Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1789-1928, 1997
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RHEUMATICS, n.pl. Also rheumaticals. Also Sc. forms: rheumaticks; roomatics, rumaticks. Freq. with the def. art.: rheumatic pains, rheumatism (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 126, Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gatlov. Encycl. 406). Gen.Sc. Colloq. or dial. in Eng. Rare in sing. [ru′mɑtɪks]Ayr. 1789 Burns To the Toothache ii.:
Rheumatics gnaw, or cholic squeezes.Ayr. 1821 J. Galt Annals of the Parish (1978) 36:
This was chiefly owing to the instrumentality of Lady Moneyplack, who in that winter was much subjected to the rheumatics, ... Ayr. 1826 J. Galt Last of Lairds iv.:
Neither intemperance nor old age hae in gout or rheumatic an agony to compare wi' a weel-laid-on whack o' the tawse.Ayr. 1834 J. Galt Liter. Life III. 36:
Johnny was a daidlin sirkent body, who having the rheumaticals, had of course an ettercap temper.Ags. 1880 J. Watt Poet. Sk. 57:
What rheumatics had thrawn his banes.ne.Sc. 1894 A. Gordon Northward Ho! 81:
A sair touch o' the roomatics.Dmf. 1912 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo 21:
Bent nearly dooble wi' the rheumaticks.Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 93:
Sairly crappened wi' the rheumatics.Cai. 1928 John o' Groat Jnl. (10 Feb.):
By ,at time ye should hev nae rheumatics.Edb. 1997:
Ah've goat terrible rheumaticals in ma shooder.
