Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1821-1925
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SPAT, n.1, v. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. spot (Rnf. 1769 in S. Collet Relics Literature (1823) 29; Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 176; Dmb. 1817 J. Walker Poems 55; Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 110; Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 114; e.Lth. 1896 J. Lumsden Battles 8; Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables 80, Fif., Lnl., Wgt. 1971). Adj. spatty (Sc. 1828 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 61), spattey, spathie, spotty; spatless (Fif. 1867 J. Morton C. Gray 48). Ppl.adj. spatted, -it, spotted (Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xxxviii.; Edb. 1856 J. Ballantine Poems 11; Fif. 1857 W. Blair Rambling Recoll. 35, Lnk. 1877 W. McHutchison Poems 68, s.Sc. 1932 Border Mag. (May) 67). See P.L.D. §54.
I. n. 1. Sc. phr. and comb.: (1) spat o' prins, a round cushion of pins. See also Spot, Rose; (2) White Spat, see quot.(1) Sc. 1821 Blackwood's Mag. (Dec.) 692:
Three spats o' prins, and a remnant o' duffle.(2) Fif. 1863 St Andrews Gazette (19 Sept.):
The most, indeed the only, productive fishing ground has been the White Spat, as the Murray Bank is locally termed.
2. A shoal of herring-fry (Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 267). Cf. 1. (2) above but poss. rather to be associated with Eng. spat, the spawn or fry of oysters.
3. A sharp quarrel (Fif. 1971). Cf. Eng. spot of trouble.
4. Deriv., from the adj. used subst., spatty, spathie, (1) a spotted fish, specif. a river-trout (Per. 1825 Jam., spathie); (2) an epithet for a spotted cow.(1) Knr. 1925 H. Haliburton Horace 152:
I never killed a saumon: the utmost o' my tak' Was half-a-dizzen spatties in the basket on my back.(2) m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 158:
"Back Spattey," he continued, as he stoned a cow that was straying beyond the limits of her boundary; "gae back, spattey."
II. v. Of cloth in a loom: to develop defects and gaps in the weave as the web comes to an end.Fif. 1909 J. C. Craig Sangs o' Bairns 168:
He said their webs were nearly oot Because their beams were spattin'.
