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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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PENSE, n.¹, v. Also pence-; ¶pains-.

I. n. Thought, mind. Obs. exc. in derivs.: 1. pensefu, ¶painsfu', adj. (1) of persons: (i) thoughtful, meditative, pensive (Ags., ‡Rnf. 1965); †(ii) conceited, overweening, “stuck-up” (Ayr. 1825 Jam.). Hence pensfu'ness, conceit, affectation (Sc. 1825 Jam.); ¶(2) by confusion with pains, of things: requiring thought and attention, arduous, exacting; 2. pensie, -y, pencey, †pincie (Sc. 1911 S.D.D. App.), adj., also used quasi-adv.: (1) pensive, thoughtful; ‡(2) (i) of persons: responsible, sensible, respectable, self-respecting, fastidious about one's appearance, spruce, neat in dress (Abd. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 168; Sc. 1808 Jam.; ne.Sc. 1965); (ii) of things, esp. clothes: neat, well-cared-for, smart; (3) self-important, affected, pompous, priggish, prim (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems Gl.; Sc. 1808 Jam.; Abd. 1930). Hence pensilie, adv., in a conceited or pompous manner, self-consciously, jauntily (Sc. 1825 Jam.), pensieness, n., conceit, affectation, pomposity (Sc. 1825 Jam.).1. (1) (i) Gsw. 1865 J. Young Homely Pictures 165:
Chairs that when pensefu' ye may rock in.Sc. 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ i. xi.:
Hoo cam it aboot that a wheen o' the saunts war sae perfete an' pensefu'?Abd. 1921 M. Argo Janet's Choice 17:
She's a bittie penseful. I wadna grudge her a bit gallivant at an odd time.(ii) Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 62:
Nor thus be fash'd wi' three or four Sic pensefu breed.(2) Abd. 1882 G. MacDonald Castle Warlock xxiv.:
This has ta'en a heap o' time, an' a pooer o' painsfu' labour.2. (1) Sc. 1831 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1864) III. 177:
The inditin' o' a bit cheerfu' or pensie sang.w.Sc. 1929 R. Crawford In Quiet Fields 36:
Their ain hill-win's pensie drool On brekan reed.(2) (i) Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II 44:
A Pensy ant, right trig and clean.Sc. 1806 R. Jamieson Ballads I. 292:
Couthie, and pensie, and sicker, Wonn'd honest young Hab o' the Heuch.Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Rhymes 112:
His mither, a pensie auld wife, Has vow'd to preside at the table.Ags. 1820 A. Balfour Contemplation 263:
This pensy lass mith now be seen, In duds, an' dirt, frae morn to e'en.Sc. 1876 S. R. Whitehead Daft Davie 270:
Her that was now so quiet and pensy to try such a wild kind o' freit seemed to strike us all as something no canny.Bch. 1932 Abd. Univ. Rev. (March) 101:
Jeems in ordinar' on a Sunday wiz a richt pensie mannie gyaun ta the kirk wi' Baikie.ne.Sc. 1957 Mearns Leader (7 June):
A weel-pitten-on an' pensie buddy, awyte.(ii) Sc. 1813 The Scotchman 117:
A pensie coat wi a pouch i the tae side an a pocket i the tither.(3) Sc. 1718 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 69:
Furth started neist a pensy Blade . . . They said that he was Falkland bred, And danced by the Book.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. i. ii.:
Ribbon-knots at his blew Bonnet-lug; Whilk pensily he wears a thought a-jee.Abd. 1739 Caled. Mag. (1788) 499:
The pensy blades doss'd down on stanes, Whipt out their snishin millies.Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems II. 134:
Pensy he strootit alang the North Brig.Sc. 1830 Scott H. Midlothian Intro.:
Helen Walker was held among her equals pensy, that is, proud or conceited.Ayr. 1883 W. Aitken Lays 64:
A pencey wee man, fou' o' naething but noise.Kcb. 1901 R. D. Trotter Gall. Gossip 25:
Ye see they'r pensy kin o' mortals, yt thinks naebuddy's clever but theirsels.Abd. 1906 J. Christie Drachlaw Revisited 34:
The local vricht, That pensie, puffi n', poochal picht.Sc. 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ iii. iii.:
[Words] arena tae be thrawn for an ydil pensieness, bot are tae be heard i' whust.Bch. 1929:
She needna be pensy afore me, I ken the reet an' rise o' her.

II. v. To move in a stately, self-conscious way, to strut, walk with measured step. Rare.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 229:
The puchal pachtie bodie geed pensin' ben the passage.