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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

†CUNZIE, Cuinyie, Queinzie, n. and v. Also coinzie. [′kyni, ′kynzi (E.E.P. V. 724)]

1. n. Coin, money.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems II. 37:
What gars thee look sae big and bluff? Is't an attending Menzie? . . . Or Heaps of glancing Cunzie?Bnff. 1862 R. Sim Leg. Strathisla 52: 
She'll never count kin nor coinzie wi' me nor mine, for a' her braws.Abd. 1851 T. Treales in Bnffsh. Jnl. (2 Dec.):
Hast thou devis'd the dearth o' bread, Or ill-got cuinyie hast thou hid?Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 80:
The chiels that rush the diggin's, For diamonds, gowd, an' a', May no bag a' the cunzie, Yet pooch a chunk or twa.Peb. 1793 Carlop Green (ed. R. D. C. Brown 1832) ii. 10:
The lang-chinned blinker's auldest son, That gear and cunzie hugs.Gsw. 1715 Records Burgh Gsw. (ed. Marwick 1908) 572:
To 24 peice queinzies.

Phr.: to cleik the cunȝie, see Cleek, v.¹, 8.

2. v. Found only in pa.p. and ppl.adj. cunzied, (1) coined; (2) moneyed. Also found in Eng. (n.Cy.) dial. (E.D.D.).(1) Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 74:
Now night, that's cunzied chief for fun, Is wi' her usual rites begun.(2) Ib. 83:
Shall Man, a niggard near-gawn elf! . . . Learn ilka cunzied scoundrel's trick.