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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SANDY, adj., n. Also sandie; san'y (Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 156, Gall. 1889 Bards Gall. (Harper) 60), sannie, -y; sunny (ne.Sc.). Sc. forms and usages. [′sɑn(d)i; wm.Sc. ′sǫne]

I. adj. In combs. (freq. alternative forms to those under Sand, n., q.v.): 1. sannyback, a kind of flounder (Ork. 1929 Marw.), ? the lemon-sole; 2. sandy bourock, a sand-castle. See Boorach, 4. and 10. below; 3. sandy eel, = 4. (Sh. 1969); 4. sandy-giddock, -ack, sandigiddek (Jak.), the sand-eel, Ammodytes (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928)). See Geddick; 5. sandie halfpenny, an adulterated halfpenny. See Sand, v., 2.; 6. sandy laverock, -lairag, the ringed plover, Charadrius hiaticula (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Arg.¹ 1931; Cai. 1969). See also Laverock, I. 2. (11); 7. sandyloo, saandy loo, sandilu (Jak.), id. (Sh. 1809 A. Edmondston Zetland II. 239, 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1969); 8. sandy-lowper, a sand-flea, Orchestia (Fif., m.Lth. 1969). Cf. Sand, n., 25.; 9. sandy-martin, the sand-martin, Riparia riparia (Rxb. 1915 Jedburgh Gaz. (27 Aug.) 2; Mry. 1930, sanny-); 10. sandy mill, a sand-castle. Phr. to big sandy mills (wi), to be intimate (with), to be a friend or playmate (of), to hob-nob (with). See 2. above and Boorach, n., 4.; 11. sandy peat, a peat containing a good deal of earthy matter; 12. sandy piper, the common sandpiper, Tringa hypoleucos (Rxb. 1915 Jedburgh Gaz. (27 Aug.) 2, Rxb. 1969). Cf. II.; 13. sandy-swallow, the sand-martin (Slg., Rxb. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 56; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). See 9.4. Sh. 1806 P. Neill Tour 222:
Sandy-giddocks were found in their [whales'] mouths.5. m.Lth. 1733 Sc. N. & Q. (2nd Ser.) IV. 71:
The bad money in the box consisting of Irish and Sandie half penys and doits.6. Slg. 1804 “Transforthanus” Poems 88:
Sandy-lavrocks skim the tide.Sc. 1822 Scott Pirate xi.:
The canty callant that snapped up our goose as light as if it had been a sandie-lavrock!Bnff. 1876 S. Smiles Sc. Naturalist 408:
They are known here by the names of “sea lark” and “sunny liverock.”7. Sh. 1955 L. Venables Birds, etc. 289:
Shetlanders say that before rain the sandy loo flies round calling for his willy-kit, “Willy-kit . . . Willy-kit . . . Willy-kit” (Willy-kit is the old word for a seaman's vest).Sh. 1992 Bobby Tulloch A Guide to Shetland's Breeding Birds 39:
RINGED PLOVER
(Charadrius hiaticula)
shet: Saandy-loo.8. Fif. 1886 G. Bruce Poems 86:
A sandy-louper on the street, Withoot a single drap to weet Its gristly banes!10. Edb. 1788 G. Wilson Masonic Songs 70:
Unless you my advice fullfil, We'll never big a sandy mill.Fif. 1841 C. Gray Lays and Lyrics 197:
But I — I feel a pride in pennin' 't — Hae biggit sandy-mills wi' Tennant.Lth. 1858 Dark Night 235:
That's jist anither lesson tae folk tae mind wha they build sandy mills wi'.11. Ork. 1907 Old-Lore Misc. I. iv. 133:
The people did not burn many of what they called “tuskar peats”, — these were the best and were reserved chiefly for sale. They burned rough kinds known by various names such as . . . sandy.13. Sc. 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' Ling 52:
The dip an' slip o' the sandy-swallow.

II. n. 1. The common sandpiper, Tringa hypoleucos, “from its fondness for the sandy margins of lakes and rivers” (Abd. 1888 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 196, sanny). Cf. I. 12.

2. A sand-shoe (Ags., wm.Sc. 1969).Ags. 1962 D. Phillips Lichty Nichts 11:
Sannies blinding white from last night's pipe-claying.Gsw. 1964 George Friel The Boy who Wanted Peace (1985) 87:
"I'll put my sannies on," Abd. 1993 Sheena Blackhall in Joy Hendry Chapman 74-5 139:
The sea wull wash a condom
Ower yer sannies,
Served wi a satty plap. Gsw. 1993 Margaret Sinclair Soor Plooms and Candy Balls 15:
They didnae seem to realize that ah hid tackety boots
They were so very heavy ah thought they'd taken root.
I had nae fancy sannies tae help me ower the wa',
But Mammy says its tackety boots for me or nae shoes at aw. Sc. 1994 Scotsman 30 Mar 13:
For the son and heir it is just got to be trainers though, with enough air pumped into various parts of them to float a dinghy. I mean what's it all for? What was wrong with a pair of good white sannies, .....