Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1824-1835
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BARR'S CAT, n. (See second quot.)wm.Sc. 1835 Laird of Logan I. 93:
It's a wee weak i' the wauw, like Barr's cat, that ale o' yours.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 49:
It was a very large monster of a bawdrons, that was known about the farm of Barr, in the parish of Pennigame, about sixty years ago: . . . the size of it became proverbial all over the country, and every thing larger than it should be, was said to be a rouser, like Barr's Cat.
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"Barr's Cat n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/barrs_cat>
