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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STIME, n., v. Also stym(e); stem(e) (Sc. 1887 Jam.). [stəim]

I. n. 1. (1) Found orig. in phr. not to see a stime, to be unable to see or discern the least thing, from bad sight or visibility (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 441; Per., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Ork. 1929 Marw.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Uls. 1953 Traynor; I., n.Sc., Per., Kcb. 1971).Sc. 1718 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 71:
[He] drank sae firm till ne'er a Styme He cou'd keek on a Bead.Sc. 1756 M. Calderwood Journey (M.C.) 202:
When it turned duskish, he saw not a stime.Ayr. 1785 Burns To J. Goldie ix.:
I scarce could wink or see a styme.e.Lth. 1801 R. Gall Poems (1819) 29:
At sic an elritch time O' night, whan we see ne'er a styme.Slk. 1818 Hogg Wool-Gatherer (1874) 70:
A' the hills were wrappit i' the clouds o' rime an' we coudna see a stime.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 175:
His een, bein' in the mirligoes, Ae single styme afore his nose They couldna see for glaiks.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 117:
Deil'e styme the cheeld could see.Ayr. 1889 H. Johnston Glenbuckie 116:
Not a stime, they are all as blind as bats.Sh. 1932 J. M. E. Saxby Trad. Lore 135:
They set up such a stoor folk could not see a styme.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xxi.:
A saana a stime masel, bit Daavitie's clare eenies seen made oot a lowe i' that airt.Abd. 1992 David Toulmin Collected Short Stories 128:
You couldn't see a stime in the place for the reek. Uls. 1993:
Couldnae see a stime. ( = it was very dark)

(2) a faint trace of anything seen, a vestige, the least visible appearance (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Ork. 1929 Marw.; Sh., Ork., n.Sc. 1971).Ags. 1819 A. Balfour Campbell I. xviii.:
There winna be a styme o' them seen again atweesh this and twal hours at e'en.Abd. 1842 Blackwood's Mag. (March) 305:
Deil pick out my eyne if we've seen a stime of it again.Mry. 1863 J. Brown Round Table Club 335:
I canna see a stime o' ye.Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 9:
Nae a leevin' stime o' Dod.

(3) by extension: the least little bit of anything, a particle, fraction, jot, atom (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Sh., Bnff., Abd., Ags. 1971).m.Lth. 1786 G. Robertson Har'st Rig (1801) xxiii.:
To cut their fur, and tak their share O' their nane rig. But ony mair? The fient ae stime!Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems II. 134:
But, O' lackanee! had he kent but a styme O' the blirt that was brewin' for him.Per. 1818 J. Sinclair Simple Lays 20:
When winter nights are choak't wi' rime, An' fouk can scarcely breath a stime.Ags. 1880 J. E. Watt Poet. Sketches 110:
At hame his wife, wi' looks demure, Beside a wee styme fire sat huddled.Abd. 1893 G. MacDonald Heather and Snow iii.:
I dinna unerstan ye ae styme.Ayr. 1896 H. Johnston Dr Congalton xxi.:
He would not interfere in the matter “buff nor styme.”Kcd. 1911 Scotsman (29 Dec.):
The mistress would instruct the maid to put a styme (or stymie, if an infinitesimal quantity only) of so-and-so into the dish.Sc. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Scots 30:
O' wha wi' onie styme o' sang.

2. A glimmer or glimpse of light (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 467: Sc. 1825 Jam.; I. and n.Sc., Slg. 1971); a glance of the eye. Now chiefly liter.Sc. 1776 D. Herd Sc. Songs II 150:
Ne'er a blyth styme wad he blink, Until his wame was fou.Sc. 1825 Young Beichan in Child Ballads No. 53 E. Add.:
Night or day it was all one to him for no ae styme of light ever got in.Ags. 1888 Barrie Auld Licht Idylls vii.:
Even with three wicks it gave but a stime of light.Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Scots Sangs 27:
But is't a sinfu' thing tae blink Ae fleein styme ayon Earth's brink?Sc. 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' Ling 60:
Wi never a styme o' the sun or the müne.

3. “A disease of the eye” (Mry. 1811 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 467). Phs. a different word,? a corrupt form of Styan, a stye.

II. v. 1. To look through half-shut eyes, to peer, peep, to attempt to see distinctly (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Cai. 1931).Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 11 1:
Noo Kitty, see gin shu can styme Fu' muckle milk he's left in'd.Sh. 1886 J. Burgess Sketches 66:
I lookit an' stimed inta da black dark.Sh. 1919 T. Manson Peat Comm. 199:
Da wan at wears specs an is alwis stimin an rutin into books.Sh. 1952 J. Hunter Taen wi da Trow 65:
Stymin troo dis sleuch o dirt Just maks my aald een sair .

Derivs.: (1) stymel, -alt, one who does not see quickly what another is trying to show him, a short-sighted, unperceptive. or obtuse-witted person (Cld. 1825 Jam.: Rxb. 1923 Watson, stymalt, ‡Rxb. 1971): (2) stymie, n., a person with short or slow vision (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.).

¶2. To blind momentarily Vbl.n. styming.Dmf. 1836 J. Mayne Siller Gun 89:
Where, frae the priming, Their cheeks and whiskers got a scowder, Their een, a styming!