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.
SKYBE, n., v. Also skyb, skibe; skipe, scipe. [skəib]
I. n. A mean rogue, a low, ill-mannered or worthless person (s.Sc. 1808 Jam., skipe s.v. skybald; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 427, skyb; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 165; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1970), a clumsy, oafish person (Ags. 1970); a niggard (wm. and s.Sc. 1808 Jam.). Dim. skypie, id. (Abd. 1930). Adj. skybie, mean, low (Sc. 1880 Jam., s.v. skybald).Gall. 1710 Session Bk. Penninghame (1933) I. 260:
Ye of the Session take the poors money to keep your purses with on Saturday and Sunday and give it to skybes of gentles; Ye of the Session are but a pack of skybes altogether and give the refuse of your money to the poor which they can get nothing for.Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales I. 249.:
He is as great a skype as I know of.s.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
A windy skibe denotes a braggart, a neetie skibe, a mean parsimonious fellow.Ayr. 1832 Carrick Anthol. (Finlayson 1925) 231:
Ye pack of unmannerly skibes.Gall. a.1900 “Mulciber Veritatis” Gallowa' Herds 13:
Show what side ye'r on — whether skybe on the throne Or his wae-begane spouse ye're to frien'.Bwk. 1921 Kelso Chronicle (30 Dec.) 4:
Caustrum skipes is a' sae nice, They bake their breed wi' snails and lice.m.Lth. 1955 Bulletin (24 Feb.):
The wheen scipes and rummliegutses wha hae shamit Scotland mair than ance wi their lah-de-dah alien blethers.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 51:
They'd gie him scouth, hairts duntin wi fricht
at the ill-gated skybe wi's stibble-bleck face
an' govin yella een.
II. v. intr. To go from place to place in idleness, to loaf (about) (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 165). Ppl.adj. skypin' (about), loafing about, going about habitually in idleness (Ib.).
[Reduced form of Skybald, q.v.]
