Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1740, 1822-1844, 1999-2004
[0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1]
HAWICK, n. The name of a town in Rxb. [′hɑ:ɪk] used attrib. in combs.: 1. Hawick ba, also Hawick ball. A kind of round, brown, peppermint-flavoured boiled sweet, made in Hawick. 2. Hawick bake, see Bake, n.1; 3. Hawick banna', a rich currant cake in paste cover (Rxb.4 1956). Cf. Selkirk Bannock; †4. Hawick gill, a measure of ale or spirits equivalent to half an Imperial pint (Sc. 1825 Jam.); 5. Hawick hug, a squeezing grip in wrestling. Cf. Cornish hug, id.; 5. Hawick marle, a kind of clay (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1956), = hawclay, s.v. Haw, adj. 1.Sc. 1999 Laura Mason Sweets and Sweet Shops 26:
Mint flavours had been popular for at least a century. Local products such as Jeddart Snails, Hawick Balls (both made in the Scottish borders), Uncle Joe's Mint Balls (Lancashire) and the black bullets of north-eastern confectioners reflect these early sweets ...Sc. 2004:
Ye can still buy yon auld traditional sweets like soor plooms an Jethart Snails, an a Hawick ba' can still bring a tear tae yer ee. 4. Sc. 1740 Ramsay T.T.Misc. (1876) IV. 237:
And well she loo'd a Hawick gill, And leugh to see a tappit hen.Sc. 1822 Scott Poet. Wks. (1834) X. 374:
A Hawick gill of mountain dew, Heised up Auld Reekie's heart, I trow.Sc. 1844 Sc. Songs (Whitelaw) 240:
What signifies the cutty stoup? Bring in the Hawick gill, sirs!5. Sc. 1835 Wilson's Tales of the Borders I. 154:
He therefore threw his arms round the back of his opponent, . . . with the intention of giving him a "Hawick hug," but he found he could not join his hands together so as to effect his purpose, and his strength could not accomplish it.
