Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 2005 (SND, online supplement).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BINGER, n. [Cf. bing n. 3 ] A loser, esp. in a horse or dog race. Also fig.wm.Sc. 1977 William McIlvanney Laidlaw (1985) 127:
'How did the horses go for ye the day then, John?' 'Backwards. Bingers galore. Were ye puntin' yerself?'Edb. 1984:
Ah can only seem tae back bingers.Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 11:
binger In betting circles, a losing bet: 'Ah've had nothing but bingers aw day.'Gsw. 1985 James Kelman A Chancer 246:
Watch this yin specially, you've got to be fucking careful. If you pull at it you'll fucking stretch the bastard and that's it a binger.Gsw. 1992 Jeff Torrington Swing Hammer Swing! (1993) 151:
I'd meant to get the SP on Urquharts's tip but it didn't really matter since any nag he recommended was bound to be a surefire binger.Sc. 1998 Scotland on Sunday 19 Apr 10:
I placed a bet on a chestnut called Bitofamixup, because she said it was appropriate considering my own private life. I knew this horse was nothing but a binger, but what can you do when faced with the Most Beautiful Girl in the World ...Sc. 2000 Herald 15 Aug 34:
You could have stumbled your way through a fixture — perhaps a few winners here, several bingers there — and still have a few coins jingling about.Sc. 2002 Scotsman 10 Aug 9:
The betting exchanges are the new kids on the internet block. These companies such as Betfair offer a medium by which on-line punters can both back or lay horses that they either think will win or believe will end up as bingers.Sc. 2003 Sunday Mail 5 Jan 60:
Reason being was the Irish trainer's Boxing Day raiders at Kempton ran as flat as Tara Palmer-Tomkinson's chest and poor Mr T had bet three bingers.
