Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

CHIFFIN, CIFFIN, n. A small particle of anything, a crumb; “a fragment of bran” (Abd. (Garioch) 1916 T.S.D.C. II.); “a mote” (Abd. (Rayne) Ib., ciffin). [′tʃɪfɪ̢n, ′kɪfɪ̢n]Abd.⁸ (Upper Deeside) 1917:
When Jamie Nicol, the missionar' minister o' Skene, got the brose with a mixture of sids in them, and stirred up with a tallow candle, he said, “they're fine, bit jist some ill wi' chiffins.”Abd.² 1939:
“Tak yer brush noo, lassie, and sweep up the chiffins,” a mistress might say to her maid in asking her to sweep up the crumbs. Proverbial saying: “Throw yer chiffins far yer love lies” = Eng. “throw your rubbish where you throw your love” (Abd.⁸ 1917; Abd.² 1939), referring to the throwing of a scrap of anything to attract attention, presumably an overture of love (Abd.²).