Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DIZZEN, DIZEN, n. [′dɪz(ə)n]
1. Gen.Sc. variant of Eng. dozen.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems 17:
And there by Dizens we lay down.Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 2:
I hinna seen the like o' that for a dizzen o' year an' mair.wm.Sc. 1986 Robert McLellan in Joy Hendry Chapman 43-4 24:
Nane in parteecular. Juist dizzens.Lth. 1925 C. P. Slater Marget Pow 26:
I went down to the chapel too, for the sake of the hurl and there was a Popish lady with us carryin' dizens of wee images.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 153:
They were deeing in dizzens.Rxb. 1921 Kelso Chron. (13 May) 2/7:
I heard a dizen fouk sayin' — “That's Tam's doug.”
†2. A hank or dozen cuts (see Cut, n.1) of yarn, the standard quantity allotted to a woman for a day's spinning (Sc. 1825 Jam.2).Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs ll. 203–4:
A country girl at her wheel, Her dizzen's done, she's unco weel.
