Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
RAGABASH, n., adj. Also ragabasch, ragabrash; ragabus, rag-a-buss, ragabush, ¶-bast.
I. n. 1. A good-for-nothing, a ragamuffin (Bwk., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 351). Also in n.Eng. dial. Now only dial. in Eng.Slk. 1718 T. Craig-Brown History Slk. (1886) I. 439:
He was nothing but a liar and a reprobate, and a Jacobite villain and knave, and . . . a ragabast [sic].Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 4:
ah'm mentul
pure radge
a richt ramstoorie ragabasch
2. Used coll.: a ragged, motley crew, riff-raff (Ayr. 1967).Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 267:
The ragabash were ordered back, And then began the hubble.Ayr. 1870 J. Hunter Life Studies 41:
He was gaun to the ither warl' wi sae mony rag-a-brash that he was ashamed o'.Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 108:
The Saxons wus naither gude, gran', nor noble, but wus joost a set o' mean, greedy, cruel, deceitfu ragabrash, no half as gude as ordinary savages.
II. adj. Rough, uncouth, beggarly (Rxb. 1825 Jam.); good-for-nothing (Slk. 1825 Jam.).Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck xv.:
However, I came something to mysel again, an' Davie he thought proper to ascribe it a' to his bit ragabash prayer.Sc. 1829 Blackwood's Mag. (June) 802:
The ragabash rascals, who sham being ministers.
