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.
DREG, v.3, n.3 A Sc. form of Eng. drag. Also in n.Eng. dial.
1. v.
(1) To drag, pull (Ork., Ags. 2000s).Ork. 1952 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days (1984) 115:
"The peedie whalp," he raved, "he's likely got in the ber somewey an' will be drinkin' himsel gueshless. Eustace, boy, tak' the bus an' go doon the toon, an' git him here if thoo hiv tae draig him be the hair o' the heid."Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Poems 48:
And, as we're dregged and driven, wander Richt tae the end o' life's short dander.Hdg. 1902 J. Lumsden Toorle, etc. 95:
And thae and a' the doors in Europe else, Micht stand until their turnkeys frae the mools Rase up an' dregg'd me throo them, neck an' heels.Ayr. 1903 G. Cunningham Verse and Prose 108:
'Boot dreggin' and drawin', or fillin' o' gum.
(2) In ppl.adj. dreggid, worn with age or toil. Cf. colloq. Eng. dragged, idem.Ork. 1949 “Lex” But-end Ballans 19:
An' Merran, peur auld dreggid sowl.
2. n. A drag, a sledge, a heavy harrow, etc. (Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 160; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Intro. § 34 (c); Ayr. 1951 (per wm.Sc.1)).
[Dreg is found as a noun only and very rarely in O.Sc. (dreg, drawing, haulage, 1564; dreg (staf), 1698, 1701) and may be the same word as Dreg, n.2, v.2, above. The form drag is not found in Sc. a.1700 and is still not in common use. This suggests that our form dreg illustrated above is a new analogical formation from Eng. drag; cf. P.L.D. § 48.1.]
