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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCAUD, v., n. Also sca(a)d, scawd, ska(u)d; ¶scade; scall, scaul. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. scald. See L, letter. Deriv. scaddle. [skǫ:d, skɑ:d]

I. v. 1. To scald, to scorch with hot liquid or steam; to chafe, gall, inflame the skin with friction (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 464; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai). Gen.Sc.; to make (tea) (Kcb., s.Sc. 1969); to bring almost to boiling point, of whey, sowans, etc. (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.). Vbl.n. scaddin. Proverbial phr. to scaud one's lips or mou wi ither folk's kail, to meddle with someone else's affairs to one's own hurt or loss.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. (S.T.S.) i. ii., ii. i.:
Ae Wean fa's sick, an scads itsell we Broe. . . . Our meikle Pot that scads the Whey.Slg. 1730 Trans. Slg. Nat. Hist. Soc. (1925) 55:
Spent in the Theasurer's when the saye was burnt and scalled . . . . . . . . .£1 18s. 0d.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 156:
And may they scad their lips fu' leal, That dip their spoons in ither's kail.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail xciv.:
Ye'll no sca'd your lips in other folks' kail.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Let. xi.:
As bad as scauding your fingers with a redhot chanter.Dmf. 1834 H. Johnston Poems 21:
We put on the big pot for to scad our whey.Sh. 1888 B. R. Anderson Broken Lights 80:
Da sorrow scad dee in his brü.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) 91:
Some foolar's airth that he got for his scawdit feet at the King's birthday.Abd. 1932 J. Leatham Fisherfolk 26:
“Skya't” and “scaddit” are, on different parts of the coast, favourite terms for what the medical man calls “abrasions of the cuticle”.Gsw. 1937 Bulletin (9 March) 12:
She's unco fine, she'd raither sca'd her mou' nor flet her tea.Abd. 1994 Stanley Robertson in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 20:
Her hands were sair scaddied and for the first time in her life Morag worked at cleaning. Ayr. 2000:
A'm aa scaddit atween the legs. Edb. 2004:
Ma neck's aw scaddit wi the car's seat belt.

Combs., phr. and derivs.: †(1) scaddem, a jocular name for an inexpert blacksmith (Rxb. 1825 Jam.). Cf. scowderdoup s.v. Scowder; †(2) scadding-burn, hot water. See Burn, n. 2.; †(3) scaddit, -ed ale or beer, a kind of gruel made with oatmeal and hot ale or beer (Rxb. 1825 Jam.); (4) scaddit scone, a scone made gen. from barley- or wheat-meal mixed with hot milk or water (Bnff., Lnk., Ayr., sm.Sc. 1969); (5) scaddit whey, a dish “made by boiling whey on a slow fire, by which a great part of it coagulates into a curdy substance” (Rxb. 1825 Jam.); (6) scaddit wine, mulled wine; (7) scadlips, “broth containing a very small portion of barley, and on this account more apt to burn the lips” (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.). Reduced nonce form scaddles. The quots. are derived from Sempill's Blythesome Bridal (a.1685); (8) scaud-the-beggar, = Skirlie, oatmeal fried in fat (Ayr. 1969).(2) Gsw. 1856 J. Strang Gsw. Clubs 519:
Hours passed, Charlies shouted and scadding-burn was still the cry.(6) Sc. 1858 Sc. Haggis 160:
Some of us had brandy toddy, ither scaudit wine.(7) Sc. 1844 G. Outram Legal Lyrics (1874) 14:
We sall subsist upon our ain national vivers allenarlie . . . nowtes' feet, kebbucks, scadlips, an' skink.Dmb. 1894 D. MacLeod Past Worthies 216:
Skink to sup until ye rive, And scaddles too until ye're fou.

2. tr. and intr. (To cause) to wilt or shrivel, of plants (Rnf. 1837 Crawfurd MSS. XI. 326).Dmf. 1794 B. Johnston Agric. Dmf. 84:
In very wet weather the rain, passing rapidly through the soil, and carrying the finest particles of it beneath the range of the grass-roots, makes the plants turn yellow and feeble for want of solid food, or, as the country farmer expresses it, scalds the grass.

3. Of cloth, etc.: to make or become faded or shabby. Freq. in ppl.adj. scaddit (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 147; Kcd., em.Sc. (a), wm.Sc., Rxb. 1969).Ags. 1949 Forfar Dispatch (19 May):
A pair o' shune I hae wiz gettin affa scadded.

4. Fig. To cause grief or pain to' to visit with displeasure or retribution (Ags., wm.Sc. 1969). Vbl.n. scauding, punishment, a drubbing, severe rebuke.Edb. 1821 W. Liddle Poems 58:
If yer morals dinna men', Ye'll haps be scau'ded at the en'.Sc. 1822 Scott F. Nigel iii.:
If he had known before he would have risked a scauding for you.Abd. 1877 G. MacDonald M. of Lossie I. iii.:
Wi' naething i' my pooer but to scaud the hert o' her, or else lee.Arg. 1914 J. M. Hay Gillespie iv. xiii.:
My life's scaddit every time I look at his face.m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 25:
He wasna feared to lift the rod And scaud the errin'.

5. To disgust (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 147); to pester, vex, exasperate.Arg.² 1931:
She's fair scadded wi' beggars an' cadgers every hoor o' the day an' every day o' the week.

