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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.

BAUDRONS, BAWDRONS, BAUDRINS, BADRANS, Badrins, Badrons, Bauthrons, Bauldrins, n. An affectionate name for a cat. In some districts, e.g. Banff, the term, like Eng. puss, is applied to the hare as well. Gen.Sc. [′bɑ(:)d(ð)rənz, ′bǫ:d(ð)ronz. See P.L.D. §§ 85, 93.]Ork. 1854 D. Vedder Poems (1878) 187:
And baudrons, on the ingle rug, Will blithely churm at “auld gray thrums.”ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore of N.E. Scot. 126:
Ding dong, ding dong, Fah's this it's dead? It's puir pussy bauthrons O' a sehr hehd.Abd.(D) 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 9:
A low peat fire, where bauldrins span her thrums.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 18:
I've hard fiddle tunes sae rare
An sweet they'd thowe a hert o steen
An fire the caalest bleed, bit neen
Wi yours, my bawdrons, can compare. Abd. 1995 Sheena Blackhall Lament for the Raj 6:
Aneth ma windae, the meen on the reef,
The bawdrons' silhouettes
And their Chinee tunes. Ags. 1815 W. Gardiner Poems and Songs, chiefly in the Sc. Dial. 42:
Wasna badrons sly an' cunnin'? Would you term it instinct that?Dundee 1991 W. N. Herbert in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 179:
thi scurry whelps an baudrins that'll pit
a paaprint til 'iz celsitude. Per. 1816 J. Duff Poems 10:
Bounce lap Badrans frae her hidin', Claught up Robin an' awa'.Slg. 1927 N. Dundas Castle Adamant 53:
It reminded her of “bawdrons stepping among the broken bottles on a wa'.”Fif. 1841 C. Gray Lays and Lyrics 237:
Nae baudrons croon'd before the hearth, Nae dog without the door stood barkin'.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Sc. Poems (1925) 40:
Round him will badrins and the colly come, To wag their tail.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems and Epistles 43:
That owre a branch, ty'd in a string He saw, wi' joy, auld Badrans hing.Lnk. 1775 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 68:
Badrons came flying to that quarter, to repulse him with her claws.Ayr. 1833 Galt in Fraser's Mag. VIII. 656/2:
The glaiket baudrons chanced to see the seal of her father's watch glittering. [Baudrons here applied to a little girl.]Gall.(D) 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 246:
She . . . keepit a familiar speerit in the shape o' a muckle black baudrons, yt ey sat cockit up on her meal-airk.Rxb. 1821 A. Scott Poems 121:
Down sat she owre the spunk to cry, Her leefu' lane, Except poor baudrons croonin nigh, To soothe her maen.