Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LAZY, adj., n. Also laizy.

I. adj. As in Eng., specif. of land: fallow, untilled, obs. Combs.: 1. lazy-bed, a method of planting potatoes (and other crops) on undug strips of soil and covering with manure and sods from adjacent trenches (see quots.). Gen.Sc., now mainly in Highlands. Cf. the specif. meaning of the adj. above. Also in Eng. and Ir. dial.; 2. lazy-boy, in shipyards: a short piece of plank grooved to hold another plank while it is being dressed with an adze (Ayr. 1960); 3. lazy-hole, a pit for ashes and other rubbish; a hole below the old type of open fire for the ashes (Cai.⁸ 1934); 4. lazy-kiln, “a lime kiln in which the whole contents are calcined and afterwards removed before refilling” (Sc. 1886 J. Barrowman Mining Terms 41).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 145:
He that trusts to bon Ploughs, will have his Land lye lazy.1. Sc. 1743 R. Maxwell Select. Trans. 159:
In ley Ground, they are commonly, in Scotland, planted in Lazy-beds, as they are called.Inv. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XIII. 329:
They lay their potatoes for the most part in lazy beds, in the following manner: — 1st. They mark out a ridge of about four feet wide, then lay on the manure, and with a spade cover it with earth taken out of the furrow; in this state it remains till the beginning of April, when they begin to plant the potatoes by means of a dibble.Dmf. 1812 W. Singer Agric. Dmf. 230:
People still in life remember … when the culture of these roots [potatoes] was confined to wet bogs in the lazy bed way.Kcd. 1813 G. Robertson Agric. Kcd. 304:
Lazy-beds. Used for tree-planting.w.Sc. 1875 W. A. Smith Lewsiana 81:
Scrambling and tumbling along over awkward stones, soaking “lazybeds,” unexpected ditches, and moss holes.Gall. 1902 E.D.D.:
By the “lazy-bed” system the ground is trenched more or less deeply in three or four years. Five or six feet wide “beds” are marked off, on which dung and seed potatoes are planted, with a space of 1 to 2 ft. between the beds, which forms a trench when the soil is taken out to cover the dung and seed, and to “back cover” the springing potatoes.Hebr. 1949 Scots Mag. (July) 273:
The croft fields by the sea with their hand-dug “lazy beds” of oats, hay and potatoes.3. Ags. 1866 D. Mitchell Hist. Montrose 39:
Lord Ethie or Northesk gave leave to the town to quarry stones from the Redhead to build that part of the quay between the lazy-hole and the old shore-dues office.

II. n. A fit of laziness (m.Lth., sm. and s.Sc. 1960).Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 7:
Ach, na! A'm no verrih on wui'd — A've taen the laizy the day!