Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
CRANK, Krank, adj.2 Found also in Eng. dial.
†1. “Crooked, distorted, as crank-handed, a crank hand” (Abd., Mearns 1825 Jam.2).
2. Infirm, weak (Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry, Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); sick (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.; 1908 Jak. (1928), krank; 1914 Angus Gl., krank).
3. Loose, shaky (of machinery).Dmf. 1831 T. Carlyle Sartor Res. (1864) I. iii.:
The machinery of laughter took some time to get in motion, and seemed crank and slack.
†4. Hard, difficult to understand (Abd., Mearns, Rxb. 1825 Jam.2; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., obs.); curious, odd.Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems, Gl.:
A crank job, a work attended with difficulty, or requiring ingenuity in the execution.Ags.(D) 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) i.:
If there's a crank wey o' doin' onything Sandy will find it oot.Edb. 1812 P. Forbes Poems 142:
Learnt some crank words o' the Swede, Dutch or Russian.
5. Mentally unbalanced, eccentric. Cf. U.S. and Eng. crank, an eccentric person.Lnk. 1887 A. Wardrop Mid-Cauther Fair, etc. 148:
I dinna blame the fule — a' fules are crank.
6. Incontinently eager, foolishly bent (on).Lnk. 1902 A. Wardrop Hamely Sk. 88:
[Mrs Carlyle was] writin' tae a thochtless lassie crank on gettin' married.
