Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
SHAUCH, adj., v., n. Also shach; ¶sheuch, shough-. [ʃɑx, ʃǫx]
I. adj. Awry, askew, twisted. Used adv. in c.1900 quot. Comb. ¶shauch-ma-tram, a thin, shambling or knock-kneed person. See 1868 quot. and Ma-, Tram. Derivs. shaucheral, id. (Ayr. 1910), shoughie, short and bandy-legged (Per., Knr. 1825 Jam.).wm.Sc. 1868 Laird of Logan App. 515:
Shauch-ma-Tram. The shafts of a cart long exposed to the sun; from the warping of the wood the cross bars start from the mortices, and the shafts or trams, are loosened from the body of the cart. Said of a lean, crank-legged person. “He's a real shauch-ma-tram”.Ayr. c.1900 Carrick Anthol. (Finlayson) 355:
If mysel's my only care, An' my neibour's nocht tae me, A' gangs shauch.Abd. 1929 Abd. Weekly Jnl. (14 Feb.) 6:
A mair nyattery, ill-thochtit, din-raisin' shaucheral.
II. v. 1. To shape or form anything in an oblique way, to make awry, distort (Sc. 1808 Jam.: Kcd. 1825 Id., sheuch). Pa.p. shacht. Cf. also Beshacht.
2. To jilt or desert a woman (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Prob. a back-formation from Shauchle, v., 1., (3) (ii).
¶III. n. 1. One with a wry sour expression, a gloomy humourless person.Ags. 1903 W. Allan Love & Labour 110:
Lauch at the dour an' solemn shauch.
2. In comb. shach-end, the end of a web of cloth, where the threads tend to become scanty and the quality deteriorates (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.).
[Not in O.Sc. Poss. a back formation from Shauchle.]
