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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 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, .....