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). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

UNBONNIE, adj. Also unbonny, oon-. Ugly, ill-favoured, unsightly (Fif. 1899 Proc. Philosoph. Soc. Gsw. XXX. 19, Sh., Abd., em.Sc.(a), wm.Sc., Wgt. 1973), gen. in neg. expressions. Also adv. See Bonny, adj.Sc. 1830 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) III. 71:
She sat and smiled to see her long dishevelled tresses reflected in the Fairy's Pool. Shepherd: That's no unbonny.Abd. 1881 W. Paul Past & Present 111:
His leg, which he said was “very ill faurt twa or three days syne, but wasna' that oonbonny now.”Kcb. 1894 Crockett Lilac Sunbonnet iv.:
'Deed I'm nane sae unbonny yet.Abd. 1930:
The sair was hailin nae that unbonnie.wm.Sc. 1979 Robin Jenkins Fergus Lamont 17:
Still another said it was a pity she was so unbonny. wm.Sc. 1987 Anna Blair Scottish Tales (1990) 23:
They had seen a mermaid. No doubt of it. ... But she was not the beautiful sea-creature of fables. Her skin and heavy hair were coarse, her face flat, grey and unbonnie. Sc. 1996 Herald 24 Feb 2:
In less than an hour, the efficient if unbonny successor to the Glen Sannox of childhood eases alongside Brodick pier to disgorge its winter wanderers. Sc. 2000 Edinburgh Evening News 6 Apr 11:
It is less, I fervently hope, that Mr Dewar and his Executive have failed to set in motion policies which will transform the face of unbonny Scotland than that they have failed to explain what, in our name, they are about. Sc. 2000 Scotsman 28 Sep 4:
The only remaining Caledonian land mass above water is the Drylands - formerly the Highlands - where the decidedly unbonnie bens and glens are roamed by ferocious mutant horses known as kelpies and marauding bands of rebel tourists. Sc. 2001 Times 21 Mar :
The lad of the title appears decidedly unbonny at the start of this novel set in Gateshead, ... Sc. 2002 Press and Journal 10 Apr 16:
His first collection of poetry was published in 1996 and in 2000 he published his first novel, But Ben A-Go-Go, a chilling tale about "a distinctly unbonnie future Scotland".