Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CHORE, Char, Chorie, v. To steal (Edb., Ayr. 2000s). Watson gives the form char for ne.Rxb. [tʃo:r, tʃɑ:r]Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 140:
Mackay wis livid: "I pray tae differ. I dinnae ken ony thieves amongst them. Wi are nae sae peer that wi hae tae chore frae folks." Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 11:
"Graham Reid's the thief. I saw him chore the sweeties. Bit naebody's gaun tae believe a spikkin boolie. ... " Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 67:
Bit the braw, gowden Elgin wis gaen - reived - chored - tint. Edb. 1988:
They were going to do a Hampden Roar - chore you ken. Edb. 1991:
He chored a bag o chips. Edb. 1994 Irvine Welsh Acid House 249:
Shoplifting is a possibility, and I try to think of what I need, so I can go to the appropriate store rather than just go somewhere and chory for chorying's sake. Edb. 1995 Irvine Welsh Marabou Stork Nightmares (1996) 26:
People in the big hooses, hooses that were the same size as our block, which sixty families lived in; they would just go away and phone the polis. They must have thought we were gaunny chorie aypils or something. Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
He's been chorin' a yarrie [egg].

Vbl.n. choran, “cant term for stealing” (Abd. 1921 W. Walker W.-L.; Bwk. 1911 in Scotsman (23 Dec.)). In phr. laiks a choran (joran) (Sc. 1911 Scotsman (23 Dec.)), (see quot.). [′leks ə ′tʃorən (′dʒorən)]Abd. 1916 T.S.D.C. II.:
The laiks are the marbles placed in the ring. When the game was going badly for a boy, he might shout “laiks a choran,” which permitted a general grab of the stakes.

II. n.  Stolen goods (Edb., Ayr. 2000s).