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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

‡PACE, n. Also paice (Ags. 1955 Forfar Dispatch (9 June)), pa(i)se, paiss, pays-. (Sc. 1825 Jam.), paes, paece, peace; pes, pess(e); pesch (Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 26); ¶pesth (Sc. 1709 Invercauld Rec. (S.C.) 93); pass, pas(c)h(e); ‡pask-. Easter, Eastertide (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 138, peace; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; I. and n.Sc., Rxb., ‡Uls. 1965). Freq. attrib. in combs. Adj. pacey. [pes, Cai. peis]Peb. 1702 Burgh Rec. Peb. (B.R.S.) 167:
Therfor they think of it to alter the dyet of ryding the Eschellie common fra the Teusday after Pasch to the third Munday of Apryll.Sc. 1721 R. Wodrow Sufferings i. ii. s. viii.:
And when upon very good Reasons they could not observe Christmas and Pasch, they could never think of doing that for their King, which their Saviour had not required to be done for himself.Lth. 1772 Session Papers, Petition Sir J. Clerk Proof 8:
It is the custom of the country for the coal-masters to give the coaliers working at their works two feasts or treats in the year, one at Haunsel-Monday, and another at Pasch.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xc.:
As the usual routine of their procession from the drawing-room was on company occasions, at Pace, and Yule, and high times.Sc. 1827 G. R. Kinloch Ballads 5:
The silks that war shapen for me gen Pasche.Rxb. 1845 Stat. Acc.² III. 372:
There is no reason to suppose they were pace or Easter offerings.Ags. 1866 D. Mitchell Hist. Montrose 128:
At Pasch the Burneses had always the best dyed eggs to throw in the Links.Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 55:
First comes Candlemas, an' then the new meen, The first Tuesday efter that is aye Fastern's Een, That meen oot an' the neist meen's hicht, An the first Sunday efter that is aye Pess richt.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iii.:
A wis thinkin though o' witin ur we wis throwe the Jesimy Sundays an' Lint an' seen gettin 't deen as seen aifter Pace as we cud manage 't.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 39:
So Jeemsie just tholt an said naething
Till, ae quaet grouthy nicht afore Pess,
He did a meenlichty flittin
Fae the hoose wi the braa, shinin bress.

Combs.: 1. paiss-brae, a sloping piece of ground used for rolling Easter eggs; †2. Pasch Court, the Easter session of the Head Court of each burgh, which met also at Michaelmas (Sc. 1705 Acts Parl. Scot. XI. 293); 3. Paesday, Easter Day, applied also in I.Sc. to the Monday after (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Sh., Ork., Cai. 1965); 4. pace egg. an Easter egg (Sc. 1808 Jam.; I. and n.Sc., Rxb. 1965). Hence pace-egg day, the Monday after Easter (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Bwk., Rxb. 1965), the Saturday before Easter (Abd. 1965) or Easter Sunday, esp. among Episcopalians in the N.E., on which Easter eggs were rolled. to gae pace-eggin, to go round the doors begging Easter eggs; †5. Pasch Fair, a fair, held in various districts at Eastertime: 6. pace-gentleman, -lady, a boy or girl wearing new clothes at Easter (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); 7. Pasch market, a market held at Eastertime; 8. pace-new, of clothes: new for Easter. Also pacey-new (Bwk. 1965); †9. pesse pie, a dish traditionally eaten at Easter (see 1959 quot.); 10. paece ree, a period around Eastertime when storms are frequent (Sh. 1965). See Ree, n.³; 11. Pace-Saturday, -Sunday, etc., the Saturday before Easter, Easter Sunday (Sh., Cai. 1965). See 4.; ‡12. pace-yaud, paskieshad [ < paschis yad], a person who fails to observe the custom of wearing something new for Easter (n.Sc. 1825 Jam., paseyad, paysyad: Ags. 1965). Cf. Eel, n.³, 4., Yuil.1. Kcd. 1937 M. M. Banks Cal. Customs I. 45:
Though the custom of rolling “paiss” eggs still holds in Bervie, it is slowly, I think, dying out. In the olden times, however, it was carefully kept and the eggs were rolled on the “paiss braes” — a name they still bear — situated up the haughs near Crookity.2. Bnff. 1702 W. Cramond Ann. Bnff. (1891) 173:
Pasch Court. - The Court haveing wotted whither or not the Comone grass should be rouped or ane Commone hird sett therone.Fif. 1759 A. Laing Lindores (1886) 275:
The Counsel mett after calling of the Pasch Head Court.3. Abd. 1909 J. Tennant Jeannie Jaffray 127:
It was resolved to hold a fast on the following Sunday, being Pasch Day.4. Cai. 1842 J. Calder Sketches 233:
