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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DAINTESS, DENTICE, Daintice, Daintis, n. A delicacy, a rarity (Ags. 1825 Jam.2, daintess; Ags.17 1940, daintis, dentice); a luxury, “treat.” Gen. used without the art. Known to Cai.7, Fif.10 1940. [′dɛntɪs]Sc. 1937 F. M. McNeill in Scotsman (9 Aug.) 14:
White bannocks or soda scones were reckoned great “dentice,” and are a fairly recent innovation in humbler homes.Fif. 1887 “S. Tytler” Logie Town I. xiv.:
There is no end of pleasures which I trust you too will like, though they are no dentice to you.Slg. 1862 D. Taylor Poems 165:
The lanely maids . . . wha count a kiss a daintice.Ayr. 1821 Galt Ayrshire Legatees iii.:
I likewise had in it a pot of marmlet, which Miss Jenny Macbride gave me at Glasgow, assuring me that it was not only dentice, but a curiosity among the English.

[A sing. form developed from O.Sc. daynttis, daynteis, danteis, pl. of daynté, etc., freq. found in sense of “delicacies” (D.O.S.T.). Dainties in the sense of “a luxury” is found in O.Sc. 1643 and in the sense of “a rarity,” in Eng. 1617 (N.E.D.).]

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