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.
Quotation dates: 1875, 1957-2004
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TAIRT, n., adj. Also tert, †teart. [tert, tɛrt]
I. n. = Eng. tart, a pastry with filling (Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 222; Abd. 1922 G. P. Dunbar Whiff o' Doric 15; tert Sh., Ork., Ags., Edb., Gsw., Ayr., Sh., Edb., Gsw., Ayr., Dmf.; tairt Bnff., Fif., Edb., Rxb., Bnff., Rxb. 2000s); a girlfriend (Edb. 1895 J. Tweeddale Moff xiii., 1964 J. T. R. Ritchie Singing Street 45), not connoting a prostitute (ne.Sc. 1930).Sc. 1875 A. Hislop Sc. Anecdotes 38:
He would have a “doo tert” [pigeon pie].Ags. 1957 Forfar Dispatch (26 Dec.):
She gets her tea; prees my mince-meat terts.Edb. 2004:
Wee, sweet tairts.
II. adj. = Eng. tart, sour, acid (Ayr. 1826 R. Hetrick Poems 44; Rxb. 1954 Hawick News (18 June) 7).m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 72:
Dae ye think yon Henley kent whit a kailyard wes?
Or aw thir ither expairts frae The Toun,
the Heich-Heid-Criticasters lukkin doun
thair nebs tae snirt et kintra chiels lik us
an runkle up a tairt an sharrow phiz?
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"Tairt n., adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 4 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/tairt>
