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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

QUERTY, adj. Also quierty, quirty. Vivacious, active, in good spirits (w.Sc., Dmf. 1825 Jam., querty, quierty); full of fun or mischief (wm.Sc. 1880 Jam., quirty).Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 233:
I fear the barley bree, An' roving blades sae quirty.Peb. 1793 R. D. C. Brown Carlop Green (1817) 44:
A querty, stuffy, haveril quean, Sae hellicate and blythe.

[Cf. Mid.Eng. in quert, in good spirits, in a state of hilarity, quert, healthy, sound, appar. of Scand. orig., cognate with Icel. kyrr, Norw. dial. kvar, kvart, stil, quiet.]

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