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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SHAW, v.¹, n.¹ Also sha, shaa(w) (Sh.), †schaw (Jam.), schaa. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. show, shew. See P.L.D. § 34. [ʃɑ:, ʃǫ:]

I. v. A. Forms — Pr.t. sha(a)(w), schaw; pa.t. strong shew (Cld. 1818 Scots Mag. (Aug.) 157; s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 207; Sh. 1899 Shetland News (28 Oct.), Sh. 1970); weak shawed (Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 190; Ayr. 1790 Burns Tam o' Shanter 126; m.Lth. 1827 A. Rodger Poems 184; Abd. 1877 G. MacDonald M. of Lossie iii.; Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 8; Sh. 1970); pa.p. strong shawn (Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 49; Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 55; Dmf. 1877 R. W. Thom Poems (1883) 13; Sh. 1898 W. F. Clarke Northern Gleams 93, Sh. 1970).  Ork. 1952 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days (1984) 6:
" ... cheust tae shaw hoo muckle they think o' me, an' I wid mairry the wen whar made the best chob o't id."Dmf. 1979 Ron Butlin in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 35:
But shaw's insteid the mirror o yer saul
that yet can haud the haill warld an mair
in image o yer love fer ither men
fair ootbleezin thon electric glare.m.Sc. 1991 William Neill in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 50:
I'm tellt the auncient Celts collectit heids
lik some fowk gaither stamps,
an gin ye were thair guest wad shaw ye kists
fu o thair latest prizes.
Nou we're delivrit frae sic ugsome weys,Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 6:
an intirfaith drug ring
set up shoap
ben in oor cludgie
an the eejit that stuck the heid
on aa the mirrors in the pless
wull no schaa his fess roon heir again
in a hurry

B. Usages. 1. As in Eng. Phrs. †(1) schaw-fair, anything serving for show rather than use, a superficial ornament or display (Abd. 1825 Jam.); †(2) shewing of faces, see quot.; (3) deriv. shewer, Sc. Law: one appointed by a Court to show a jury a property on which litigation is based (see quot.).(2) Sc. 1830 W. Chambers Bk. Scotland 70:
After the elections [in the Trade Incorporations], the old and new deacons generally dine together. The new members are much interested in having a number of adherents on these occasions, and such meetings are usually termed on that account the shewing of faces.(3) Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 1027:
Six jurors are selected for the purpose, called viewers, who must be summoned by the sheriff to attend at the place in question . . . where the premises are pointed out to them by two persons, named by the Court, usually on the joint suggestion of the parties, and technically called shewers.

2. In imper.: = give, hand over (Ork., Cai. 1970). Cf. See, v., 8. Also in form shaw me see.Ork. 1931 J. Leask Peculiar People 19:
Lass, for Guidsake shaw's a had o' dat ladle till I get me supper.Ork. 1975:
Shaw me see thee knife. Shaw me see a haud o that rape.

3. Used impers. with on: it appears (Sh., Ork. 1970, sae shaws on). See Ky, v.Ork. 1952 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days (1984) 27:
"That shaws on shae his mair honesty than thee. Shae'll be mairried, no doot?"
"A weedow. Shae lost her man in the war. He wur itten be a shark."Sh. 1964 New Shetlander No. 70. 33:
We aye kent du wis a guid man, an so shaas on da dav.

4. From II. 3.: to cut off the shaws or haulms of turnips (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 270; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai). Gen. (exc. Sh.) Sc. Vbl.n. shawing. Deriv. shawer, a land-worker who does this (Dmf. 1956 Dmf. Standard (31 Oct.) 8).Rxb. 1868 Trans. Hawick Arch. Soc. 17:
The servant having been “shawing” turnips with it [a sword] in the field.Clc. 1882 J. Walker Poems 86:
And she maun shaw the frosty neeps, Though cauld the winds are blawin'.Bwk. 1900 Scottish Farmer (20 Oct.):
The women have made a start with the shawing of turnips.Ayr. 1926 Trans. Highl. Soc. XXXVIII. 113:
The average weight of 100 consecutive roots in the drill when “shawn” (topped and tailed) being 487 lb.Slk. 1956 Southern Reporter (11 Oct.) 4:
So far we have not seen, or heard of, turnip-shawing. Turnips are at all stages . . . others seem to be fully matured and ready for the shawers any time.Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 47:
The only thing that they ever taught Peggy wis how tae shaw neeps. Edb. 2004:
Shaw the tatties.

