A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Rub(b, v. Also: rubbe; rube, roub; rob. [ME and e.m.E. rubbe(n (Piers Plowman), rub (1483). Cf. LG rubben.]1579, 1617 Despauter (1579) 104.
Affrico, to rub till 1634 Wedderburn Gramm. 45.
Frico, to rubb
1. tr. To subject (the surface of a body or an object) to friction exercised with pressure (usu., of the hand).(a) a1568 Bann. MS 158b/65.
Chaist luter gois to bed and syne rubbis his tais 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4352 (Ch.).
Scho … fell in sown And than thay rubbit [B. rowit] hir vp and doun 1665 Inverurie 361.
Shee rubit her noss with her owen hand 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 56.
That miraculous stone … if rubed hard … casteth a most pestilentious, intollerable smell(b) a1689 Cleland 66.
Some turning up their gay mustachoes, And others robbing their dull pashes
To do this b. With some thing manipulated in order to clean, dry or polish. c. With some soft or liquid substance in order to apply this to, or massage it into, the surface.b. 1456 Hay II 121/22.
And … thou sall wesch thy teith, and syne rub thame with a bark of a tree Ib. 143/32.
And frottit and rubbit his fete and his handis … with a faire lynnyn towalec. 1597 Crim. Trials II 29.
Scho baid him … with the juse and drippingis to rub him 1607 Ib. 535.
For cureing of James Broun … be … rubbing him with sawis maid of dyuerse grene herbis 1649 Strathendrick 6.
Shee cuist a loof-full of the water upon her head and rubed her head a little ther with
d. To move (one's hand) back and forward over a surface, applying a certain pressure while doing so.1693 Sc. Ant. IV 83.
First he rubd his owin hand upon a bare stone
e. fig. To rub (a person) on the gall, to affect on a sensitive issue.Cf. e.m.E. to rub vpoun the gall, to touch on a sore or tender point (Skelton).1567 G. Ball. 175.
The Paip is the fox, Rome is the rox That rubbis vs on the gall
2. To grind (grain or peas) into meal by rubbing.See also Rubbit ppl. adj.2 and Rubber n. 2.c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 117.
Thow lay … in the peis … And fane at evin for to bring hame a single, Syne rubbit at ane uthir auld wyfis ingle 1605 Glasgow Merchants House 78.
Discharges all rubbers to rub or measure the meal but the owner himself only 1629 Dumbarton B. Rec. 32.
Forsameikill as in tyme past the meillmen hes usit grit wrang in taking the meill furth of the sak, and rubbing the same thairefter on schoitts befoir the missring thairof … thairfoir they statute that the meill be nawayse rubbit without the sek 1682 Glasgow B. Rec. III 317.
These who rubbs the meill at the measouring therof
3. To apply (a liquid or a soft substance) to the surface of (upoun or on) a body by rubbing.1576 Crim. Trials I ii 53.
That sa son as sche rubbit the saw vpoun the patient … the chyld wald mend 1579 Athole Mun. I No. 90.
The erll … tuke na thing … bot ane taiblett consertative be the mouth and ane vnguent rubbit on his wambe 1597 Crim. Trials II 28.
With cure of saw, maid of quick-siluer, and rubbit [pr. rubbit it] on the patient 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 1.
The said Kaithrein … bad hir rub fresch buttir on the kyis wdderis and papis, quhilk scho did and thay mendit 1604 Ib. 55.
He brocht … watter … and causit the said Allexander to rub it on him self
b. fig. To apply or attach (shame or contempt) to ((up)on) a person, his actions, etc.1660 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 190.
[He] did … utter cursses and imprecatiouns against the compleeners, viz., God rub shame upon them 1660-7 Naphtali (1693) 483.
After Gods … rubbing shame on our faces 1669 Jus Populi 315.
And would have us … carefull not to rub contempt upon or to violent the office or ordinance of God
4. a. fig. To remove or clear away (fra, of(f, furth out of, etc.) by, or as by, rubbing.c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 64.
