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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

WORM, n., v. Also worum (Abd. 1879 G. MacDonald Sir Gibbie xxiii.), wirm (Ags. 1855 “Robin” Rimes 28; Sh. 1898 “Junda” Klingrahool 9; Abd. 1959 People's Jnl. (19 Sept.); Sh. 1974); wurrum.  Sc. forms and usages. [wʌr(ə)m; chiefly Sh. wɪrm]

I. n.

Sc. forms of Eng. worm.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web v:
Scots, Gaelic, Inglis: three leids. Takk ae wird - a birdie wird: the mavis. Noo, doon on the page, the v luiks like the birdie's beak. The m is the wings, booed in flicht, an the s is the marra o the wirm that the mavis etts fur brakkfast.m.Sc. 1998 Mavis Beckett in Neil R. MacCallum Lallans 51 38:
Wurrums! Whit wurrums? She had powheids an bandies but she'd niver keepit wurrums.

Sc. usages:

1. In various senses as in Eng. Sc. combs.: (1) worm-eaten, fig., discontented, habitually dissatisfied and grumbling (Abd. 1928; Ork. 1974); (2) worm-month, the month of July, or late July and early August (Per. 1825 Jam.; Uls. c.1840 W. Lutton Montiaghisms (1924), 1953 Traynor), when caterpillars, etc., are most numerous. Cf. Dan. ormemaaned, id.; (3) worm web(b), -wab, a spider's web, a cobweb (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Also transf. of flimsy clothing.(2) Per. a.1800 J. Ramsay Scot. & Scotsmen (1888) II. 279:
The worm month, that is, from the 26th of July to the 26th of August, New Style — to which the Highlanders look so much.(3) Gsw. 1744 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1911) 179:
In the metropolitan church the glass and lead so chattered and broke that they will not allow a brush to sweep off the worm webbs.Wgt. 1819 Edb. Ev. Courant (1 July):
Made into clothing far afore the twittery worm-wabs made now a days.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xxi.:
Your Leddyship's character's no a gauze gown or a worm web.Slk. 1835 Hogg Tales (1874) 535:
My bed-clothes consisted of a single covering not thicker than a worm-web.

2. Transf. of a human being but less contemptuously than in Eng., rather indicating commiseration or good-natured banter (Sh., Ags. 1974). Obs. in this sense in Eng.Sh. 1886 J. Burgess Sketches 33, 69:
He was, as Erty said to Tammy, “a faerce-lookin' wirm” . . . Tammy sed, “Aandrew, puir wirm, doo'll be kind o' worn oot.”

3. Toothache (Lth. 1825 Jam.: ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore 47; Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 94; Abd. 1928; Ork. 1974). Phrs. worm i' the cheek, id.; †wormy lines, see 1854 quot.Gsw. 1775 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. (1874) 206:
The scaw, the kinkhost, the branks and the worm.Ork. 1854 N. & Q. (1st Ser.) x. 221:
Toothache is by the country people called “The worm”, from a notion they have that this painful affection is caused by a worm in the tooth or jawbone. For the cure of this disease, the following charm, called “wormy lines”, is written on a slip of paper.Bnff. 1906 Banffshire Jnl. (3 July) 3:
Tho' sometimes when they took the worm, 'Twad maybe gar them sprawl an' squirm.Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Drunk Man 24:
Man's a fiky bairn Wi' bellythraw, ripples, and worm-i'-the-cheek!

4. (1) Colic; acidity in the stomach, heartburn (Mry. 1880 Jam.).Slk. 1847 W. Crozier Cottage Muse 68:
It instantly the worm wad kill, And ease ane's guts.

(2) The gnawings of hunger, only in comb. hungry worm (Sc. 1825 Jam.). See Hungry, 1.(6).

5. The raised inner rim on a horse-collar, on which the Haims press (Bnff., Abd. 1951).

II. v. 1. Fig. in ppl.adj. ‡wirmit, as a gen. pejorative; wretched, miserable (Sh. 1974). Cf. I.Sh. 1906 T. P. Ollason Spindrift 46:
Ae wirmit ting cam' pluckin' i' ta da tail o' my jacket wi' a taer 'at wis terrible.

2. In vbl.n. wirmin, a gnawing pain (Sh. 1974). Cf. 3.(1).Sh. 1886 J. Burgess Sketches 28:
If he has ony kind o' wirmin aboot da hert ava he'll be shuir ta be comin' ower as muckle as he can.

†3. In taboo usage: to break (Sh. 1814 Irvine MSS.).