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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CRUB, Crubb, Crube, Krub, n.¹, v.¹ Met. forms of Eng. curb; also found in Eng. dial. (E.D.D.). Cf. Crib, n.³, v. [krʌb]

1. n.

(1) The curb of a horse's bridle. Known to Bnff.², Abd.², Ags.¹⁷, Fif.¹⁰ 1941.Abd. 1912–19 Mintlaw Rhymes in Rymour Club Misc. II. 53:
Here's to the kame and the brush, Here's to the crub and the saddle.Ags. 1833 J. S. Sands Poems 136:
My back's your saddle, My neck and nib your crub and bridle.

†(2) The circular framework or segments of the framework enclosing, e.g. a mill-stone, a brewer's copper.Abd. 1731 Monymusk Papers (S.H.S.) 7:
An old lead with a crubb, with two old fatts.Abd. 1789 Philorth Baron Court Book MS V 86:
James Low them insisted to take back the Shillen to the crubs and put it in the Happer to be ground. ... [He] thought it proper to take his sack of shillen off the Crubs till such time as the Tails were ready to ring the mill. Ags. 1730 Arbroath Town Council Minutes (14 May):
Also ordains the nether mill to have close crubbs.

2. v. To restrain, to check (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., krub; Bnff.² 1941; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein). Vbl.n. crubbin', crubeing. With in aboot = to keep under strict discipline (Bnff.² 1941; Abd.⁴ 1929).Sc.(E) 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' the Ling 13:
Yer thirst for lair I'm laith to crub, But, for guid sake, ne'er mention grub!Bnff. 1701 in W. Cramond Annals Bnff. (1891) I. 172:
The Act anent . . . crubeing of vyce to be read att the Marcat Croce.Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings (1873) 34:
The host [cough] he crubs.Abd.²⁷ 1947:
Bairns are nae crubbit in aboot noo as they war in my young day.Ags. 1702 Dundee Kirk Session Records (2 March):
To concurre in any probable way for crubbing the forsaid Immoralities.Dmf. 1861 R. Quin Heather Lintie 41:
Or, gin thy Muse, despite thy crubbin', Maun aye wi' filth some be bedaubin'.

Comb.: crubstane, kerb-stone. Cf. cribstane, s.v. Crib, n.³, v.Ags. 1904 Arbroath Guide (24 Dec.) 3/3:
She put her foot ower near the edge o' the crubstane an' cam' doon wi' a bang on her knees.