Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
LIRK, n., v.1 Also lerk; lurk. Dim. lirkle (Abd.15 1950). [Sc. lɪrk, lɛrk, m.Sc. + lʌrk]
I. n. 1. A crease, rumple or fold, as in cloth or paper (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 692; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.). Also fig. Gen.Sc., also in n.Eng. dial. Adj. lirkie, creased, rumpled (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Sc. 1746 Origins of the '45 (S.H.S.) 257:
The rain which stagnated in the lurks of the plaid wherein he lay wrapt.Sc. 1771 Caled. Mercury (18 March):
Net Wigs Improved, Made without buckram, to fit all the parts of the head, and not the smallest lurk.Ayr. 1855 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage (1892) 192:
Like frostit claith afore the fire, Out fell the lurks o' Willy's ire.Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 96:
Wir bits o breeks in mony a lirk.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick v.:
[She] hung them a' afore the fire to tak oot the lirks.Dmf. 1912 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo 3:
My wee airms roon' his leg, my nose snugglin' into the lirks o' his moleskins.Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 47:
The steam produced by the heat helped to smooth out the lirks.Sc. 1935 D. Rorie Lum Hat 38:
Shewn fast in till a lurk in her coats Was an auld leather bag fu' o' gowd an' notes.Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 188:
Everyone has a pair of gyangs and they are shearing from the walls white ropes of material that fall around their feet like lurks o cloth. Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 23:
a weirin doun o oniething that daur staun proud,
the airnin sklef o ilka lirk that kens itsell,
the fell progress that buids ti mell the human race
intil a waesum brie o sachlessness foraye.
2. A crease, fold or puckering of the skin, a wrinkle (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 319). Gen.Sc. Adj. lirkie, wrinkled (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 65:
Some loo to keep their Skins frae Lirks.Abd. 1737 W. Meston Poems (1767) 145:
The Mare … had no lirk in all her leather.Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 197:
Horse, kye, foals and stirk Upon their wame there's not a lirk.Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 125:
Wi' lirks o' time his face was furrow'd o'er.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Poems (1874) 287:
The lirk of displeasure hang over his bree.Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 81:
Your sherny legs wad staw the town Ilka lirk wi' muck is fou.Arg. 1898 N. Munro J. Splendid xxvii.:
Who knows but you may find a wife and a good fortune in a little lurk of the thumb?Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 115:
Pit oot the lirks o' your sulky broo.Fif. 1931 P. Smith The Herrin' (1951) 14:
While roon' yer lips there played a lirk.
3. A fold of the body, a joint; the angle of the elbow or knee when bent (Slk. 1961).Abd. 1899 Drachlaw MS.:
I wat there wisna ae sweer lirk In him that nicht at Drachlaw.Dmf. 1912 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo 39:
I gi'ed him yin in the lirk o' his knee that made him drap like a ninepin.
4. A fold or hollow in a hill, a recess, crevice, ravine (Sh., Abd., Kcd., Peb., Kcb. 1961). Also fig.Sc. 1803 Scott Minstrelsy III. 281:
The hills were high on ilka side, An' the bucht i' the lirk o' the hill.Dmf. 1823 J. Kennedy Poems 37:
Ere long, he arriv'd at the lirk o' the hill, Where trotted a burn, might hae cawed a mill.s.Sc. 1824 J. Telfer Ballads 69:
And up the slackis of the morning-cloud, Aneath the lirks of light.Ags. 1897 G. A. Mackay Where Heather Grows 103:
He struggled through the hags of a lirk in the plateau.Gall. 1933 Gallov. Annual 71:
I'll min' for aye yon silence brent, An' the lirk o' Curly Wee.Rxb. 1955 Abd. Univ. Review (Aut.) 153:
Fix in its place the day-star bright, That lights the earth's remotest lirk.
5. An unusual trait of character, a kink, a mental twist (Abd. 1961).Slk. 18th c. T. Craig-Brown Hist. Slk. (1886) II. 173:
Here lies a man without a lirk, Who was a friend to town and kirk.Kcd. 1934 L. G. Gibbon Grey Granite 205:
Cold and controlled he had always been, some lirk in his nature and upbringing that Chris loved, who so hated folk in a fuss.
II. v. 1. To rumple, crease, wrinkle, of clothes, skin, etc. (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 110, lurk; Cai. 1902 E.D.D.; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags., Kcb. 1961).Bnff. 1709 Sc. N. & Q. (Ser. 2) II. 60:
The abovwritten particulars [items of cloth, etc.] must be exactlie putt up for cariadge on a man's back that nothing be spoiled or lirked in the carieing.Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems v.:
An' when your haffets, lirk'd an' lyart, Shew nature's wheels grow lag an' tir't.Ags. 1886 Brechin Advert. (20 July) 3:
The pillow on which her heid lies seems to be fluffy an' saft, while a' aroon' it is crunklet an' lirket, as if wi' the pressure.Abd. 1893 G. MacDonald Songs 123:
But, grannie, yer face is sae lirkit an' thin.Abd. 1905 Banffshire Jnl. (8 April) 7:
An' loshie! here comes “Stronie” smirkin' Wi' lang-tailed kwite an' leggin's lirkin.Abd. 1922 P. Macgillivray Bog Myrtle 99:
Fy! Mergit lass, I wis' ye hae'na fa'en An' lurkit a' yer petty-coatie.Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 62:
An he closed his paper that cannie, the creases on't cud hae bin stemm-ironed, nae lirkit an scooshled an sossed, the wye some fowk stap tee the faulds o their daily news.
2. To bend a joint, kneel. Cf. I. 3.Ayr. c.1825 J. McMillan Poet. Wks. 83:
Now I hae seen the Papish Kirk; … But on your knees ye'll hae tae lirk, Like ane just gaun tae creep in't.
