Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1747, 1822-1840, 1923-1927
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BACKSIDE, -SIDES, n.1 [′bɑk′səid(z)]
1. sing. Back premises of a house or building, including the garden or fields adjoining.Ags.9 1926:
Backside, the back premises of a house.Lnk. 1927 G. Rae Where Falcons Fly vi:
The backside o' the dwellin' o' Cistercian monks, a howf o' the Archbishop's, is here-abouts.Ayr. 1822 Galt The Provost xl.:
The wall . . . would inclose a portion of the backside of my new steading.Uls. 1747 Quot. from MS. in J. J. Marshall Annals of Aughnacloy and Par. of Carnteel Co. Tyrone (1925) 35:
By reason of ye Meeting House being built in ye backside formerly James Hanna's, now Mr John Falls'.
2. pl.
(1) The parts of a town off the main street.Mry. 1840 Lintie o' Moray (Rampini 1887) 87:
Wi' just a single street, Though backsides it had two, Sir!Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize II. 173:
The provost had privately returned from Eglinton castle by the Gallows-knowes to the backsides.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 46:
Backside . . . pl. The meaner quarters on the outskirts of a town, not usually traversed by traffic; the “closes” or lanes in the rear of a street.
(2) The ground between a sea-coast town and the sea.Mearns 1825 Jam.2:
Pl. backsides is used, in Mearns, as denoting all the ground between a town on the sea-coast and the sea.
