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.
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'.
