Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STURDY, n.¹ Also -ie. [′stʌrdi]

1. As in Eng. dial. and agric. usage: a disease of sheep caused by the larva of a tapeworm which produces a watery tumour on the brain with symptoms of giddiness, staggering and ultimate collapse (s.Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.; Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 441; Cai., Inv. 1904 E.D.D.). Gen.Sc. Ppl.adj. sturdied, affected with sturdy (Dmf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 155).Sc. 1718 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 81:
Fast frae the Company he fled, As he had tane the Sturdy.Ags. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ V. 468:
Another disease fatal to sheep . . . called the sturdy, or dizziness in the head.Sc. 1807 Trans. Highl. Soc. III. 402:
I catched every sturdied sheep that I could lay my hands on.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch xv.:
I saw Magneezhy wheel round like a peerie, or a sheep seized with the sturdie.Sc. 1855 H. Stephens Bk. Farm II. 163:
I have seen several sturdied hoggs.Rxb. 1914 Kelso Chronicle (11 Dec.) 4:
Some troubles, such as sturdy, can be cured.Bnff. 1925 G. Cumming A'anside Lilts 19:
A richt skilly man was auld Robbie Dey, Cured sturdie and rot-fit.wm.Sc. 1930 J. Bridie Tobias and the Angel i. i.:
Tottering about like a sturdied sheep.

2. A sheep affected with sturdy (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Kcb. 1971).Sc. 1807 Trans. Highl. Soc. III. 402:
A large parcel of lambs, whose bleating brought all the sturdies of the neighbourhood to them.

3. A weed growing in corn which produces sim. effects to those of sturdy, gen. identified as darnel, Lolium temulentum (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 441). Common in Uls. dial. and prob. borrowed thence.

4. A fit of sulks or obstinacy, a perverse mood, freq. in pl. and in phr. to tak the sturdy or sturdies (Uls. 1953 Traynor; Ags., Fif., wm., sm.Sc. 1971), of children or animals, and fig.Edb. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 178:
To . . . gar Dame Poortith tak the sturdy.Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 146:
But pride had nipet Geordie's nose, His tongue had taen the sturdy.Kcb. 1838 R. Kerr Maggie o' Moss (1891) 7:
His tappin'd hen, a favourite burdie, By Maggie's craft, had ta'en the sturdy.Sc. 1899 Mont-Fleming:
He took the sturdies, and wad gang nae farther.Per. 1911 A. D. Stewart Heather and Peat 218:
We had baith a gey smeddum o' temper, and was baith like to tak' the sturdies whiles.

II. adj. Affected with sturdy, of a sheep (Ayr. 1928); giddy-headed (Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. Gl.; Sh., Cai. 1971). Obs. in Eng. exc. dial.Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Journal 25:
Tawin an' wamlin under lucky-minny, like a sturdy hoggie that had fallen into a peat-pot.