Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ATEN, Ate'n, pa.p. A Sc. form of eaten. [etn, ɛtn]Abd.(D) 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxi.:
Half ate'n wi' the mochs.

Phrase: aten out o' ply (used of an animal that will not fatten, however well fed). (See Ply.)Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 22:
Aten out o' Ply. — Some animals are said to be aten out o' ply when they are extremely lean in flesh, although they have been taking a great deal of food.
Kcb.1 1932:
Aten (pron. etten) oot o' ply. A person here [Bridge of Urr] who breeds pigs . . . assures me that this is the ordinary expression used all over the district to describe a beast that won't fatten, no matter how much it may be stuffed with food. She had heard it used jocularly of persons.
w.Dmf.6 1932:
Quite a common expression.

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Aten p.p.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 22 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/aten>

988

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: