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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DOOBLE, adj., adv., n., v., = Eng. double. Also †duble. Sc. usages.

I. adj. In comb. with nouns: 1. double breeks, = Breeks, n.pl.² (Bnff.² 1940; Ayr.⁴ 1928); 2. dooble cairt (see quot.); known to Bnff.², Abd.², Abd.⁹ 1940; 3. double cream, thick cream, suitable for whipping; Gen.Sc.; hence double-creamy; 4. double-docks, a game played with large round stones at Forfar Academy (Ags.¹⁷ 1940); cf. Dockerlee, Dockie, n., and Duck; †5. double-downcome, a term used in measuring yarn, appar. from some repeated downward movement of the spinning-machine; 6. double-dunt, also double dunter. A reduplication of something, e.g. an event, social occasion, payment of twice the usual benefit; 7. double families, see quot.; 8. double-gown, used in ref. to a judge of the Court of Session, who has both civil and criminal jurisdiction, and orig. wore one or other of two gowns according to the nature of the court in which he sat; 9. dooble hincher, a feint in kicking at football (see quot.). Cf. Hainch; 10. dooble (double)-hindin(g), a farm where two hinds or farm-servants are employed (Rxb. 1918 Kelso Chron. (8 March) 4); 11. double house, a house with rooms on either side of an entrance hall. Also in U.S. Cf. Single, adj., 1. (9); 12. double letter, a capital letter (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; Bnff.², Abd.⁹ 1940); 13. double raip, a straw rope twisted double (Bnff.², Abd.², Abd.⁹ 1940); 14. double stone, adj., of walls: drystone.2. Fif. 1922 Rymour Club Misc. III. i. 59:
A young farmer had gone one day to the coal-hill for a load of coal with what in farmyard terms was called a “dooble cairt,” that is to say, a cart with two horses: one in the shafts and one in the traces.3. Sc. 1946 F. M. McNeill Recipes from Scot. 67:
Put the curd into a bowl, add a tablespoonful of double cream and salt to taste, and mix until soft and creamy.Sc. 1949 Sc. Daily Mail (9 April):
Some epicures have called soft. double-creamy Wensleydale the “Prince of English Cheeses.”5. Ags. 1794 W. Anderson Piper of Peebles 7:
Tell'd ilka cut [of yarn] that they ty'd up, By double-downcomes, jig, an' whup, An' scores, an' so forth, as exact As reels can count, that's made to chack.6. Edb. 2001:
Ah'll gie the bit ootside yer door a double dunt [of tar], hen, because the road here'll get mair wear wi yer man's wheelchair.Gsw. 1988 Michael Munro The Patter Another Blast 20:
double dunter 1. Any event or undertaking consisting of two parts: 'Saturday night was a double dunter - the pictures, then a curry.' 2. Also known as double dunt, a double payment of benefit by the DHSS, usually because the next day the recipient is due to sign on is a public holiday and the office will be closed: 'Wait till ye see: the tube'll blow this double dunter in a week an then he'll be after me for a tap.'7. Sh. 1884 Crofters' Comm. Evidence II. 1398:
Then we have ninety families living in houses of two apartments. But many of these families are what are called in Shetland "double families," that is to say, two families living in common or at one fire.8. Sc. 1825 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 29:
With a' our daffin, we are as sober as three judges with double gowns. Sc. 1827 C. I. Johnstone Eliz. de Bruce II. xiii.:
You, Laird, cannot fail to be superannuated for a dooble-gown Lord some of these days.9. Ags. 1973 Scots Mag. (June) 247:
The "dooble hincher". This was performed by bringing up one leg to a right angle with the body in a feint, then lowering it as the other leg lashed upwards past it in the real kick.10. Rxb. 1917 Kelso Chron. (31 Aug.) 2/6:
Bless me, the Tamsons's away frae here lang syne. They hev' a dooble-hindin' up at the Tafts.11. Sc. 1776 J. Anderson Chimneys 132:
To build the house of such a width as to admit of two rooms a-breast, on what is called a double house.12. Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings 41:
Twa double letters T. and L.13. Abd. 1931 A. T. M'Robert in Abd. Press and Jnl. (2 Feb.):
The “double raip” was certainly used for putting round the “easin.”14. Crm. 1795 J. Sinclair Agric. North Highlands 27:
Dry stone, called double stone dykes, without cement of either lime or clay.

II. adv. In comb. (gen. with ppl.adjs.): †1. double blue, double-dyed (hence dark) blue; 2. double-feathered, of a ploughshare: having a double cutting edge, see Feather; 3. double nickit [aphetic form of conneckit], used of two brothers and two sisters married to one another (Ayr.⁴ 1928); 4. double planted, of a door: having panel mouldings on both sides (Abd.²⁷ 1946); †5. double-sib, “related both by father and mother” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²).1. Abd. 1759 F. Douglas Rural Love 11:
Twa site of clais, ane double blew, And ane of tartan maist split new.Abd. 1813 W. Beattie Parings 3:
I busked in my muslin cravat, My double blues, big coat, an' a' that.2. Sc. 1778 Weekly Mag. (25 March) 293:
The plough which I chuse to hoe with is a small one, drawn by one horse, or two if the draught is heavy: it must be mounted with a double-feathered sock, the breadth of which must be in proportion to the distance of the drills.4. Rnf. 1904 Private MS. (per wm.Sc.¹):
2 bound doors double planted with furnishing complete. £3.

†III. n.

1. A duplicate, copy (of a writing). Also in n.Lin. dial.Sc. 1705 in Analecta Scot. (ed. Maidment 1837) II. 25:
There was a little ambiguity in his letter anent the 1703 Acts; he wrote for a double of it.Sc. 1732 J. Louthian Process (1752) 60:
Of which Warrant, the Messenger . . . is . . . ordained to give a just Double . . . to the Prisoner himself.Inv. 1741 in A. Ross Freemasonry in Inv. (1877) 26:
The Tyler “is immediately ordered to deliver the said Charles Falconer a double of the charge.”

2. In phrs. (1) indeed, indeed, in doubles. an asseveration of accuracy and truthfulness; (2) in the dooble of nae time, in a tick, in a jiffy.(1) Uls. 1901 A. M'Ilroy in North. Whig:
When the . . . Ulster boy wants to assure you of the downright absolute accuracy of anything he has been telling you, you must accept his word on the assurance of an “Indeed, indeed, in doubles.”(2) wm.Sc. 1835–37 Laird of Logan II. 131:
I would hand him ower to Captain Jamfray of the Police in the dooble of nae time.

†IV. v. To make a copy or duplicate of.Sc. 1718 R. Wodrow Corres. (1843) II. 406:
I'll cause double over what account I have insert . . . and send up to you.Ork. 1728 in A. W. Johnston Church in Ork. (1940) 108:
One shilling stg. paid clerk for doubling the old Reg. of Bapt.