Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1778-1818, 1889-1939
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0]
ENSE, adv. Also ens, enze, anse, anze. Else, otherwise (Ags. 1808 Jam., anse, anze, ense; (e.)Sc., Lth. 1825 Jam.2, ens(e), enze, Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 240, Bnff. (anse), Fif., Slg. 1943; Abd., Ags., m.Lth., Bwk., Slk. 1950). [ɛns(z), ɑns]Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 56:
She'll think I am put in the guard, tane wi. the deel, or the doctors, or anse married.Kcb. 1889 “Gall. Herd” About Gall. Folk 90:
But wi' huz puir folk, ye see, it's ayther hunger or ense a burst!Slg. 1896 W. Harvey Kennethcrook vii.:
Ye'd better gang yer gate, an' bide in yer ain toon-end, ense fire'll come doon frae heaven and burn us up.Fif. 1897 W. Beatty Secretar iv.:
We maun win in or anse we'll get our heid in oor hands.Sc. 1920 D. Rorie Auld Doctor 44:
Ense ye'll be like the auld carle An' en' waur aff than iver!L.Bnff. 1939 J. M. Caie 'Twixt Hills and Sea 23:
Or anse, gin it's frosty, the grieve 'll mak' certain.
Phr.: or ens(e) no, used ironically with neg. emphasis = or is it not? (Ags.19, m.Lth.1 1950); equivalent to Eng. slang “I don't think”; cf. or else no s.v. Else.Sc. 1818 S. E. Ferrier Marriage II. xi.:
What ken ye about impruvements, bairn? A bony impruvement or ens no, to see tyleyors and sclaters leavin, whar I mind Jewks and Yerls. . . . Impruvements indeed!
