Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
WICKED, adj. Also Sc. forms wicket (Sc. 1862 G. Henderson St Matthew 13; Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 359, Abd. 1922 G. P. Dunbar Whiff o' Doric 12), comp. wicketer (Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 8); wickit (Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 26; Mry. 1835 Lintie o' Moray (1887) 30; Ayr. 1865 J. Ramsay Woodnotes 30, e.Lth. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 206; weecked (sm.Sc. 1946 Scots Mag. (June) 207). Deriv. wicketness (s.Sc. 1856 H. S. Riddell St Matthew xxii. 18).
Sc. forms of Eng. wicked, wickedness.Abd. 1991 Douglas Kynoch in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 87:
An aye the herds wad say, fan seein they were beat:
"It's wicket wastrie aat! Yon bairn's a lucky breet!"Fif. 1998 Tom Hubbard Isolde's Luve-Daith 3:
Yit they made a wickitness o this oor weird,
Whan oor mutual luve cuid aiblins aa made haleem.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 9:
Nixt will the wickit deid be roosed
Like grugous beasts frae the yirth's bowels;
An tae the awfu tryst will cum
Frae Hell itsel their greitin sowels.Edb. 2004:
O, yer a wickit laddie.Edb. 2004:
There's no a scrap o wickitness in him.
Sc. usage of persons or animals or their actions: bad-tempered, cross, ill-natured, viciously angry, snappish (Uls. 1953 Traynor; Sh., ne., m., s.Sc. 1974). Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. i. ii.:
If canker'd Madge our aunt, Come up the Burn, she'll gie's a wicked Rant.Slk. 1823 Hogg Tales (1874) 293:
It's hard to gar a wicked cout leave off flinging.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 7:
Sae wud and wicket was their wraith Gainst Papish trash and idol-graith.m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 107:
He's awfu' wicked at the lassie Skeldrin bein' ta'en oot o' his teeth.Ags. 1858 People's Journal (27 March) 2:
Effie, puir bodie, was sae confoonditly wicked at me for burnin' her rock.Abd. 1891 T. Mair Arn and His Wife 28:
Something had gane wrang Wi' the gweedwife — sae wicketly Their daily breid she flang.Fif. 1898 S. Tytler Mrs Carmichael's Goddesses ii.:
Who would be wickeder than you if anyone dared to say our mother is not as fine a lady?Bnff. 1918 J. Mitchell Bydand 10:
Jock's a wicket, wittrous wratch that aye cud stan his grun'.
