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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BRIG, BRIGG, Breeg, n.¹, v.¹ Gen.Sc. forms of Eng. bridge. The forms brig and brigg are found also in n.Mid.Eng. dial. Dim. briggie. [brɪg, brɪ̢g Sc.; brig Cai.]

1. n.

(1) Sc. forms. Also fig.Sc. 1737 Ramsay Proverbs 2:
Ae good turn may meet anither, if it were at the Brigg of London.Cai. 1930 John o' Groat Jnl. (21 Feb.) 2/2:
Far'e Brodhaven burn, wi' fru'th an' glike Teems ower 'e bools an' gress eblow 'e breeg.ne.Sc. 1979 Alastair Mackie in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 64:
The jet's brig o ice-blue reek in the blue.Abd. 1851 W. Anderson Rhymes, etc. 72:
Frae Powis' wee briggie he ance threw a steen An' it struck on the townhouse o' Auld Aberdeen.em.Sc. 1988 James Robertson in Joy Hendry Chapman 52 70:
An sae they sat, luikin out on the swaws, an ahint them the twa brigs, an the muckle black ile-tankers that soomed back an forrit i the jow o the sea, ... Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) xi.:
Replacing his glasses on the brig of his nose, he then read us a screed of metre. Proverbial saying (see quot.).Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
Røs de b[rigg] at bears dee ower, praise the bridge you safely cross (proverbial phrase: praise nothing before it has been well tried).

(2) A reef, a long low ridge of sea-rocks. Common in place-names in the East Coast, as Fidra Briggs, Balcomie Briggs, Cairnbulg Briggs. Also in n.Eng. dial. Abd. 1901 J. B. Pratt Buchan (Anderson) 199:
Keep Mormond Hill a handspike high, And Rattray Brigs you'll not come nigh.Fif. 1884 G. Bruce Reminisc. 421:
How he got on the Carr brigs on Saturday morning is not known. Lth. 1899 J. Dickson Emeralds 99:
A reef of rocks, named the Briggs, visible only at low ebbs.

(3) The with or division between flues in a chimney, freq. in pl. (Sc. 1952 Builder (20 June) 942; Ork., Mry., Ags., Fif., Rxb. 1975). Also brig-stanes, id. Fif. 1863 St Andrews Gaz. (10 Oct.):
It turned out that his neighbour's vent was on fire also, and that there were broken brig stones between them.

(4) A large flat stone, a flagstone, such as might be used for (3) or to cover a ditch or other opening. See Brig-stane. Edb. 1740 Caled. Mercury (11 Feb.):
At Wrightshouses Quarry may be had large well bedded Wall-stones, Brigs and Flags, smooth and strong of all Sizes.

(5) Of a cart-saddle: the wooden top on which the metal groove for the back-chain rests (Fif. 1957).

Phrs.: (1) brig and nail, "a fitting for connecting a sink grating to a lead trap, consisting of a bar of brass [brig] and a rod [nail] by which the trap could be raised or lowered" (Sc. 1972 J. Hastings Plumber's Companion 46); (2) brig on a hair, brig o' ae hair, “a very narrow bridge” (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.²; Abd. 1879 Jam.⁵).

Comb.: brig penny, harbour dues.Ayr. 1897 J. H. Pagan Annals Ayr 50:
The Harbour expenses were mixed up with those of the Bridge and the impost known as the “Brig Penny” was used to pay them.

2. v. To throw a bridge over a stream, etc. (Bnff.², Abd.²², Ags.¹ 1936).Lnk. 1825 Jam.²:
To brig a burn.