Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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SHEEMACH, n. Also sheim-, shemach, -ich, sheemich. Dim. sheemachan. [′ʃiməx]

1. A piece of thick matted cloth or dress of any kind (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 154), a tangled or matted mass of hair or any hairy or fibrous substance (Id.; Mry., Bnff. 1930), a tangled mass of weeds. Also attrib. = shaggy, tousled.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 154:
His hair's jist a sheemach; for it hizna seen a reddin-kaim for a month.Bnff. 1916 Banffshire Jnl. (28 March) 2:
Dysie's sheemach head.Abd.¹ 1929:
Her heidie wis jist a sheemach o' curls.Abd. 1952 Huntly Express (27 June):
A shemach o' weeds or ither growth.

2. A pad or woven covering placed on a horse's back and used instead of a saddle, a kind of pack-saddle (Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron Sc. Poetry Gl.), "a kind of bass made of straw or sprot-ropes plaited, on which the panniers are hung which are fastened to a pack-saddle" (Kcd. 1808 Jam.).Abd. c.1890 Gregor MSS.:
On the animal's back was first laid the "brottie", i.e. a piece made up of pieces of old cloth. Over that was placed the "sheemach", i.e. a piece made of plaited straw. Over these two was placed the "crook-saidle".Abd. 1954 Huntly Express (16 July):
A young couple got married and the bridegroom bought a leather saddle to take home to his bride. When a near relation heard of this purchase which he regarded as an extravagance he remarked, "D — stick pride, he micht hae been dein' wi' a sheemach as his forebears took their wives hame on."

3. As a term of contempt: a thing of no value, anything that is worn out (n.Sc. 1808 Jam., sheimach), anything of poor quality; a puny, under-developed person or animal (Rs. 1911; ‡Abd. 1970).Abd. 1872 W. Alexander in Heirskip (1987) 24:
A middlin gleg little sheemich o' a mannie.Abd. 1898 J. R. Imray Sandy Todd x.:
I hinna haed it in my pooer tae say an ull-natur't word tae the bit shemich o' a cratur.Abd.⁷ 1925:
Of corn that turns out to be poor stuff, the farmer will tell you it was a "rale sheemich".Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iii.:
It wudna be wise tae tak the wee bit sheemachan wumma.Sc. 2004 Press and Journal (28 Jun) 12:
A sheemich is a craitur that cwid be describ't as the runt o the litter an it can mean a toozl't soss, as in "his hair's jist a sheemich for it hisna seen a reddin-kaim for a month".