Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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HANDLESS, adj. Also hanless, haunless. Of persons: fumbling, incapable of doing anything skilfully with the hands, awkward, clumsy, incompetent, inefficient, slow (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Uls. 1934 Mid-Uls. Mail (1 Dec.)), "having no proper sense of how work should be done" (Abd.⁷ 1925).

Hence handlessness. Gen.Sc. Obs. in Eng.Sc. 1756 M. Calderwood Journey (M.C.) 218:
He is so handless-like, that he cannot be a body of any sort of busness.Sc. 1818 S. E. Ferrier Marriage I. xxx.:
I hope, Mary, you will take care and not get into the daddlin', handless ways of the Englishwomen.Lth. 1856 M. Oliphant Lilliesleaf xlvii.:
The mother but a weakly, handless body, sorely held down by so many little things.Bnff. 1880 J. F. S. Gordon Chrons. Keith 75:
Hundreds of times we have tasted Beef Tea . . . cooked by handless Dawdles, which an Irish pig would disgorge.Lnk. 1895 W. C. Fraser Whaups of Durley 173:
Ane an' a' were puir feckless han'less creatur's, their fingers were a' thooms.Dmb. 1931 A. J. Cronin Hatter's Castle ii. xii.:
She had not been lazy then, nor had they called her handless!m.Sc. 1950 O. Douglas Farewell to Priorsford 220:
"That handless cratur," said Jessie, "she canna work."Sc. 1956 Bulletin (11 July) 2:
He's still surprised at the handlessness of some men.sm.Sc. 1979 Alan Temperley Tales of Galloway (1986) 148:
His name was Samuel Hannay, which had a dignified, south-western ring about it, but everyone called him 'Handless Sammy'. He was a labourer - when he was in work. There was nothing bad about him exactly, his mind just wandered. Abd. 1980 Edith Bishop For You I Remember 38:
At that time in the theatre, a 'general' was often given the low comedy part, usually appearing gawky and handless, with her hair straggly and a smudge of black-lead on her face, making stupid remarks and doing stupid things. Gsw. 1988 Michael Munro The Patter Another Blast 6:
baw-hair A pubic hair, regarded as the very narrowest of fine measures: 'Whit haunless bampot drapped that hammer? That wis a baw-hair aff stovin in ma skull!' Sc. 1991 Glasgow Herald 2 Mar :
Our request for information on the provenance of the phrase chantie-wrassler has produced a small but learned correspondence. G. Rennie of Cardross believes it refers to a person who is haunless, even worse than somebody who couldnae run a menawdge. Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 8:
the fuhl-back's skinned
the defence is left haunless
juist the keeper
ainlie the keeper Sc. 1999 Herald 16 Sep 21:
Frances McMahon recalls one particularly haunless individual who, despite his best efforts, was constantly making a mess.