Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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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.
RAM-STAM, adj., adv., n., v. Also ram-tam esp. in n., 3.; and erron. ram-jam, in n., 3.
I. adj. Headstrong, precipitate, devil-may-care, rash, heedless, unrestrained (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Dmf. 1925 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. XIII. 35; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai). Gen.Sc.Ayr. 1786 Burns To J. Smith xxviii.:
The hairum-scairum, ram-stam boys, The rattling squad.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. xii.:
But I scamper along rather in the “ram stam” manner.Sc. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods 160:
I' the ram-stam, harum-scarum raw.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (21 May):
He's that ram-stam whin he gangs ta dü onything.Kcb. 1899 Crockett Black Douglas xxi.:
A great ram-stam, unbiddable, unhallowed deevil he is.Abd. 1934 M. Watt Visitors at Birkenbrae 12:
John's that ram-stam he wad be sure tae come oot wi' something.
Deriv. ramstamphish, rough and ready, unrefined, unceremonious (‡Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck xvi.:
In a ramstamphish hamely kind o' way.Sc. 1821 Scots Mag. (April) 351:
Thae ramstamphish prickmadainties brag and blaw sae muckle anent themsells.
II. adv. In a headlong, precipitate manner, rashly, rudely, in confusion (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 140). Gen.Sc.Edb. 1735 W. Mitchell Letter to Sir J. de Graham 22:
He ran down Moubray's Closs . . . ram tam into the Nore Loch.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
To come on ram-stam, to advance without regard to the course one takes, or to any object in the way.Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy xxviii.:
The least we'll get, if we gang ram-stam in on them, will be a broken head.Sc. 1887 Stevenson Merry Men ii.:
She but to have come in ram-stam an' stern forrit.Kcb. 1897 A. J. Armstrong R. Rankine 18:
Ae thocht rumlin' ram-stam ower the ither.Uls.
a.1908
Traynor (1953):
Of a runaway horse: he went along ram-stam.Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 54:
I left my gless a meenit, ran ram-stam.Per.4 1950:
He tore at it ramstam as if his life depended on it.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web iv:
... ma faither niver dauchled, at the stert o a political or releegious argy-bargy, tae cheenge intae Inglis, the "cerebral language", bit gaed ram-stam inno the fray wi a fleerich o Scots that cairriet aa forrit like a linn in spate. The "Scots Anti-syzygy" passed him ower. Ayr. 1999:
I had a tendency to go "ramstam" and "breenge" at things.
III. n. 1. A headstrong, impetuous fellow, a hotheaded passionate person. Deriv. ramtamlat [ < ramtam-lart], id. (Rnf. a.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) R. 7).Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail lxxvii.:
A lad of a methodical nature, and no a hurly-burly ramstam, like yon flea-luggit thing, Jamie.
2. Headstrong, impetuous action, furious rush, precipitateness. Phr. like ram-tam, pell-mell.Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 132, 144:
Then aff in chariots like ram tam . . . The silly thing, I thought he'd kill 'er Wi' his ram tam.Uls. 1923 J. Logan Uls. in X-rays 74:
To do a thing by “ramstam” is to do it “recklessly”.
3. The strongest kind of ale, that drawn from the first mash in brewing (Cld. 1825 Jam.; Rnf. a.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) R. 5, ram-jam). Deriv. form ram-tambling, id. Cf. Yks. dial. rom-tom, id.Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 155:
The wives sit down, drink aff ram tam, The soldier's joy.Dmf. 1819 Blackwood's Mag. (Nov.) 173:
I was desirous to partake of either Ram-Jam, Mid-Row, or Pinkie, three denominations of ale, for which the landlord was become deservedly famous.Dmf. 1822 Scots Mag. (March) 361:
One bottle of Maggie Simpson's home-brew'd ramtam, was worth a dozen of such ditch-water.Slg. 1835 J. Maidment Galatians 4:
Inky Pinky about seventy or eighty years since was used by the brewers in Stirlingshire to designate the smallest kind of beer; the medium was termed Middle-moy; and the best or strongest Ram-Tambling.
IV. v. To rush or blunder about in a headlong, impetuous manner (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 140; Lth. 1880 Jam.). Gen.(exc. I.)Sc. Also freq. form in ppl.adj. ramstamran, headlong, blundering.Per. 1816 J. Duff Poems 73:
'Twas nae ramstam'ran jade like mine, Cou'd gar thy verses clink sae fine.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 140:
Tak care; faht are ye ram-stammin' at?Uls. 1866 H. McD. Flecher Poems 69:
In I ram-stamm'd in a terrible passion.wm.Sc. 1888 Anon. Archie Macnab 20:
For instance, I hae seen me comin' into the hoose lettin' on I wis fu'. I wid stagger about, ram-stammin' ower stuils, chairs, tables, an' everything that cam' in my road.Gsw. 1910 H. Maclaine My Frien' 48:
They go ram stammin' aboot wi' the door keys jinglin' in their pouches.Fif. 1931 J. Ressich Thir Braw Days. 54:
Then we sees the seendykit ramstam up, heided by Big Jock.em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 9:
The richteous deid step oot yince mair;
Their sowels frae glory ramstam doun
Tae meet them at the gantin lair.
