Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
HANCH, v., n. Also ha(u)nsh, haansh, hantch, haunch; hamsh, humsh, humsch, humpsh. [m. and s.Sc. hɑnʃ; n.Sc. hɑmʃ, hʌm(p)ʃ]
I. v. 1. intr. Used absol. or with at: to snatch, snap at with or show the teeth, bite voraciously, as a hungry dog at a bone (Sc. 1808 Jam., ha(u)nsh; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Uls. 1924 W. Lutton Montiaghisms 24, hantch; Bnff., Abd., Ags., Wgt., Dmf., Uls. 1956). Also used fig. Common in n.Eng. dials.Sc. 1834 M. Scott Cruise of the Midge ii.:
The blood-hounds, who . . . stood gasping and barking; and hanching at us.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 104:
May . . . ne'er . . . ill health gie you a screed, Wi' hanchin' teeth.Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 169:
Ye hae yer pooches foo, forbye the nivfu' ye are humpshin' at.Dmf. 1952:
A shepherd said a dug would hansh at a deid sheep.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iv.:
In silence except for the cows ‘hamshin' at their food in the byre.
2. tr. To eat greedily and noisily as a hungry animal, to munch (Ags. 1808 Jam., hamsh; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 252; Slk. 1825 Jam., ha(u)nsh; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Abd., Gall., Dmf. 1956); also used fig.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 135:
His sillar up in meat he'd hanch, Whilk keep'd his hurdies unco' duddy.Abd. c.1850 Bnff. Jnl. (4 Oct. 1904) 2:
She'd slink awa' frae a' the rest An' hamsh the corn o' Drachlaw.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 17:
A stane-nappin injin gaed-on leike a tuim mill, — skrunshin — chaampin — haanshin.
3. To appropriate to one's own use, lit. to gobble up (Bnff. 1956).Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) xii.:
That man o' mine wud ramsh an' hamsh an' fling awa' mair than I cud save although I was a millionaire.Bnff.6 c.1920:
“He humshed the whole affair” meaning he appropriated it to his own use.
4. “To speak sharply to another” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
5. To speak with an impediment, stammer (Uls. 1956).
II. n. A voracious snap or snatch (Sc. 1808 Jam., hansh; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl., hanch; Gall. 1956).m.Sc. 1840 J. Strathesk Hawkie (1888) 52:
We rolled about on the ground I sometimes exchanging a blow for his scratch, and he making a “haunch” with his teeth.Uls. c.1921 J. Logan Ulsterisms List IX.:
The collie made a hanch at me.
