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.
SLAE, n.1 Gen.Sc. form and usages of Eng. sloe, the blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, or its fruit (Sc. 1777 J. Lightfoot Flora Scot. I. 254; Ayr. 1786 Burns Holy Fair iii.; Abd. 1851 W. Anderson Rhymes 96, Kcb. 1882 G. Murray Poems 41; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson). Gen. (exc. I.) Sc. Applied also, rarely, to the fruit of the whitethorn, the haw, Crataegus oxyacantha (sm.Sc. 1896 Garden Work 112). Freq. attrib. as in slae-berry (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein), -black, -buss, the blackthorn-tree, slae-leaf, -stick, a blackthorn cudgel or staff, slae-thorn, the blackthorn (Wgt. 1970), used attrib. = bent, gnarled, slae-water, the juice of the sloe, hence any sour liquid. Adj. slaeie, abounding in sloes or sloe-bushes (Cld. 1825 Jam.). [sle: See P.L.D. § 32.]Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 25:
Auld, swirlon, slaethorn, camsheugh, crooked Wight.Dmf. 1822 A. Cunningham Tales (1874) 345:
Nane o' your cauld, sour slae-water.Bwk. c.1830 Minstrelsy Merse (Crockett 1893) 152:
The merle likes the slae buss weel, Whar grows the berry blue.s.Sc. 1859 Bards of Border (Watson) 209:
The slaethorn there my bonnet wreathed.Uls. 1869 D. Herbison Snow-Wreath 254:
'Tis no the slae-thorn blossom.Ayr. 1880 W. Aitken Rhymes 10:
A great muckle cudgel o' slaethorn.m.Lth. 1882 Mod. Sc. Poets (Edwards) IV. 56:
A wenche's twa slae-berrie een.Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 315:
Yer tea wus a' slae-leafs.