II. n. 1. A scald, burn with hot water or steam (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Gen.Sc. Adj. scaudie, scorching, hot, e.g. of the sun when its rays are very hot, “gen. viewed as a prognostic of rain” (Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 167); stinging. Phr. a scaud o' heat, a period of hot sunshine (Cai. 1969).Rnf. 1806 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 136:
He wisht ilk sic a fiery scaul, His shins to peel.Lth. 1813 “Edinias” Ramble to Roslin 38:
Else gin that the plaister shou'd skitin' come aff, The scaud will be war i' the mornin' by half.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 44:
Lit her come, I'll gie her a scaud . . . Shü'll be burnt aff da banes afore I lit her aff.Edb. 1895 J. Tweeddale Moff xxii.:
But brunt bairns dreed the fire. I've wance got a scad.Per. 1898 C. Spence Poems 72:
Sair jogged wi' thorns and nettles scaudie.

2. A sore caused by chafing of the skin (see 1907 quot.) (m., s.Sc. 1969). Deriv. ¶scalder, id.ne.Sc. 1714 R. Smith Poems (1853) 28:
To besmear this stinking scalder.Bwk. 1907 Trans. Highl. Soc. XIX. 153:
What the shepherds call “scad”. This is a watery rawness between the hoofs, caused perhaps by a long walk to' and it may be from, the market.

3. A jocular name for tea (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 422; em.Sc. (a), wm., sm.Sc. 1969), esp. tea made hastily in a saucepan.Wgt. 1885 G. Fraser Poems 154:
An' doucely noo they sit them doon An' sip the wee drap scad.Arg.² 1939:
Away wi' yer teapot tea: tak the skillet and mak me a guid strong cup o' scad.sm.Sc. 1993:
It's fower o'clock, I'm ready fur my scad.

4. A piece of imperfectly-burned lime (Sc. 1886 J. Barrowman Mining Terms 57).

5. In derivs. scaddie, scadoo, skaddo: (1) cold porridge heated up with milk added (Bwk. 1950); a brose made with oat- or barley-meal and hot gruel or water (Ork. 1929 Marw., in comb. burstin-skaddo (see Burstin), Ork. 1969).Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 101:
Then there were different kinds of brose. The simple water-brose . . . milk brose . . . or a “scadoo”, when the oatmeal was scalded with thin gruel.

(2) a red-hot iron used for boring (Sh. 1914);

(3) the nettle, Urtica dioica (Ags. 1886 B. and H. 417).

6. Fig. A hurt to the feelings, a cause of grief or annoyance; a vexation, a disgust (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 147); a rebuke, severe censure. Comb. hert-scad, heart-ache, sorrow.Sc. 1700 D. Williamson Sermon in Parl. Ho. 29:
Medling with that which has given a Scad, and brunt others.Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems I. 127:
We thought it little scaith to drown Their heart-scaud wi' a hair o' brown.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb iv.:
Aw doot Gushetneuk cam' in for a bit scaad yon'er.Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 48:
Lord, guide us to the Gowden Toon, Far we'll forget ilk scaud an' dunt.Abd. 1933 J. H. Smythe Blethers 16:
Noo' a dizzen years back, a crony o' Dauvit Blinkit his scaud o' a wife.

7. Scurvy. Sic in gloss. but the context suggests meaning 2. above.Hdg. 1903 J. Lumsden Toorle 296:
I'se cure ye, tho' it were the Scaud, With Leechman's peels!

8. “Any colour slightly or obliquely seen, properly, by reflexion; or the reflexion itself” (Sc. 1808 Jam., 1886 J. Barrowman Mining Terms 57; Arg. 1930); a quick glimmer, a gleam, glimpse (Uls. 1929; wm.Sc., Wgt., Dmf. 1958); a flash of light, a flare (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 421, scade).Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 33:
The wights, dispos'd for e'ening-fun, Flee frae the scad o' daylight.Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poetry II. 243:
The scad o' the moon wanders wild thro' the tempest.Sc. 1826 Earl Brand in Child Ballads No. 7 D. xii.:
It is but the scad of my scarlet cloak Runs down the water wan.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize III. xi.:
Shortly after the first scad of the dawn.Arg. 1896 N. Munro Lost Pibroch (1935) 80:
Staring up at the black larch joists glinting with the red scad of the peats.Gsw. 1912 Scotsman (19 Jan.):
A scaud o' munelicht.

9. A superficial hue or tinge of colour (Uls. 1930; Per., Lnk. 1969); the variegated film or tinted patch of mineral elements on the surface of water (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Ayr. 1830 Galt Lawrie Todd viii. iii.:
The dim scad of the snow.Ayr. 1832 Galt Stanley Buxton III. xxiv.:
The scad of the braird, on the ploughed land.m.Lth. 1921 T.S.D.C.:
“The land has got a fine scaud on it”, referring to the white or gleaming look on the surface before any green appears in spring.wm.Sc. 1953 Bulletin (6 Oct.):
The green scad on my velvet breeks is grass.Lnk. 1959:
A gairden needs lime when ye see a green scad on the ground.

10. A small quantity of anything, a little bit, a touch (Uls. 1929).Gsw. 1921, obsol.:
Gie me a scaud o' your piece.Ayr. 2000:
A pit a wee scad o fertilizer on it.