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.
Quotation dates: 1811-1825, 1894-1924, 1994
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ELBA, n., v. Sc. form of Eng. elbow. Also elby (Abd.4 1930; m.Lth.1, Bwk.3 1950); elbie; ilba (Ayr.3 1950).Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 61:
Sandy gae me a daud wi' his elba that garred me a' jump.Lth. 1914 C. P. Slater Marget Pow Comes Home 18:
We landed right opposeed a bonny pictur of a young lady . . . sittin' hand-idle, with her elby on a cushion.Bnff. 1924 Burnie's Jeannie in Swatches 38:
"Fiddlers, I hope ye've roset eneuch." "Tye, tye, plenty te gie's elba-grease."Ags. 1994 Jan Natanson in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 107:
Then we leaned ower tae put oan the wan bar electric fire. S***! A went an put ma elbie in the Chinkie cairry-oot left ower fae the night afore. m.Sc. 1994 Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay Forever Yours, Marie-Lou 17:
Ah'm gaunnae waash the dishes...Lift yir elbies, ah waant that tablecloath...
Combs.: 1. elbow(it) grass, foxtail grass, Alopecurus geniculatus (Uls.4 1950); †2. elbow grease, snuff, "brown rappee" (Ags. 1808 Jam.).1. Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 296:
Alopecurus Geniculatus, a small sweet rich grass . . . commonly called the knee'd or elbow grass.Lnk. 1825 Jam.2:
It has obviously been denominated elbowit, or elbowed, for the same reason for which it bears the name of geniculatus, as being kneed or having many joints.
