Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BLUE BONNET, n.

1. A man's flat-topped, round cap, without a snout. Cf. braid bonnet s.v. Braid, combs. (1).Ayr. 1791 Burns Tam o' Shanter l. 83:
Whiles holding fast his guid blue bonnet.

Phr.: dad wi' the blue bonnet (see quot.).Rxb. 1820 Edin. Mag. (April) 344/2:
When a cow happened to be seized with any sudden disease, (the cause of which was usually ascribed to the malignant machinations of the fairies), she was said to be elf-shot, and it was reckoned as much as her life was worth not to “dad her wi' the blue bonnet.”

2. Hence applied (1) to the wearer of such a cap — i.e. a Scotsman — and esp. (2) to the Covenanters and Presbyterians; (3) to marauders.(1) Sc. 1819 Hogg (ed.) Jacobite Relics 5:
March! March! dogs of redemption, Ere the blue bonnets come over the border.
(2) Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality iv.:
I'll begin with that sulky blue-bonnet in the ingle-nook.
(3) Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxvi.:
Rob soon gathered an unco band o' blue-bonnets at his back, for he comes o' a rough name when he's kent by his ain.

3. Name of a flower. See Blue, IV. 2.

4. Name of a bird. See Blue, V. 1.

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Blue Bonnet n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/blue_bonnet>

3595

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: