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 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

KEP, n.¹ Also cep; kj(a)ep (Sh.); dim. keppie. Sc. forms of Eng. cap, a covering for the head. Gen.Sc. (in s.Sc. only of a woman's cap). Also fig. For phr. deil's keps, see Deil, n. VII. A. 16. Cf. Caip, n.² [Sc. kɛp, kep, kæp; Sh. kjɛp]Gall. 1742 Session Bk. Penninghame (1933) II. 396:
The said Janet said she would cast his kep in the fire.Lnk. 1838 J. Morrison McIlwham Papers 18:
Twa Kilmarnock keps . . . which I coft the ither day, frae the chapman body.Ags. 1861 R. Leighton Poems 21:
The far-aff hills creep near the touns, And draw their mist-keps ower their crowns.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders xxxiv.:
Impudent loon, that canna leave a decent woman's kep straucht on her heid.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (3 Sept.):
Da men is aye best aff, haelty ill eetim dey hae ta dü bit tak' aff der kjaep an' set dem til.Abd. 1920 G. P. Dunbar Peat Reek 15:
The aul'est twa's at college tyauvin' hard for keps an' goons.Ags. 1921 D. H. Edwards Fisher Folks 132:
A leather-lugget laddie's bonnet, or perhaps a hairy bairn's keppie.Abd.⁷ 1925:
The kep haps a' the faimily, used of a married couple who have no children.