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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.

REST, v.¹, n.¹ Also Sc. forms †reste, rist. Deriv. ristless, restless (Abd. 1923 R. L. Cassie Heid or Hert ii., Abd. 1966). [rɛst, ne.Sc. rɪst]

Sc. usages:

I. v. 1. In combs. with vbl.n. (1) resting chair, -shair, ressin-, a settle or long wooden seat with back and arms (Ags., Per. 1825 Jam.; Sh. 1968); (2) resting stane, a stone used as a seat or resting-place; specif. one on the road to a church-yard on which a coffin was laid while the bearers rested (†Ork. 1968).(1) Inv. 1739 Trans. Gael. Soc. Inv. XIII. 141:
Little tent bed or a resting Chair bed.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales (1874) 89:
Flinging herself down on the resting-chair.Sh. 1869 J. T. Reid Art Rambles 32:
The long resting-chair or sofa.Sh. 1900 Shetland News (13 Jan.):
Come in trow boys. Der room here i' da restinshair.Sh. 1967 New Shetlander No. 83. 25:
I laid me at i' da ressin-shair.Sh. 1993 New Shetlander Sep 22:
Unasked he seated himself by the fire but choosing the creepie and avoiding the resting chair.(2) Edb. 1851 A. Maclagan Sketches 18:
Wee Willie Wagtail's restin'-stane.ne.Sc. 1874 W. Gregor Olden Time 146:
At this spot there was in some places a big stone, called the ristin stehn, on which the coffin was laid.

2. Of arable land: to lie fallow or in grass (I. and n.Sc., em.Sc. 1968). Ppl.adj. ristit, of land: having lain fallow (Ib.). Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1771 Encycl. Brit. III. 333:
When these parts are not thus doubled the third and fourth parts rest.Rs. 1831 British Husbandry (Burke 1840) III. 88:
The land was allowed “to rest” — i.e. to remain unploughed for a period of years.Bnff. 1922 Banffshire Jnl. (3 Oct.) 3:
Th' plooman's yoket t' th' ley, turnin o'er th' ristit cloddie.

3. Of a vehicle, etc.: to leave in a stationary position, to park, to allow to remain.Gsw. 1779 J. Strang Gsw. Clubs (1856) 79:
No carts or nuisances to be rested for any due time upon the sides of the public streets.

4. Curling: see quot.Dmf. 1830 R. Brown Mem. Curl. Mab. 108:
Rest, to draw to any object so as not to pass it.

II. n. Curling: the position on the ice on which a stone should come to a halt.Ayr. a.1822 A. Boswell Poet. Wks. (1871) 196:
Johnny Gray mak' this your rest A good calm shot is aye the best.