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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

TREADWIDDIE, n. Also trade-, tred- (Abd. 1825 Jam.), traid-; trod-; ¶trag-; tor- (Sc. 1869 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. 726); -widdie, -woddie, -wody, woodie, -y, -withy. [′trɛdwɪdi, -wʌdi, ′trod-] The draught-chain, orig. a twisted withy, with hook and swivel connecting a plough or harrow with the swingle-trees (n.Sc. 1808 Jam., trodwiddie; Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 469, treadwoody; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 416, tradwuddie; Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 224, torwoddie; ‡ne.Sc. 1930).Ags. 1714 Glamis Estate Papers MSS. (28 Sept.):
Eight trodwiddies Three Iron Gaivlocks.m.Lth. 1743 Edb. Commiss. Test. MSS. CVII.:
Seven harrows and eight tradewoodys.Dmf. 1761 Dmf. & Gall. N. & Q. (1913) 63:
The making of new harrows and trade withy of the owner's iron.Abd. 1781 Session Papers, Davidson v. Sharp (22 June) 9:
A car-saddle, traidwiddies.s.Sc. 1866 W. Henderson Folk-Lore 220:
The sign of the Cross was in like manner marked on many tools and utensils, down to the ‘torwoodie' of the harrow, as protection against sprites of doubtful character.Abd. 1951 Buchan Observer (20 Feb.):
We do never hear to-day of the tragwiddie.