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.
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.
