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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CROON, CROUN(E), Krun, v.¹, n.¹ Sc. forms of Eng. crown (Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xvi., croun): see P.L.D. § 38.1.Ags. 1985 Raymond Vettese in Joy Hendry Chapman 40 13:
Wha listens noo
micht rax to hear
whit hope is crooned
whaun cauld winds sough
this gnarlt skeleton
o Scotland's winter.

Sc. usages:  the following meanings are peculiar to Sc. and crown is illustrated only where the sense is unknown in Eng. [krun]

I. v.

1. In vbl.n. crowning, “a boy's birthday celebrations” (Edb. 1898 J. Baillie Walter Crighton, Gl.), during which the boy was “crowned” with the board into which the pupils' heads were combed (Edb. 1845 F. W. Bedford Hist. Geo. Heriot's Hospital, Gl. 345).

2. Of a ring-net buoy, to be pulled under the surface by a weight of herring so that only the crown remains visible.Arg. 1992:
The bows wiz croonin, jeest tappin the watter, jeest ready tae go below wi the weight. It wiz a good sign. The bow's croonin - the fucker's away!

II. n. Sc. forms:m.Sc. 1991 William Neill in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 48:
An nou the Regent rules himsel
an weirs a gowden croun;
he cares for nocht but his nainsel
an dings aa ithers doon.m.Sc. 1998 Lillias Forbes Turning a Fresh Eye 7:
The lichtsome loup o grailse, bairn's croon o curlin hair
Flaught'rin afore the win', jinkin its ilka jawp.

Sc. usages: 1. “The first furrow made in ploughing” (Ayr.⁴ 1928, croon, crown); known to Cai.⁷, Kcb.⁹, Kcb.¹⁰ 1941.

2. A horizontal prop in a mine, a lintel over two uprights (Sc. 1886 J. Barrowman Mining Terms 22; Dmb. 1972 Patterns in Folk-Speech (Wakelin) 41). Also in comb. crown-tree (Barrowman).

III. Phrases: 1. krun-a-da-lift, “the zenith” (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.); 2. crown and furr, “ridge and furrowing ploughing” (Sc. 1814 J. Sinclair Gen. Report Agric. of Scot. I. 350); 3. crown o' the causey, see Causey, n., 5 (3); 4. croon o' the quarter (see quot.); known to Bnff.², Abd.⁸, Ags.¹⁷ 1941; 5. pleas of the croune, see Crown; 6. to kaim someone's croon, see Kame, v., 4. (3).4. Abd.¹⁶ 1937:
Oatcake is cut up on the girdle into quadrants or other convenient sectors. These portions are called quarters. The angular point of such a portion is the “croon o' the quarter.”

IV. Combs. and attrib. uses: 1. croon fur, = n., above (Ayr.⁴ 1928); 2. croon-heid, “the best and strongest leather taken from the shoulders of the hide” (Dmf. 1925 Times (7 Oct.) 17/5); 3. croon piece, the upper of the two main cross-beams which tie the rafters in the timbering of a house roof; cf. Eng. crown-beam.3. ne.Sc. 1874 W. Gregor Echo Olden Time 14:
The couples were placed first, and consisted of five or six parts . . . the two arms of the couple, called hoos, fixed to the top of the upright posts or legs, and the two braces, the lower one named the bauk, and the upper the croon piece.