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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.

STRAMP, v., n. Freq. form strample (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).

I. v. 1. intr. To bring the foot down heavily, to stamp, tread or trample (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 14; s.Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Ork., Rs., Inv., Lth., Bwk., Lnk., Rxb. 1971). Vbl.n. stramping, treading under foot, as in washing blankets.Sc. 1724 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 85:
Our Trechour Peirs thaie Tyranns treit, Quha jyb them, and thair Substance eit, And on thair Honour stramp.Rxb. 1825 R. Wilson Hist. Hawick 45:
The Baronet stramped wi' his fit.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch ii.:
A fat and dumpy man stramped on a favourite Newfoundland dog's tail.e.Lth. 1876 J. Teenan Song 26:
Spit, or kick, or stramp upon oor taes.Sh. 1892 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 243:
I hae sic a feelin' hert I widna stramp ipa da wirm.Inv. 1905 J. Fraser Reminiscences 150:
The washing and the stramping will begin.Sh. 1947 Sh. Folk Bk. I. 80:
Stramp fair on da Burra; Keep wide o' da Floss.Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 34:
An awbodie kens in his wey
the mukkil takketie buit that stramps
on the frichtent face foraye.

2. tr. To tread on, trample upon, crush with the foot (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Sh., Cai., Inv., em.Sc., Lnk., Rxb. 1971). Agent n. stramper, one who treads or tramples (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.).Edb. 1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal 7:
When at the burnie strampin' claes, Wi' coaties toshly kiltit.Sc. 1896 P. A. Graham Red Scaur xxii.:
He rode the horse at you, as if he'd liked to strample you to death.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 19:
The snaw-brui's strampeet inti a caald-broon platch.Sc. 1935 D. Rorie Lum Hat 35:
Scatter the mools owre him, An' stramp them weel in.Edb. 1965 J. K. Annand Sing it Aince 39:
To stramp them and synd them [blankets] And hing them on the line.

3. To go about with a firm or heavy step; to stump about, to march energetically or purposefully (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; I.Sc., Cai., em. and s.Sc. 1971); to go in gen. (Sh. 1971).Edb. 1866 in Poets and Poetry Scot. (Wilson 1884) II. 446:
Strampin' cheery through the snaw.Sh. 1897 Shetland News (31 July):
I strampid ower to whaur Mr. McLeod was staandin'.Sh. 1906 T. P. Ollason Spindrift 123:
I toucht I wid stramp ben ower ta dee.Lth. 1925 C. P. Slater Marget Pow 9:
See and no' let the sweeps stramp over the new-vairnished floor with their muckle feet.Rxb. 1961 W. Landles Penny Numbers 28:
Alane they're strampin' on where mirk grows deeper.

II. n. 1. A tread or stamp of the foot, a planting of the foot in walking; a trampling on something (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; I.Sc., Cai., Rxb. 1971).Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch ix.:
This was a stramp on his corny toe.Sc. 1887 Stevenson Merry Men 148:
There cam' a stramp o' feet as if men were wars'lin'.

2. A stride, a step (I.Sc. 1971).Ork. 1913 Old-Lore Misc. VI. iv. 185:
She teuk twa lang stramps an' a langer ane.Sh. 1918 T. Manson Peat Comm. 59:
Deil stramp I geng farder as Huxter dis nicht.Sh. 1947 New Shetlander No. 1. 9:
Whin I canna tell whaur my neest stramp mycht faa.

3. A “tramp”, a journey on foot , walk (Sh. 1971).Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 592:
Furteen myle o' gett wiz a braa stramp atween lychts.