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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.

DENNER, Dener, Dennar, n. and v. Sc. forms of Eng. dinner. See P.L.D. § 58.1. The Eng. form is illustrated where the usage is Sc. [′dɛnər, ′denər Sc., but Bwk. ′danər]

1. n. As in Eng. Gen.Sc.Sc. 2004 Press and Journal 19 Jul 14:
I hid been recommendit tae try a denner at the sma hotel oot ere an we waurna tae be disappintit.ne.Sc. 1991 Ken Morrice in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 60:
My man's denner's
still tae mak. But dearie me, I maun be
gaun gyte! Inv. 1761 A. Ross Freemasonry in Inv. (1877) 61:
Each absent member, especially on St John's Day, shall pay one shilling sterling for and toward payment of the dener alwise prepared of that day for the Brethren.Abd. 1887 W. Carnie Waifs (1890) 27:
His wife, wi' dress and denner-gien, ootran a' common bouns.Edb. 1893 W. G. Stevenson Wee Johnnie Paterson 62:
“Ye canna gang on Monday,” he said; “that's the nicht o' the curlin' denner.”Kcb. 1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders xxii.:
It's chappin' twal, an' the denner's ready.

Combs.: (1) denner piece, dinner-, food prepared and carried to be eaten later as dinner; (2) dinner-school, the place where school lunches are served (Gsw. 2000s); (3) denner-time, lunchtime; (4) little dennar (see quot.); dennar here is used in its original etym. sense of breakfast: cf. Fr. (petit) déjeuner.(1) Abd. 1920 G. P. Dunbar Peat Reek 25:
While his mither in a hankie Neatly row't his denner piece.Abd. 2000 Sheena Blackhall The Singing Bird 45:
Frae howff an office, wirkers takk their ease,
Ettin their denner piece neth kirkyaird trees.Kcb. 1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders xxiii.:
Lat Marion come oot ower the hills wi' my dinner-piece in a napkin.(2) m.Sc. 1994 Mary McCabe Everwinding Times 126:
She now looked forward excitedly to lunchtime, for Barry also attended dinner-school.Gsw. 1987 James Kelman Greyhound for Breakfast (1988) 153:
... I wish maw still came home for dinner.
His da said nothing.
She used to make soup and that.
Gary! I've told you umpteen times, you can go to the bloody dinner-school whenever you like.
I don't want to go to the dinner-school.Gsw. 1998 Alan Spence Way to Go (1999) 21:
In the dinner school next day it was the usual rammy. I took my tray to a table in the far corner, out of the way.(3)em.Sc. 1988 James Robertson in Joy Hendry Chapman 52 71:
... in the days whan Auld Reikie wis Auld Reikie, ye cud aye tell frae our house whan it wis denner-time bi the lum-reik that stertit up in thon muckle toun.(4) Rxb. 1825 Jam.²:
When people rise earlier in the morning than usual, and take a repast before the usual time of breakfast, the food thus taken is called the little dennar.

2. v.

(1) intr. To dine (Bnff.², Abd.², Abd.⁹ 1940). Obs. in St.Eng. since early 19th cent., but still in use in Cum. dial. Vbl.n. dennerin'.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xl.:
Ay, an' dennerin' an' ae thing or ither.Per. 1879 P. R. Drummond Bygone Days 201:
If ye dinner at the “Brown Coo” every Sabbath ye gang to Perth, the cost will o'ergang the profit.Bwk. 1947 W. L. Ferguson Makar's Medley 59:
We denner't i' the bodie's parlour And beddit nichtly i' the laft.Lnk. 1919 G. Rae Clyde and Tweed 110:
On stookit corn the craws are dennerin' there, An' crawin', crawin'.Ayr. 1786 Burns Lines on Ld. Daer (Cent. ed.) i.:
Sae far I sprachl'd up the brae I dinner'd wi' a Lord.

(2) tr. To dine, to supply with dinner (Abd.²⁷ 1948; Fif.¹⁰ 1940).Sc. 1822 Blackwood's Mag. XI. 481:
Hogg would have been dinnered to his death.Sc. 1823 Scots Mag. (June) 682:
Ye may be sure sic gentry were na dinnered upo' deaf nits; an' the wine skinking about like dub water.Bnff.² 1940:
I hid to denner nae less than twenty folk at the stem-mull.