Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1746-1864, 1923-1963
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BLAST, n.
1. A smoke, a whiff of a pipe. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1825 Jam.2:
A blast of one's pipe, the act of smoking from one's pipe.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin (1868) xxxii:
Juist as I was sittin' doon at the cheek o' the fire to enjoy a comfortable blast o' my pipe.m.Sc. 1934 (per Slg.3) Rxb. a.1860 J. Younger Autobiog. (1881) 101:
Find your pouch an' ye ha'e a bit end o' 'bacco, an' fill the pipe, and we'll ha'e a blast wi' Willie.n.Rxb., w.Rxb., s.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
Sit inti the fire an' let's hae a blast.
2. “A stroke, a chill, a sudden fit of illness” (Bnff.2 1934).Abd. 1746 W. Forbes Dominie Deposed in John Cheap, Chapman's Library (1877) 11:
Poor Maggy took a sudden blast, And o'er did tumble.Abd.19 1934Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 61:
A dole woman, I took a sudden blast o' the hame gawn.
3. A loud noise, a hue and cry.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 283:
Gude kens how'twill end at the last, But sairly I'm dreading a shiney; I doot it will end in a blast' For the deil's i' the lasses o' Limey.
4. “A person who is in the habit of boasting” (Uls.2 1929). Also dim. blastie. [′blestɪ̢]Kcb.1 1936:
Tam Johnstone is an awfu' blastie since he went to leeve in London.
‡5. The invitation given at the end of a half-yearly term by a farmer to his servants to remain in his service for the next six months, compared to the blowing of a whistle (Abd. 1975). Abd. 1963 Huntly Express (1 Nov.) 2:
The market it is weerin' on An' Jock'll gie's the blast.
