Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
†CORSY-BELLY, Corset Belly, n. comb. “A shirt for a child, open before; an infant's first shirt” (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.). This garment “was fashioned by boxpleating and stitching one end of the length of material the required size for the bodice part” (Abd.1 1931).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 6:
A burning coal with the hett tangs was ta'en, Frae out the ingle mids, well brunt an' clean, An' thro' the corsy-belly letten fa', For fear the wean should be ta'en awa'Abd.1 1931:
In her last days she woke from a sleep, smiling, and said: “I hae been dreamin' I wis pleatin' a bairnie's corset belly.”w.Sc. 1866 R. W. Buchanan London Poems 229:
No corsy-belly warm'd at Effie's fire, No doctor's watch tick'd by the jizzen-bed.