The poor, who had no poultry of their own, went round among their neighbours a day or two before, collecting what they called their “peace eggs.”Ags. 1912 M. M. Banks Cal. Customs (1937) I. 37:
The children were rolling eggs on the Saturday before Easter, they called them “pasch eggs”, . . . and in some parts they said pace eggs.Rxb. 1918 Kelso Chron. (12 April) 2:
That Monday was “pace egg day.”Abd. c.1920 G. Greig Folk-Song cxxxvi.:
Pancakes an' pess eggs for them wi' dainty stammacks.Lth. 1928 S. A. Robertson With Double Tongue 27:
It's best to dye Pace eggs when hale; when broken they're a slaister.Sh. 1944 M. M. Banks Cal. Customs 21:
We had the custom in Shetland of collecting “Paes-eggs” boiling them hard, and taking them to the hill to be eaten. I remember taking part in this, but only once. I remember we rolled the eggs down a grassy slope before eating them.Sh. 1949 New Shetlander (March–April) 9:
The now almost vanished custom of gjaa'n paes-eggin'.Abd. 1958 People's Jnl. (12 April):
We eest tae gaither the flooers tae colour oor pess eggs.5. Peb. 1702 Burgh Rec. Peb. (B.R.S.) 167:
The riding of the Commons, through Pash fair at Lanark.Lnk. 1709 Minutes J.P.s (S.H.S.) 65:
At Pas[c]h fair last in Lanark he asked att Bailie Howesone whither he would have him to goe away.Abd. 1759 Abd. Journal (24 April):
The yearly Fair commonly called Pasch-Fair of Hawkhall, . . . continues as formerly to be held on the Muir of Hawkhall, in the Parish of Forgue and County of Aberdeen, on the third Tuesday and Wednesday of April, Old-Stile.7. Abd. 1787 Abd. Jnl. (1 May):
The new cattle Tryst . . . was held in Old Aberdeen, being the same day with their Pasch market.Per. 1805 Session Papers, Scott v. Carmichael (1 Oct.) Proof 12:
He does not know whether Peace Market was held at Cupar-Angus in the month of April, or in the month of March that year.Kcd. 1845 Stat. Acc.² XI. 109:
Two fairs are held in Auchinblae, viz. Pasch market in April, and May-day on 22d May.Abd. 1851 W. Anderson Rhymes 183:
There was some gay wark, at the muckle Paise Market, Where wives bought their linen an sheets i' the spring.8. s.Sc. 1937 A. Hepple Heydays 181:
When she set out for church later on she had nothing on that was “pacey new”, but she was allowed to take the blue parasol.9. Sc. a.1700 Hogg Jacobite Relics (1819) I. 24:
There may Willie [William of Orange] lie, Wi' his neb boonermost, An' his doup downermost, An' his flype hindermost, Like a Pesse pie.Sc. 1959 F. M. McNeill Silver Bough II. 50:
The Pesse or Pasch Pie is a Scottish festival dish associated with Easter. It appears to have been some sort of chicken pie, possibly decorated with plumage as wildfowl pies used to be.10. Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 117:
There were certain times of the seasons when storms were specially expected. These were called Rees. There was . . . Paece Ree, about Easter.11. Ork. 1774 G. Low Tour (1879) 82:
Their Festivals are Christmas, Newyears-day, . . . Peace Sunday (Easter) . . . etc.Mry. 1775 L. Shaw Hist. Moray 280:
The Tower fell, anno 1711, on a Peace Sunday.Sc. 1827 C. I. Johnstone Eliz. de Bruce I. iii.:
The eggs . . . might do for the bairns to dye, and row on the braes on Pasch Sunday.Bnff. 1834 Trans. Bnff. Field Club (1915–6) 23:
Saw the children play with coloured eggs it being Pace Saturday.n.Sc. 1840 D. Sage Memorabilia (1889) 159:
Among our amusements was our pancake-cooking on Pasch Sunday.Bnff. 1887 Trans. Bnff. Field Club 67:
Whatever “airt” the wind blows from on “pass” .Sunday will be the prevailing airt for the following quarter.Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 11:
Fite Kirk o' Rayne Straucht stan's yer wa' But on a bonnie Pess Sunday Doon sall ye fa'.Cai. 1937 N. Gunn Highl. River xii.:
Kenn had eaten two hens' eggs and two peewits' for it had been Peace Sunday.Sh. 1949 New Shetlander (March–April) 8:
The boys sallied gaily forth on Paes Seterday from house to house, each housewife contributing a quota of paes eggs.12. Ags. 1834 A. Smart Rhymes 90:
Ah! wae's me for the poor Peace-yaud, Wha naething braw to boast o' had.Ags. 1894 Brechin Advertiser (14 Aug.) 3:
Mairover, we a' had something new on that day, or else we wad be ca'd Pace yads, an told that we wadna live to see anither Pace Sunday.Ags. 1949 Forfar Dispatch (21 April):
She promised tae gie me a noo hat tae wear on Easter Sabbath so that I wudna be Paice Shad.Ags. 1960:
From two octogenarian Episcopalian ladies: “My sister is a Paskieshad”, i.e., did not wear anything new for Easter.