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.
CUTTY-QUEAN, -QUEEN, -QUINE, n. comb. Applied, gen. disparagingly, to a woman. Known to Bnff.2, Abd.9 1941. Also applied ludicrously in first quot. to a wren (cf. cutty-wren s.v. Cutty, adj.). [′kʌtɪ̢ ′kwin Sc., -′kwəin ne.Sc.]Sc. 1769 D. Herd Sc. Songs (1776) II. 167:
Then Robin turn'd him round about, E'en like a little king; Go, pack ye out at my chamber-door, Ye little cutty-quean.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midtothian xvi.:
What did ye wi' your wedding ring, ye little cutty quean, O?Sc.(E) 1868 D. M. Ogilvy Willie Wabster's Wooing (1873) 40:
I was a skelpy, cutty queen.Bnff.(D) 1933 M. Symon Deveron Days 15:
An' the Via Dolorosa's there, faur a wee bit cutty quine, Stan's lookin' doon a teem hill road for a sojer Loon o' Mine.
