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.
HARESHARD, n. Also hareshaw (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Cai., ne.Sc., em.Sc.(a), Rnf. 1956), hersheugh, harshie, hashie. The first element is occas. erron. spelt hair- and the following variants of the second are also found: -skart (Rnf. 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1956), -scart (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.), -shed (ne.Sc. 1909 Colville 151), -shad (Mry.1 1925), -shach (Fif. 1956), -shagh. Rxb. has also forms in -l, used attrib., e.g., hareshal-, hyirs(h)el, hyirshal- (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1956). A hare-lip (Abd., Mearns 1825 Jam.; Abd. 1956).Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) xii.:
Deformed legs, and thrawn necks, and blind eyes, and hashie lips.Fif. 1846 Anon. Muckomachy 7:
He carry'd aye about wi' him, On's lip, I trow, A worrykow — A hair-shagh, urisum and grim!Rnf. 1875 D. Picken Poems 69:
He had a hersheugh lip, and consequently was a bad speaker.Sc. 1876 S. R. Whitehead Daft Davie 205:
My wee name dochter had gotten a harshie lip.Fif. 1898 Folk-Lore IX. 286:
It was also believed that if a pregnant woman stepped over “a cutty's clap,” . . . her child . . . would have “the hare-shach,” or hare-lip.Abd. 1903 W. Watson Auld Lang Syne 81:
He's nae near a' yonner, to say naething o's hare-shard. Dyod, I hardly ken a wird that he says wi't.
