Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SNOD, adj., v.1, n. Also misprint sned (Edb. 1904 W. G. Stevenson Glen Sloken i.). [snɔd]

I. adj. 1. Esp. of persons: neat, trim, spruce, smart (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. c.1840 W. Lutton Montiaghisms (1924); Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson; Abd., Uls. 1929; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai). Gen.Sc. Also used adv. Adv. snodly, neatly, smartly, trimly. Also in Eng. dial. Derivs. snoddie, a neatly dressed person, esp. female (Cld. 1825 Jam.); ¶snoddy, adj., neat, smart, used adv. in quot.; ¶snodless, untidy, slatternly.Sc. 1719 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 215:
A Black-a-vic'd snod dapper Fallow.
Sc. 1756 M. Calderwood Journey (M.C.) 199:
The neice was a little, snod, fair lass.
Per. 1802 S. Kerr Poems 59:
His gravat, that was wont in genty plies To be by Nelly, triggit out sae snod.
Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Rhymes 45:
Fu' snodly Jean had on a drugget gown.
Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds i.:
The kitchen-lass, and, as usual, snodless, snoodless, and shodless.
Abd. 1865 G. MacDonald Alec Forbes lxxx.:
I made mysel' as snod as I could.
Ayr. 1875 A. Orr Poems 25:
A snoder man could scarce be seen.
e.Lth. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 40:
He screwed her up wi' conscious pride, And rosin'd her that snoddy.
em.Sc. 1909 J. Black Melodies 57:
Oot to the ploo i' the mornin' lads, A' snod wi' leggins an' belts.
Gall. 1932 A. McCormick Galloway 194:
Them's a pickle snod hoggs, Thander?
m.Sc. 1950 O. Douglas Farewell to Priorsford 152:
I've aye sent him oot snod and weel brushed.

2. Of things: neat, trim, tidy, compact, well laid out, in good order (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 466; Uls. c.1840 W. Lutton Montiaghisms (1924); Ayr. 1910; Ork., n.Sc., Per. 1971). Also fig. and adv. Comb. snod-dykit, neatly walled. Adv. snodly, neatly, trimly (Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 85). Also in Eng. dial. Deriv. snodness, neatness.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 19:
She kept her Housie snod and been.
Slg. 1788 R. Galloway Poems 131, 163:
His plaiding hose were snod and clean . . . Your snod remarks, and pointed stile.
Per. 1817 A. Buchanan Rural Poetry 22:
He teuk a snod weel lyin' farm.
Ayr. 1821 Galt Annals ix.:
The snood, that was so snod and simple.
Lth. 1885 J. Strathesk More Bits 133:
I only wish that I had been here maybe a day or sae before ye cam', to hae ha'en things a wee bit snodder.
Ags. 1896 A. Blair Rantin Robin 138:
The merits o' the different dressmakers an' the snodness o' their handiwark.
Kcb. 1904 Crockett Strong Mac xlv.:
A snod pickle siller in the bank.
Dmf. 1917 J. L. Waugh Cute McCheyne 134:
A' gey snodly laid oot an' tidy-lookin'.
Abd. 1933 C. Murray Aye a Something i.:
The snod dykit feedle lies fair to the sun.

3. Smooth, level, evenly cut (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 466; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 333; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Fif. 1899 Colville 128; Ork., ne.Sc., Per., Kcb. 1971). Also in Eng. dial. Also used adv. Comb. snod-laid, evenly cut. Adv. snodly, smoothly, evenly.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 101:
The swain behind his jovial band did walk Praising the snoddest cut frae point to heel.
Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 304:
There's something here . . . Will mak life's road to me fou snodly sleekit.
Dmf. 1817 W. Caesar Poems 44:
Hens an' geese a' pooket snod.
s.Sc. 1858 H. S. Riddell Song of Solomon iv. 2:
Ane hirsel o' sheepe that ar snodlie clippet.
Kcd. 1844 W. Jamie Muse 99:
And maybe gaen the quietest road, For there the snaw may be mair snod.
Ork. 1912 Old-Lore Misc. V. i. 35:
When all the mettins were clear of skegs they were said to be “made snod.”
em.Sc. 1920 J. Black Airtin' Hame 79:
The ruif was theekit smooth and snod Wi' divots and wi' strae.
Abd. 1928 Word-Lore III. 148:
The scythemin 'at didna ca' a clean-cuttit, snod-laid bout.

