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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.

SKATE, n.¹ Also scate, skait. Deriv. skaitie. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. skate, the fish. [sket]

1. In combs.: (1) skate bree, the water in which skate has been boiled, skate-soup, supposed to have aphrodisiac and other properties (Wgt. 1970). See Bree, n.¹; (2) skate-bubble, a jelly-fish, Medusa (Fif. 1911; Arg. 1946). Cf. Selch, 1. Combs.; (3) skate-hole, see quot.; (4) skate-liver, see quot.; (5) skate-purse, skaitie-, the ovarium of a skate (Kcd. 1825 Jam.; I.Sc., Cai., ne.Sc., Ayr., Gall., Uls. 1970); (6) skate-rings, jelly-fish, Medusae (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Cf. (2), (8); (7) skate-rumple, the caudal part of the back-bone of a skate above the root of the tail (Sc. 1825 Jam.); fig. a thin, awkward-looking person (Id.). See Rumple, n.; (8) skate's blubber, = (2) (e.Lth. 1911); (9) skate-sheers, the pair of appendages of the pelvic fins of the male skate containing the sexual organs, the claspers (see quot.).(1) ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk Lore 46:
The water in which skate was boiled, “skate bree,” was accounted an efficacious lotion for sprains and rheumatism in man, gout in pigs, and “crochles” in cattle.Fif. 1899 Proc. Philos. Soc. Gsw. XXXI. 44:
The childless woman too free with her tongue exposes herself to the repartee, “Awa, and sup skate bree!”(2) Arg.² 1930:
The skate-bubbles are wild on yer hans: they burn lake the mischief.(3) ne.Sc. 1788 Aberdeen Mag. 454:
Between these are deep hollows, intersected with sharp pointed reefs of rock, that frequently cut the fishermen's lines; part of these hollows are by our fishermen vulgarly called the skate holes. They form perhaps the greatest repository of flat fish hitherto known.(4) Kcd. 1921 T.S.D.C.:
“She has skate-liver for her first meal,” i.e. she cannot keep a secret.(7) Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 184:
Creilian crafts cou'd weel ha'e gi'en Scate-rumples to ha'e clear'd his een.Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's W. iii.:
Some judgment in cock-bree or in scate rumples.Sc. 1844 G. Outram Lyrics (1874) 14:
Pangin oursels wi' crappit heads an' scate-rumples.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 42:
Da hoes an' skate rumples boiled fir da grice.(9) em.Sc. 1811 Wernerian Soc. Mem. I. 552:
Fishers call these appendages skate-sheers, from their resemblance to the blades of a pair of scissars.

2. A paper-kite, from its similarity in shape (Rnf., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein).

3. As a term of contempt for a stupid or objectionable person (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Ork., n.Sc., Fif., Lth., Lnk., Rxb. 1970), freq. as the second element in comb. bletherskate, see Bladderskate.Abd. 1737 Caled. Mag. (1788) 499:
Gin I had here the countra Skate, Sae beins I shoud him bang.Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 75:
O'd be here, dee ye see the nasty skait?Per. 1887 R. Cleland Inchbracken xxxiii.:
Get out my gate, ye blatherin' skate.Gall. 1928 Gallov. Annual 87:
Yon lang-nebbit yalla-faced skate!Abd. 1933 Abd. Book Lover (May) 100:
Fa'd got in debt, the orra skate, An' run the country clean.wm.Sc. 1934 K. R. Archer Jock Tamson's Bairns 28:
Ye throughither skate.