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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

BASH, n.¹ and v.¹ Verb chiefly northern and noun Sc. according to N.E.D. The Concise Eng. Dict. and the Un. Eng. Dict. give only the v. meaning “to strike heavily.” Note the following Sc. usages. [bɑʃ]

1. n.

(1) A heavy blow, gen. with a smashing effect. Gen.Sc.Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 241:
He said it was a bash on the heid o' nae common kind.

(2) A dint in something soft or compressible.Wgt. 1880 G. Fraser Lowland Lore 100:
Wi' a real jaunty bash in his hat.

2. v., tr. and intr.

(1) To beat, dash about, smash, gen. with prep. following. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1851 G. Outram Lyrics, Legal, etc. (1874) 78:
On pay-nights he'll come hame as white as a clout, Wi' his hat a' bashed in, an' his pouch inside out.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems (1816) 125:
Fir'd wi' indignance I turn'd round, And bash'd wi' mony a fung The Pack, that day.Gsw. 1898 D. Willox Poems and Sketches 181:
He wasna ane tae cheat an' wrang, Tae glunch an' gloom, tae bash an' bang.w.Dmf. 1915 J. L. Waugh Betty Grier xi.:
That's Milligan the postman, an' as sure as my name's Betty Grier he'll bash through that door some day.

(2) With “up.” (See quot.)†Lth. 1818 Jam.¹:
To Bash up, to bow or bend the point of an iron instrument inwards. [(2) is not known to our correspondents.]

3. Phrase: on the bash, having a drinking bout.m.Sc. 1919 J. Buchan Mr Standfast viii.:
Ye ken what a man's like when he's been on the bash.Rxb. 1924 Kelso Chron. (12 Sept.) 2/8:
The village tailor . . . had an unfortunate weakness for getting terribly “on the bash” perhaps twice a year.

4. Comb.: bash hat, a soft hat. See Basher, n.²Sh. 1901 T. P. Ollason Mareel 25 (E.D.D. Suppl.):
His waekness fir bash hats an' crimp büts wis terrible.