Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1801-1844, 1895-1943
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0]
SMATCHET, n. Also smatcher(t), -ard (I.Sc., Cai. 1904 E.D.D.), -it; smudget (Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 132); ¶smutchack; snatchit (Ags. 1921 A. S. Neill Carroty Broon vi.), snatshard (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.). A small insignificant person or animal, freq. applied to a pert or mischievous child, a little rogue (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 179; Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 465; Cai. 1905 E.D.D.; Peb. 1910; I. and n.Sc. 1970); more emphatically, of an adult: an impudent worthless character, a scamp, rascal. Rarely attrib. [′smɑtʃət; I.Sc. -ər(d)]Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings (1873) 3:
Tibby, bring him ben some meat, Ye senseless smutchack!Ags. 1819 A. Balfour Campbell III. xxxiii.:
Ye royit smatchets, cease your din!Sc. 1834 Tait's Mag. I. 428:
These Oxford smatchets too, singing through their noses, in mockery of the Dissenters.Dmb. 1844 W. Cross Disruption xxxii.:
Some ither smatchert they call Duncanson it seems is coming.Per. 1895 I. Maclaren Auld Lang Syne 257:
Impident an mischievous smatchits.Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 63:
Every mislear't smatchart took a delicht in settin her on.Sh. 1906 T. P. Ollason Spindrift 10:
Dat illbred smatchard o' Bella Gray's.wm.Sc. 1933 J. Bridie Sleeping Clergyman i. i.:
Ye were aye a steering wee smatchet.Abd. 1943 W. Forsyth Guff o' Waur 17:
Smatchit loons wi' poddley wan's Gang scamperin' roun' the pier.
