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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STASHIE, n., v. Also stashy, stachie, stooshie, stuschie; stushie, -y; steeshie, steishie, stishie; reduced forms stash (Abd. 1851 W. Anderson Rhymes 203), stush (Ags. 1892 Brechin Advert. (12 April) 3); and irreg. starshie, strashie (Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xiii., 1877 Id. Rural Life 170). [′stɑʃi, ′stɪʃi, ′stʌʃi]

I. n. 1. An uproar, hubbub, disturbance, commotion, turmoil, quarrel, brawl, row (Bnff., Abd. 1825 Jam.; ne., em., wm.Sc., Wgt. 1971). Phr. to raise a stashie, to kick up a row (Abd. 1826 Abd. Censor 74; ne.Sc. 1971).Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 12:
Mony an aukward stashie was he in.Ags. 1840 G. Webster Ingliston xxviii.:
The hail toun's been in a stushie about it.Per. 1857 J. Stewart Sketches 58:
The weel-timed whisper'd wheesht aye lays The sma'est stushy that they raise.Bnff. 1862 R. Sim Legends Strathisla 54:
The Earl o' Huntly was aye ane o' the true hearts that was sent for to red the stachie.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin ix.:
Andra, wha had heard the fearfu' stushie break oot.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) 44:
There was a great stishie gaen on ower the road.Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Penny Wheep 8:
I lo'e the stishie o' Earth in space.Sc. 1965 Scotland's Mag. (Nov.) 7:
The Gaels, who create a stushie about Scotland's devitalising.m.Sc. 1979 Ian Bowman in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 40:
The stishie was lown, for the word that he spak
gar'd them nesh wi their shame, an ane by ane
frae the auldmost doonward they turn't their back
an left me there wi the Maister alane. Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 66:
stooshie A row, uproar, or brawl; 'There'll be a right stooshie when this gets out.' Rnf. 1986 John Mitchell Class Struggle 46:
"No choice, my boy," Pringle confided. "He tried to kick up a stooshie about it last year but they threatened to stop running all the football and hockey teams,..." m.Sc. 1990 Douglas Lipton in Hamish Whyte and Janice Galloway New Writing Scotland 8: The Day I Met the Queen Mother 67:
Whit a stooshie! - Ah'll haud yir jaikits. em.Sc. 1990:
Jings, whit a stooshie thir wis last night. Sc. 1991 Kenneth Fraser in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 101:
The word o this mishanter tae the nation
Wad cause a michty stushie tae brek oot.
The neist day's news wad be, withoot a doot,
'Scots Secretar hauns in his resignation.' Edb. 1992:
Whit a stooshie there wis. Arg. 1992:
A right stooshie. wm.Sc. 1994:
There'll be a right stushie when they find out. Gsw. 1994 Daniel O'Rourke ed. Dream State xxv:
It set out to cause a stooshie and did. The Scottish literary establishment at whom it was aimed got the message (very) loud and clear. Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 5:
an in amangst it
the stuschie
the cullieschangie
the reel-rall
rummle-tummle
ramress o a fecht, em.Sc. 1997 Ian Rankin Black & Blue (1999) 84:
'I heard about Lawson Geddes. Does that mean the stooshie'll die down?' Sc. 1998 Scotsman 25 Nov 2:
Sir, - I'm simply amazed by the continuing stushie over Catholic education in Scotland (11 Nov) and cannot see why it's assumed by some that educating children in Catholic schools will lead to sectarian prejudices. Sc. 1999 Herald 31 Aug 18:
This is not because Morgan has any blasphemous intent in creating a trilogy of plays about Jesus Christ, but as Fringe-goers have recently seen in the case of Terence McNally's "gay Jesus" play, Corpus Christi, there's nothing the media likes more than a good old religious stooshie. Gsw. 2000 Herald 13 Mar 8:
He caused a customary stushie by arguing against intruding daily prayers into the secular environment, a typically mischievous stone thrown into the debating pond of Scottish public life.

2. A frolic, banter (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 180; Per. 1880 Jam.).

II. v. To engage in a frolic, to banter, bandy words.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 180:
He stashiet awa wee 'im for a file.