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.
Quotation dates: 1830
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†HUG-ME-CLOSE, n.comb. Also hug-ma-close. The sidebone of a fowl, regarded as a luck-bringer (s.Sc. 1866 W. Henderson Folk-Lore 21).s.Sc. c.1830 Proc. Bwk. Nat. Club. (1916) 104:
But for a bride to receive the bone of a fowl, called the hug-me-close, on the day of her marriage at dinner, will be very fortunate in her choice of a husband.
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"Hug-me-close n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/hugmeclose>