Wit and woisdome ane wisp fra thé may rub 1513 Doug. Conscience 14.
[They] thocht at sciens was our lang ane iaip; The sci away fast can thay rub and scraip 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 47.
Thy maiestie Sall … rube the ruste of my ingyne 1533 Boece 437b.
Thow has na place of excusacioun to rub this faleȝe fra thi self apoun vtheris c1590 Fowler I 72/144.
Or evin as one who … Dois with his handis bothe wype and rubb sham furth owt of his eyes c1590 J. Stewart 11/16.
And all the roust roub from my blont ingyn 1635 Dickson Wr. 37.
Oh, how great is our atheism! — the Lord rub it off! 1639 Baillie II 436.
The God of mersie opne his eis to sie his error in thatt he may with onfened repentance rub of the foull stens or fears he hes brot on him self
b. fig. To rub up, to recall to mind.1572 Buch. Detect. 1 j b.
I had rathest rubbe vp the remembrance of that day quhen [etc.] 1596 Dalr. I 110/30.
Sal I rub vpe this aulde sair? 1658 R. Moray Lett. fol. 125.
It is worth somewhat to you that I give you occasion to rub up St. Andrews language now and then
c. To rub through, to break (a bar) by applied friction, as (e.g.) by filing.1655 Aberd. Council Lett. III 251.
That they had … rubt throw the saids goads of irone and … haid maid ther escape
5. fig. To rub skins with, to be in close contact with, to be affected by.1645 Rutherford Tryal Faith (1845) 4.
We cannot but rub skins with corruption
6. fig. In the phr. to rub upon (on), in various senses and collocations.Cf. 3 b above, also e.m.E. to rub upon, to exert friction accompanied by pressure (1660), to touch upon closely or disadvantageously (1628).
a. To rub (a vice or accusation) upon (a person's actions or reputation), to imply evil, or a particular evil, of; to fix a charge upon. Also absol.(1) 1618 Spottiswoode Misc. I 86.
I feare it be the purpose of many to rubbe this waye vpon his maiesty the imputation of tyrannie 1635 Justiciary Cases I 234.
Quhilk … poynt … rubbis upone our sacred persone and proceidingis matter of reproche and scandall(2) a1658 Durham Subtile Self 142.
Others … cannot endure to have their name rubbed on 1669 Jus Populi 260.
The man … is not afrayed to rub, by what he sayes here, upon his sacred majesty and his Royal Councel
b. intr. To impinge on; to affect or influence, freq. in a disadvantageous manner.1638 Protestation of General Assembly 18 Dec.
The fourth act rubed upon us to our prejudice by the proclamation a1650 Row 165.
No more nor the miscariages of a man byassed can rub justlie upon an honest man walking straightlie 1646 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 70.
Ane supplicatione … of ane other strain rubing wpon the persons and actions of the present … counsall and wpon thair election Ib. 71. 1656 Johnston Diary (1940) 53.
My wryting this much stak with me least it rubb upon my absteaning from wryting fully on Foursday 1668-9 Fraser Lawfulness Separ. 3.
Seeing their guilt was not only personal, but rubbed very much on their office Ib. 14.
The curates guiltiness is not only personal, but rubs on their authority and office
c. To rub upon (a non-material thing), to reflect upon (in a particular way); to put in a bad light.?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III 69.
They pressed that the acte might be such as might justifie ther actiones as legall and laudable; that they wold never offend God so farr as to accept of that which might rubbe upon ther Covenant with God as a sinne
d. ? To come into conflict with; ? to interfere with; ? to complain about.1657 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 241.
Thie Assemblie hath not rubt in the least measure upon any order issued from them [sc. His Highness Council of Scotland] anent thie forsaid business
7. To rub with, to conflict with; to derogate from.1640 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 280.
To be challenged in any publick way, quhilk evidentlie rubbis with his majesties honour
