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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.

BRIZZ, BRIZ, BRIZE, BREEZE, BRISS, Breise, Brise, v. and n. Also bris, brieze and freq. form brizel. See also Birse, n.² and v.² [brɪz, brɪs, brəiz m.Sc., but Lnk., s.Sc. + bri:z]

I. v.

1. tr.

(1) “To bruise or hurt by pressure, etc.” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., breeze). Known to Fif.¹⁰ 1936, brizz, Lnk.³ 1935, breeze. Also ppl.adj. brizz'd.Sc. 1802–1803 J. Jamieson in Minstr. Sc. Border (ed. Scott) III. 360:
And mony a chiell has heard me squeal For sair-brizz'd back and banes.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 216:
I'm a brizel'd atween the feet.Slk. 1818 Hogg Brownie of Bodsbeck I. iii.:
There was ane o' them a doctor blade, wha soon set the poor chield's arm; and he said that after a' it wasna broken but only dislockit and sair brizzed.

(2) “To press, squeeze, crush” (Fif.¹⁰ 1936; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., brizz). Hence brizzer, one of the bars of wood in a cheese-press which, when tightened, exert the pressure (Abd. 1960). Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shepherd Act I. Sc. i. in Poems (1728):
'Till, bris'd beneath the Burden, thou cry Dool, And awn that ane may fret that is nae Fool.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin (1868) xxiii.:
The rough handlin' o' the warld will be able to brize the corrupt humour oot o' his rotten heart.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) x.:
Out he stretched his arms against the wall, and brizzed his back against the door like mad.Bwk. 1997:
Brizz - to strain against constipation.Kcb. 1911 G. M. Gordon Auld Clay Biggin', etc. (1913) 43; Kcb.⁹ 1935:
She fair grat when Rab McCollup breiset a man eater (a lizard, she ca'ed it) wi' the heel o' his bute.Rxb. 1805 A. Scott Poems (1808) 111:
Fast brizzing down the eyelids o' the day.

2. intr. To press forward.Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Doun i' th' Loudons, etc. 184:
Syne throo the Buffet croud did brise, As gyte he'd gane!Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake, etc. 164:
Thro' drodum-skelpin' scaur an' waur, Be aye brizzing yont.

3. To make (a slide), by beating and stamping snow until it is hard and smooth. Ags. 1887 A. D. Willock Rosetty Ends 73:
A slide was speedily briezed up.

II. n.

1. A bruise or contusion (Lnk.³, Kcb.⁹ 1935, breeze).Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 15:
Nocht ailed ma cluits . . . naether brizz, Bate, nor blusht-bit ti . . . gar iz . . . turn lameter.

2. A push; force, pressure (Fif.¹⁰ 1936); “a blow, stroke” (Rxb. 1825 Jam.², s.v. win). Also fig.Fif. 1992 Simon Taylor Mortimer's Deep 252:
'The port side, ye tink, the side the bris is on!' and he gave the lad a vicious kick on the left side.Rxb. 1805 A. Scott Poems (1808) 14:
Oh! would'st thou bide the briss o' time.

3. A move, a hurry.wm.Sc. 1927 J. Corrie Shillin'-a-week-Man in Scots Mag. (July) 242:
It's time I was gettin' a briz on or he'll be here afore I get oot.