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.
BORROW, n.2 A curling term: the allowance made for unevenness of ice, other stones to be circumvented, etc.; sim. used in golf (Ayr. 1975). Gen.Sc.Sc. 1960 T. Armour Round of Golf 61:
It's a left-to-right putt and the borrow calls for me aiming it about an inch to the left of the hole.Edb. 1862 R. Chambers Rambling Remarks 24:
The boy puts the 'putter' into your hand, but befefore applying it to the ball, it will be well for you to examine the ground between it and the hole. You observe possibly that it slants a little; in that case, a 'borrow' is require up the slant, and that borrow you must make.Ayr. 1828 H. Crawford Hist. Sk. of Curling (1843) 55:
Then measuring accurately the borrow required . . . he swings it gracefully behind him.
