Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1824, 1887-1923, 1983-2003
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ALICREESH, ALLACREESH, n. Liquorice (the medicine or the sweetmeat). (Also: alicrees(e), alicris, alleycriesh, allycreesh, alicreish, etc.) [′ɑlɪ′kriʃ, -′kris]Sc. 1983 John McDonald in Joy Hendry Chapman 37 45:
oot frae a hole in the waa
bleck as alicreish.Edb. 2003:
Ah still like alicreesh.Cld., s.Sc. 1887 Jam.6:
Alicreesh, alicrees, alicris. Licorice, Spanish licorice. This was the common name for it as late as the beginning of this century. It is now called black-sugar, sugar-ali, and sometimes licry.Dmb. c.1900 per Lnk.3:
Alicreese.Ayr., Edb. 1905 D. M. R. in E.D.D. Suppl.:
[Alleycriesh.] Also known as Sugar-alley. We used to shake it in a bottle of water to make a beverage known as alleycriesh-water.sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
allycreesh liquorice.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 11:
Alicreesh — Spanish licorice . . . This singular term I have given for it . . . used by the greater part of the natives of Scotland.Gall.(D) 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 144:
His excellent medicines . . . Joost a wheen saip-sapples an alicreesh water, wudna cure the kitlin!central Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 41:
Allacreesh. Liquorice.
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"Alicreesh n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/alicreesh>
