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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

NORTH, adj., adv., n., v. Also nort (Sh.) and reduced form nor-. Sc. usages:

I. adj. 1. As in Eng., in Combs. and Phrs.: (1) north cock, the snow-bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis (Abd. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 72). See also Cock, n.¹, II. (10) (c); (2) Nor' loch, a sheet of water on the north side of Edinburgh Castle, now drained. Phr. †a Nor' loch trout, a jocular name for a joint or leg of mutton, so called from the slaughterhouse situated at the south-east corner of the Loch, into which its refuse was emptied (see quot.); (3) (on) the north side o', used adv. = not quite, hardly, scarcely, lit. “on the chilly side of . . .”; (4) Nort Isles, Northern Isles.(1) Slg. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XVIII. 243:
The northcock and snow bird only appear in severe storms, like that of winter 1795.(2) Sc. 1825 Jam.:
A joint or leg of mutton, ordered for a club of citizens who used to meet in one of the closes leading down to the North loch. The invitation was given in these terms; “Will ye gang and eat a Nor'loch trout?”(3) Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxxiv.:
Her reception o' me . . . was muckle on the north side o' friendly.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 206:
“Supposin I gaed doun to Jude some mornin an' said til him, ‘Jude, I'm wantin the mill for mysel; you clear oot o' here in dooble quick time' — weel, that wad be the north side o' fair play.”Edb. 1987:
On the nor side of freendly. (4)Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie in Neil R. MacCallum Lallans 51 (1998) 6:
"Good-day again," said the Hen, an nodded, makkan her bonnet fleester i the wind, for minds thoo, the Nort Isles folk's weel mainnered, ...

2. Fig. Sharp, shrewd, astute, having a keen eye to the main chance, supposed to be characteristic of people from the North (-East) of Scotland. Cf. slang Eng. north, clever, knowing, associated with Yorkshire and farther north, and also Far, adv.¹, II. 21.Rnf. 1780 Session Papers, Kerr v. Johnston (23 June) 15:
He is too far north or sharp for the declarant.Kcd. 1933 L. G. Gibbon Cloud Howe (1937) 44:
Will Melvin had married fell late in life, an Aberdeen woman, right thin and right north, she kept a quick eye on the bar and the till.

II. adv. As in Eng. Derivs., phrs. and combs.: 1. Nor-East, Sc. form of Eng. north-east (Sh., Ork., Cai., Bnff., Ags., Arg., Ayr., Dmf. 2000s) 2. nor(th)art, northert, nord- (Sh. 1900 Shetland News (7 July), 1964 New Shetlander No. 67. 35), norrat, -et, norrit, adv., n., northward, to or in the north (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 366, norart; Ayr. 1825 Jam.; Lth. 1920 A. Dodds Songs 23; I.Sc., Bnff. 1964, norat). For the typical Sc. forms in -t, cf. Eastart, Forrit; 3. nort' at, see At, adv.; 4. north-bye, a little farther north, situated more towards the north (Sh. 1964). See By, 1. (5); 5. nordie, northwards. The form is metri causa; 6. northland, see Northland n., adj.; 7. nor(th)lins, in a northerly direction, northwards (I.Sc. 1964). See -Lins; 8. nor(th)most, nortmast (Sh.), most northerly. Gen.Sc. Rare and obs. in Eng.; 9. north ower, nort- (Sh.), adv., northwards (Sh. 1964); adj., northern, northerly (Fif. a.1850 R. Peattie MS.); 10. nor'-wast, north-west. Hence nor'waster, a north-west wind (I., n.Sc. 1964), -wastert, id.; fig. “anything of a rude cold nature” (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 366). For the form see 1.; nor'wastlan, northwestern.1.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 2:
... the Scots burr that set the fowk o the Howe apairt frae the lave o the Nor-East.2. Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 58:
Northert frae this I aften heard them say That their ain cuintray Flaviana lay.Kcb. 1797 R. Buchanan Poems 7:
Norrat as ye gang a turnie.Ayr. 1822 Galt Provost xxiv.:
The wind began . . . to wear away from the sou-west into the norit.Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 3:
The win' . . . soocht sae sair frae the nor'art.Dmf. 1940 Gallov. Annual 78:
Tae the northart, “Queensberry”['s] bold outline, Norlan' march o' Dumfriesshire's laund.Abd. 1963 People's Jnl. (12 Jan.) 16:
The win' iss mornin' his gaen roon' to the norrit.Sh. 1994 Laureen Johnson in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 164:
Da faces in da car wis aa lookin up at da hoose. Dey solisted a meenit, dan a blue-cled wife got oot, an da car set aff fer da nordert.4. Per. 1895 I. Maclaren Auld Lang Syne 247:
There wes a man in a glen north-bye.5. Ayr. 1816 A. Boswell Poet. Wks. (1871) 145:
O send me east, or send me wast, Or send me south or nordie, O.7. Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 84:
Gang east, but ay some northlins hadd your cast.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 74:
He northlins wagg'd his wappen.Sc. 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' Ling 54:
Wild geese are honkin norlins.8. Abd. 1758 Abd. Journal (26 Dec.):
Lot Second, being the Northmost of the said two Feu Tenements.Ork. 1792 Session Papers, Balfour v. Kirkwall T. C. (21 Nov. 1797) 6:
Extending from the east end of his northmost row of houses.Per. 1802 S. Kerr Poems 16:
On th' Infirm'ry's normost lum.Sh. 1939 J. Gray Lowrie 32:
Kirsie wis at me ta geng fur a fracht o' paets frae da hill, oot o' da northmast rooag.9. Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xvi.:
It's sae lang, lang sin' I teen fareweel o' my north-ower freends.Sh. 1901 T. P. Ollason Mareel 10:
We gied whirlin' nort' ower laek skate in a tide w'y.10. Rnf. 1858 D. Webster Scotch Haggis 245:
Her face was like a nor'-wast moon.Gsw. 1868 J. Young Poems 9:
To lea'e our bare nor'-wastlan isles.

III. v. Of the wind: to blow from the north, to veer to the north (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 119).