Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
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.
ROAST, v., n. Also Sc. forms rost (Per. 1737 Ochtertyre Ho. Bk. (S.H.S.) 42; Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 74; Ork. 1904 W. T. Dennison Sketches 3); rosht (Cai. 1891 D. Stephen Gleanings 92).
I. v. A. Forms: pa.p. and ppl.adj., weak roastit, -ed; strong roasten (Abd. 1777 R. Forbes Ulysses 27), rosten (Abd. 1865 G. Macdonald Alec Forbes xxi.), rostin, roasen (Abd. 1914 Rymour Club Misc. II. 184), ross(e)n (Sh. 1899 Shetland News (1 July); Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 98; ne.Sc. 1968), rossin (Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 27; Ork. 1929 Peace's Ork. Almanac 137), rosn (Sh. 1898 Shetland News (29 Oct.) Also roassen.)
B. 1. Usages in pa.p. and ppl.adj.: (1) uncomfortably hot (I. and n.Sc., Ayr., Kcb. 1968).Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) 80:
Rise an try an' cool my feet, for my very soles are rossen.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 40:
Bit Mains is in a bog o swyte, his winkers fite wi styoo.
He's stecht in's wivven draavers an sair hankit in's surtoo.
He's burssen, fool an yokie an crochlie i the queets.
The verra feet o him's roassen an fair lowpin in his beets.
(2) of cheese: toasted (Sc. 1787 J. Beattie Scoticisms 77); Gen.Sc.Bnff. 1917 Banffshire Jnl. (26 June) 3:
A kneevelack o' a murlie kebbuck rossen at the fire.sm.Sc. 1967:
Roasted cheese on scones every morning.
(3) Comb. rossen-faced, red-faced, high-coloured (Ags., Per. 1968).Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 90:
He was an ill-faur'd, rossen-faced lookin' tyke.
2. To pester, annoy (Gsw. 1949 Partridge Dict. Slang 701); Cf. Eng. slang roast, to tease, ridicule. (Ags., Edb., Ayr., Dmf. 2000s). Rnf. 1960s:
Will ye stop roasting me wi yer daft questions!
II. n. 1. The portion of a carcass of meat, as divided up by the butcher, adhering to a bone, e.g. leg or shoulder, to be prepared for table by roasting, a joint. Gen.Sc. Also in U.S. Also in prov. sayings: cauld roast and little sodden, very meagre provender; †to compt before the rost, “to count one's chickens before they are hatched.”Peb. 1715 A. Pennecuik Works (1815) 387:
The roast will burn, the eggs will loup.Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace vii. i.:
Which minds me of a saying, sage, and wise; “Who counts before the rost, he counteth twice.”Sc. 1763 Smollett Travels (1766) I. 67:
The bourgeois of Boulogne have commonly . . . a roast, with a sallad, for supper.Sc. 1837 M. Dods Manual 87:
Joint the roast well, whatever be the piece.Sc. 1842 J. Aiton Domest. Econ. (1857) 91:
Keep a small roast or two for family use.s.Sc. 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws v.:
Is it the auld tale of cauld roast and little sodden and a toom byre?Edb. 1967:
I'm away to cook the roast before lunchtime.
