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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCOURIE, adj., n. Also scoury, scoory, scowrie, -y. [′skuri, ′skʌuri]

I. adj. 1. Scruffy, disreputable or nasty in appearance, broken-down, unprepossessing, of persons (Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. Gl., 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 160; Slg., Ayr. 1969).Lnk. a.1832 W. Watt Poems (1860) 184:
To a puir scowrie loun like the painter.Dmf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 154:
A “scoory-looking blade”, a broken-down looking tramp whose face creates sinister suggestions.Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables 5:
What a ragged regiment o' scowrie-leukin tinklers.

2. Of clothes: shabby, worn, threadbare (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Hence scouriness, n., shabbiness in dress.Sc. 1812 The Scotchman 58:
Twa chaps wi scourie black coats on.Sc. 1814 C. I. Johnstone Saxon and Gael III. v.:
Castin' up our poortith, an' your scouriness.Dmb. 1846 W. Cross Disruption xxix,:
What care I for toil, or a bare, scoury coat?Wgt. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 318:
I wha stan' here in this bare scoory coat.

3. Of ground: having a dry, parched or wasted appearance, barren (s.Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poet. Gl.; Sc. 1808 Jam.); of a sea-bed: over-fished, yielding poor catches (Sh. 1969).

4. Of character: mean, ungenerous, shabby, niggardly (wm.Sc. 1808 Jam.); also as an epithet of more gen. scorn or disapprobation.Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 91:
To think on Fortune's scourie gait, Frae ony poor tyke in a strait, Her een to steek.Dmf. 1825 Jam., s.v. Unsell:
Scoury unsell is a contemptuous designation applied to a child, by one who is in bad humour.

II. n. 1. A scruffy, disreputable-looking person, a blackguard, rascally fellow (Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. Gl.; Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 693, 1904 E.D.D.).Slg. 1788 R. Galloway Poems 208:
For a' his grace, and honest face, Fox thought him but a scowrie.Slg. 1804 G. Galloway Luncarty 57:
Some vile thing tripp'd her o'er, the scolding scowrie.

2. A drudge, an odd-job man.Sc. 1741 Scots Mag. (Nov. 1817) 336:
The gardener was kept there for a scoury to dress the garden and the trees.

3. ? A worn obliterated coin, one that has had the inscription worn away. The definition is uncertain and the word may not belong here.Ayr. 1852 M. Lochhead Poems 118:
To disburse One scourie from my scanty purse.