Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
JIG, n., v. Also jigg. Sc. usages:
I. n. 1. A jigging or jerking movement (in quot. of a yarn-winder) by the regular repetition of which the length of yarn spun can be calculated. Cf. Gig, n.2, a winder.Ags. 1794 W. Anderson Piper of Peebles 7:
Tell'd ilka cut [of yarn] that they ty'd up, By double-downcomes, jig, an' whup, An' scores, an' so forth, as exact As reels can count, that's made to chack.
2. An instrument for catching fish, composed of a sinker or wire frame with fish-hooks attached (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Sh., ne.Sc., Fif., Uls. 1959). Also common in U.S. for this and similar contrivances.Fif. 1863 St Andrews Gazette (6 June):
A number of the yawls here are busily engaged at the fishing, known by the name of the “jiggs.” Good takes of herrings are got in this manner, which sell at good prices.Gall. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 279:
A lot of men and boys, and often women too, go out in boats, about the darkening, in the herring season, and take a supply of long peats with them, the ends of which are kept burning in a fire built on a flat stone in the bottom of the boats . . . the fish, attracted by the light, come round the boats, and the people holding the jigs by the stick, drop them into the tide, and then jerk them suddenly upwards, and in rising through among the herrings, a number and sometimes all the hooks strike into the fish.
3. Comb. jig-pavie, a contraption of any kind (Abd.31 1959). See Pavie.
II. v. 1. To dance. Also in colloq. Eng. Common in vbl.n. jiggin with def. art., dancing, a dance, a “hop”. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1815 C. I. Johnstone Clan-Albin I. vi.:
Hugh's pipe now struck up its gayest lilt, and by the blaze, every one was jigging.Gsw. 1958 C. Hanley Dancing in the Streets 118:
Agnes had gone to the jigging with one of her old chums.Gsw. 1970 George MacDonald Fraser The General Danced at Dawn (1988) 31:
"Some no' bad jiggin'." (Dancing, that is.) e.Lth. 1983 Mollie Hunter The Dragonfly Years (1989) 72:
Tonight - Friday night - was Bunty's big night for dancing. 'Jiggin' she called it; and when Bunty was 'goin' to the jiggin', she was always in high spirits. em.Sc. 1988 James Robertson in Joy Hendry Chapman 52 68:
Auld carlines
Wuid wi wae gaed jiggin there,
Flung reels wi Hornie, memories
An fleyed the wits frae the feart
An the damned. Gsw. 1994 Herald 5 Sep 9:
Even John Knox had skirted around the subject. ... Jigging was just about acceptable, he supposed, provided the dancers did not let it interfere with their work nor tripped it merrily only to mock their ministers. Gsw. 2001 Herald 11 Apr 27:
There's more east end talent on display at the Pavillion until April 21 with Burlin Roon the Barrowland, a light-hearted and footed musical comedy about the jigging, the jiving and the jesting, with the odd lumber (and some of them are very odd) thrown in. Gsw. 2001 Evening Times 2 Jun 12:
The era of the 'jigging' attracted some of the biggest dance-bands Britain has produced.
2. To catch fish with a jig (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Sh., ne.Sc., Fif., Uls. 1959).Wgt. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 278:
Jigging for herrings is a common way of spending the summer night in the Rhinns.
Hence jigger, one who jigs for fish (Ib. 280).
[Cf. Jeeg, v., 3., to move with a light jerky motion, Eng. jig, to dance a jig.]
