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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

†GASH, adj.3

1. Sagacious, shrewd (Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1923–26 Wilson); smart, witty. Hence gashly, adv., wittily (Sc. 1818 Sawers), gashness, n., sagacity (Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables 84).Sc. a.1706 W. Hamilton in J. Watson Choice Coll. i. 69:
I Wily, Witty was, and Gash, With my auld felni packy Pash.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 223:
Good Claret best keeps out the Cauld . . . It makes a Man baith gash and bauld, And heaves his Saul beyond the Moon.Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 29–30:
He was a gash an' faithfu' tyke, As ever lap a sheugh or dyke.Rxb. 1815 J. Ruickbie Poems 87:
But see the wean a towmont aul', He looks baith gash, an' spruce, an' baul' And 'gins to try to gang.Sc. 1816 Scott Black Dwarf iii.:
Grannie, the gash auld carline, is sitting birling at her wheel.Ags. 1856 W. Grant Poet. Pieces 47:
Her daddie a gash, trusty, auldfarran' carlie.Hdg. 1905 J. Lumsden Croonings 7:
She seemed a very auld, but gash guidwife.

2. Having an appearance of sagaciousness and at the same time of self-importance.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie I. v.:
Andrew . . . settled into a little gash carlie, remarkable chiefly for a straightforward simplicity.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 192:
“Hae I been sittin wi' specs a' the afternoon?” “You have, James, and very gash have you looked.”

3. Of persons: well-dressed, neat, respectable-looking, smart (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 248; Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 165). Of things: of good appearance, imposing. Also used adv.Ayr. 1786 Burns Holy Fair xxiv.:
In comes a gawsie, gash Guidwife, An' sits down by the fire.wm.Sc. 1788 R. Galloway Poems 111:
Wi' . . . garters ty'd aboon the bran, And gash they thought such country-man.Fif. 1806 A. Douglas Poems 147:
The saft o'en cakes, in mony stack, Are set in order rarely, Fu' gash this night.Lnk. 1827 J. Watt Poems 70:
On Sundays gash an' braw ye dress.Rnf. 1846 W. Finlay Poems 141:
And as nae plates o' common size Could haud the gash and gaucy pies, New anes were frae the delf-house trysted.Gall. 1882 J. Douglas Bk. of Galloway 66:
But ninety-nine [women] in a hunner are sober, gash, and chast.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 141:
William Craig . . . got suddenly very gash and bien.Hdg. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-head 144:
Weel, weel; he was a sonsy lad, Gash, fair an' fat — ne'er sour nor sad, But smiling aye.

Hence ¶gashy, stately, well-furnished.Slg. 1885 W. Towers Poems 89:
Within the gashy ha', Great costly pictures grace the wa'.

[The early evidence for these words is insufficient to determine their etym. with certainty. They are apparently related and may be derivs. of gaw (see Gawe), to gape, stare, look intently, O.N. gá, to heed. Cf. note to Gam, and obs. Eng. gawish, gaping, showy. The adj. usages are the earliest recorded. Nominal and verbal extensions of meaning are later. In the case of Gash, adj.3 the development may be “long-faced,” hence “serious, wise.” Cf. similar developments s.v. Gawsie.]

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