harnpan, It is baith lang and sma'; I'll lea' it to yoursell, my lord, To drink your wine witha'.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin vi.:
Haud back if ye dinna want a bullet through your harran-pan!Rxb. c.1870 Jedburgh Worthies 27:
An over-sized hat, which contrived to keep its place despite the scanty “harn-pan” beneath it.Ork. 1931 J. Leask Peculiar People 134:
Sheu wad spelt apen da harnpan o' da first ane 'at darkened 'er doorstane.Edb. 1979 Albert D. Mackie in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 45:
The sowl's a flouer that blossoms in the harnpan

2. pl. Voice. Cf. Brain, n.¹, 1. (2), id.Rs. 1919 T.S.D.C. III. 15:
“O, at a arns 'e hiz.” Oh, what a voice he has got.