Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1788-1966
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0]
STRIDE, v., n. Sc. forms and usages:
I. v. As in Eng. Pa.t. strade (e.Lth. 1801 R. Gall Poems (1819) 77; Kcb. 1836 J. Mayne Siller Gun 16; Ags. 1894 A. Reid Songs 65; Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 188; Abd. 1928 J. Baxter A' Ae' 'Oo 28; Sh., ne.Sc., Ayr., Rxb. 1971), straid (Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae French 83). Pa.p. stridden (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 208).
Deriv. strider, anything of a bifurcated or Y shape, specif. in hand-line fishing: a piece of wire or whale-bone so shaped, to the ends of which snuids and hooks can be attached (Ags. 1911); a forked stick for a child's catapult (Slg. 1971).
II. n. 1. As in Eng., the setting apart of the legs in walking, riding, etc. Combs. (1) strideleg, now more commonly -legs, -leygs (Cai.), astride, as in sitting on a horse (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 185; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen.Sc.; ¶(2) stride-ride, id.(1) Kcd. 1796 J. Burness Thrummy Cap (1887) 13:
Strideleg o'er a cask o' ale.Edb. 1828 W. Roughead Burke and Hare (1921) 168:
He then got stride-legs on the top of the woman on the floor.n.Sc. 1840 D. Sage Memorabilia (1889) 121:
I threw myself stride-legs across his back.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 46:
Stride-legs on a cannon-ball.Kcb. 1898 Crockett Standard Bearer xiii.:
The lass wha can tame a wild stallion and ride him stride-leg like a man.Cai. 1934 John o' Groat Jnl. (25 Oct.):
A'm stride-leygs on's back.Abd. 1966 Huntly Express (1 April) 2:
Tell's aboot this deem sittin' stridelegs on the horse!(2) Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 94:
Auld Winter, stride-ride owre the riggin.
¶2. The fork or crutch of the body.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 176:
I'm new come frae Dumbarton-side, . . . An' am as sair, about the stride, As gin I had the gravel.
‡3. In pl., trousers (Arg. 1958). Also in Eng. dial. and slang.Lnk. 1889 A. G. Murdoch Readings III. 26:
His two legs which were encased in a pair of all but skin-tight strides.Gsw. 1910 H. Maclaine My Frien' 24:
I'd buckle up my strides and ma mither would never ken.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Stride v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/stride>