4. Comfortable, snug, cosy, at ease (Uls. 1929). Gen. (exc. I. and s.) Sc. Also used adv. Adv. snodly, comfortably, cosily. Also in Eng. dial.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 142:
To mak them snod, An' out o' gate o' botherin duns, They're sent abroad.
Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 204:
May peace an' love thegither draw By every snod fire-en'?
Per. 1897 C. M. Stuart Sandy Scott 74:
Jonah comes aboard and makes himsel a' snod and comfortable.
Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 30:
I dinna' just feel snod when Elspeth's weans Rin bare-fit in the snaw and ower the stanes.
Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 64:
A knievlock o' a kebbuck for a tasty-kin' o' bite, Snodly rowed intil a snuffy nepkin.
s.Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Penny Wheep 2:
It's guid to see her lie Sae snod an' cool, A' lust o' lovin' by.
Bnff. 1933 M. Symon Deveron Days 5:
They happit him snod in Walla Kirk.
Ags. 1953 Forfar Dispatch (17 Dec.):
Rale snod at a fine lowe, and nothing comin ower's.
Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 103:
That snod faith's gane,
but the steeple aye thrists frae the hairt o the toon,
the Auld Kirkyaird aside it, whaur the deid were lain
and grutten for lang syne.
Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 9:
the ba in his airms
snod an sauf
lyk a puir unhovin bairn

II. v. 1. To make trim or neat, to tidy, put in order (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson; ne., em.Sc.(a), wm., sm.Sc. 1971), ppl.adj. snoddit, neat, spruced up, smart; to finish or polish off; specif., to clean (grain) by removing the husks and awns (Ork. 1929 Marw.). Freq. with up.Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 84:
Ye saw yoursell how weel his mailin thrave, Ay better faugh'd an' snodit than the lave.
Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 141:
An' ye be a mind to marry ye maun snod yoursel better up.
Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 273:
Look 'mang snodit circles o' the great.
Sc. 1819 Lockhart Scott xliv.:
I am snodding up the drive of the old farmhouse.
Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xcviii.:
Tell Robin Taigle to snod himsel' for a decency on the present occasion.
Ags. 1887 A. Willock Rosetty Ends 91:
After Dauvit had snoddit aff his parritch.
Arg. 1896 N. Munro Lost Pibroch (1935) 118:
The girl was snodding her hair a bit.
Dmf. 1915 J. L. Waugh Betty Grier 201:
Photographing the Chelsea seer and “snoddin” his hair.
Fif. 1916 G. Blaik Rustic Rhymes 132:
Dauve's jist been snoddin' up the baulk.
Ags. 1932 Forfar Dispatch (8 May) 2:
Snoddin ma heid, and dichtin ma face.
Bnff. 1953 Banffshire Jnl. (8 Sept.):
An auldish carle o' a man eidently snoddin' aboot amon' the cabbages.

2. (1) To prune, cut, trim, smoothe, to make level (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1904 E.D.D.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W. B.; ne.Sc., Ags., Per., sm.Sc. 1971). Also in Eng. dial.(1) Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 177:
Fu sleek we snod your gowany green.
Sc. 1821 Blackwood's Mag. (June) 319:
The well-built stack, beat in, with fork around, And snodded down, from top-shave to the ground.
Abd. 1865 G. MacDonald Alec Forbes xxvi.:
Tallow candles, which had to be snodded laboriously.
ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Keckleton 39:
Aifter the funeral wis past an' the graif snodded up, I took my tools doon to the tool-house.
Ayr. c.1892 R. Lawson Ball. Carrick 9:
He cut them [the Devil's horns] aff like twa green corns — The Devil snodded.
Kcd. 1929 J. B. Philip Weelum o' the Manse 10:
Snoddin' the grass with his spade.

(2) To castrate (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 230).

3. Fig. To put to rights morally, to give (someone) his deserts, to put (someone) in his place, to punish, defeat. Vbl.n. snoddin, a dressing-down. Cf. sim. semantic development of Sort.Ags. 1889 Brechin Advert. (12 Mar.) 3:
Od, but I'se snod ye.
Fif. 1891 J. G. McPherson Golf & Golfers 3, 43:
He “snoddit him at the burn” — that is, was two holes up and one to play. . . . “Ye stick tae the driving putter, and leave the bunkers tae me, syne we'll snod them.”
Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) 31:
To get the gude o' the snoddin' the minister gae them.

III. n. 1. A tidying, a smartening, esp. in comb. snod(die)-up (ne., sm.Sc. 1971).Abd. 1889 Bon-Accord (30 Nov.) 9:
I gies masel' an extra snod up.
Abd. 1926 M. Argo Makkin' o John 20:
He'll be up the stair giein himsel a bit snoddie up.

2. A trimming (Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 266).Per. 1970:
It's time the verges got a snod.

[O.Sc. snod, smooth, even, c.1475. N.E.D. suggests a connection with O.N. snoðinn, bald, shaven, which is possible. Conjecturally snod might be, or have been thought of as, pa.p. of Mid.Eng. sneden, to Sned, v.1, to trim, prune, transferred from weak conjugation to Class IV of strong verbs. That it represents an alternative vowel development to [*snʌud] from O.N. snauðr, bald, bare, is less likely.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Snod adj., v.1, n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 Feb 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snod_adj_v1_n>

24874

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: