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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.

CAMSHEUGH, CAMSHACH, CAMSHUCH, Cam(p)sho, Camscho, Camshoh, adj. Also camseach, camschol, camseugh; ¶capshich. [′kɑmʃux, -ʃʌx, -ʃəx, ′kɑm(p)ʃo]

†1. Crooked, distorted, deformed; stern.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems II. 70:
Sae with Consent away they trudge, And laid the Cheese before a Judge: A Monkey with a campsho Face, Clerk to a Justice of the Peace.Abd. 1710 T. Ruddiman (ed.) Aeneid (transl. Gavin Douglas) Gloss.:
Camscho or camschol beik . . . applied to a stern, grim, or distorted countenance.Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems and Songs 29:
Auld, swirlon, slaethorn, camsheugh, crooked Wight, Gae wa', an' ne'er again come in my sight.Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poems II. 80:
And dapplin' on his camseach chin His thristly honours grew.

2. fig. Surly, ill-tempered, perverse (Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. Ork. Par. (1922) 150, camsho; Ags. 1808 Jam.); unlucky.Bnff. 1846 Bnffsh. Jnl. (6 Jan.):
Tho' waes me for corrupt auld Nature She's sic a camshoh wayward creature.Bnff.² 1938:
Naebody liket Sanners; he wiz an ill-tonguet, faut-fin'in' camshach mannie.Abd.(D) 1788 J. Skinner Christmass Bawing xxi. in Caled. Mag. 502:
The Taylor Hutchin he was there, A curst illtrickit spark, Saw Pate had caught a camshuch care, At this unsonsy wark.Abd. 1837 J. Leslie Willie & Meggie 30:
The fecht wis atween Willie Sharp an' Sannie M'kay-twa gey capshich billies i' their time.Abd.² 1938:
The laird's been thrawit, I doot, the day for he's in an awfu' camshach, cankert meed.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 26:
My passion's aiblins
camsheugh lust, some glaikit need
for martyr's thongs, the scourge o scorn.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 71:
Roun' wi' the Btue, an' roar an' sing, For camsheugh aul' F—s is dead.Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 16:
Awa ilka camseugh and hard-hearted loon.