Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1736-1965
[0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0]
PRENT, n., v. Also praint (Abd. 1909 J. Tennant Jeannie Jaffray 249). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. print:
I. n. 1. As in Eng. (Ayr. 1786 Burns To J. Smith vii.; Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Rhymes 10; Ags. 1872 J. Kennedy Jock Craufurt 33). Combs. and phrs.: (1) can ye read old prent?, a remark made to change the direction of a difficult conversation or distract attention from a vexed or embarassing topic, "Have you read any good books lately?" (Abd. 1900); (2) prent-buik, a printed book, freq. in similes of human beings, as typifying learning and authority (‡Abd. 1966), e.g. to speak like a prent buik, to speak with an air of knowledge, to speak learnedly or volubly, sometimes connoting affectation; (3) print-field, see Printfield n.; (4) that beats prent!, an exclamation of surprise or disbelief, sc. "I wouldn't have believed it if I'd read it in a book!"(2) Sc. 1736 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 34:
He speaks like a print book.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xxxix.:
She wampishes about her arms, and gets to her English, and speaks as if she were a prent book, let a-be an auld fisher's wife.Ags. 1833 J. S. Sands Poems 93:
Readin' in a prent book bright O' a giant.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb x.:
I dinna believe but ye cud mak' up a prent buik an' ye war to try.
2. A piece of butter, gen. weighing either a quarter- or half-pound, moulded into a pat and imprinted with a decorative motif by means of a wooden or metal mould (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 229; Cld. 1880 Jam., print; ne. and m.Sc., Uls. 1966). Now only dial. in Eng. Dim. printie, id. Also applied to a similar pat for individual use, as much as one person would use at a time (Jam.).Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 210:
Meg was bright's a Lamas moon Her cheeks they shone like prints o' butter.Abd. 1867 A. Allardyce Goodwife 9:
I leyks roon prents o' butter tee.Uls. 1879 W. Lyttle Paddy McQuillan 11:
It's a sicht tae see fifteen knives playin' dab at the yin prent o' butter.Dmb. 1886 Trans. Highl. Soc. 47:
The butter is sold by the "print" or the lb. to private families, or in lots to shopkeepers.wm.Sc. 1923 H. Foulis Hurricane Jack 35:
Take a good big can wi' ye, and don't bring less than two or three prints o' butter.Abd. 1965 Buchan Observer (31 Aug.) 6:
It [a scythe]'s sae blunt it wad hardly slice a print o' butter.
II. v. As in Eng. (Ayr. 1789 Burns Grose's Peregrinations i.; Gsw. 1898 D. Willox Poems 266; Abd. 1904 W. Farquhar Fyvie Lintie 78; Sc. 1964 Weekly Scotsman (16 July)). Deriv. prenter, a printer (Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 34). Ppl.adj. prentit, printed. Phr. like a prentit buik, see I. 1. (2); vbl.n. prentin, a footprint (Mry. c.1850 Pluscarden MS.).Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' xlv.:
They were on the tenter-hook, For smithy-chat; And now, I trow, like printed book, He gi'es them that.w.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick vi.:
I likit weel to hear him propheseein the ruin o' the kintra: he reeled it aff like a prentit buik.