II. n. 1. (1) A mark, appearance, indication, sign (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.). Also in Eng. dial.Abd. 1883 G. MacDonald Donal Grant liii.:
Cries i' the deid o' the nicht, an' never a shaw i' the mornin' but white cheeks an' reid e'en.

(2) Specif. of sex: the scrotum of an ox.Sc. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm II. 163:
The hind [leg] at times, when the shaw or cod is large and fat, is as much and even more apart.

2. A showing, producing, offering, in phr. to gie a shaw o' gen. imper., to let (one) have, to produce for, to offer. Cf. I. 2; show of presents, also showing of presents, a display of wedding presents to guests and other friends not invited to the wedding. Also attrib.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 58:
Come, tak' a seat, an' gie's a shaw O' your snuff horn.Edb. 1989 Gordon Legge The Shoe 43:
'Kate Dunlop's having her show of presents. I said I'd pop round about nine.'Sc. 1992 Herald 7 Aug 12:
I am prepared to go through a stag night on the one hand and a show of presents on the other. And then I shall set up house with all the loot and live happily ever after.Sc. 2002 Sunday Mail 10 Mar 9:
Q. I am looking for a wedding present for a fashionable young couple. I would like a trendy tea/coffee set. I want it to be a real talking point in their new home.
A. Dallas and Dallas off John Street/ George Square, Glasgow, have a wide range of tableware. If you want to be the star at the showing of presents, this is the place to go. Sc. 2002 Scotsman 22 May 7:
In Scotland, the hen night would be held a week or so before the wedding. After a show of presents at home, the bride-to-be would be festooned with streamers and balloons and long trains of curtains, daubed with soot and flour and paraded through the streets, ...Sc. 2003 Sunday Mail 24 Aug 8:
I'm holding a show of presents party before my daughter's wedding ...

3. By extension, gen. in pl.: the haulm or foliage of certain vegetables of which the roots are eaten, the stalks and leaves of potatoes, turnips, carrots or the like, sc. what shows above ground (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Gen. (exc. Sh.) Sc. Also in form sho(w) in Sh. Used in sing. when a single root is referred to (Sc. 1808 Jam., a carrot shaw). Occas. used of other foliage, as the pods of peas (Abd.¹⁷ 1925), tops of a thistle (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 270), of hemlock (Ags. 1880 J. Watt Poet. Sk. 58). Also fig.Wgt. 1726 Session Bk. Wigtown (1934) 373:
He saw them lying together in the yard among the potatoe shaws.Sc. 1763 Session Papers, Earl of Errol v. Watson Bill of Suspension 4:
Potatoes, the shaws or stems of which were at the time lying upon the ground.Rxb. 1798 R. Douglas Agric. Rxb. 95:
Their [turnip] leaves, here called shaws are given to calves.Sc. 1805 Edb. Ev. Courant (31 Oct.):
A potatoe shaw was lately dug up which had 103 attached to it.Slk. 1813 Hogg Queen's Wake (1874) 13:
But mine was made of ane humlock-schaw.Abd. 1876 R. Dinnie Songs 54:
Mair fit to grace the tawtie shaws, An wallop there to scare the craws?Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) 62:
There was a tattie shaw stuck in the lapell o' his coat for a flooer.Sh. 1897 Shetland News (21 Aug.):
Can ye tell me da raison 'at wir best tattie rigs is a' raskit ta da sho?Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters xx.:
Young Gourlay's frostit in the shaw already.Uls. 1934 P. O'Donnell Edge of Stream xxx.:
Scattered like the young potatoes when you shake a green shaw.Sc. 1935 St Andrews Cit. (17 Aug.) 4:
Four carrots, rather undersized, grew from one shaw.Sh. 1949 P. Jamieson Letters 215:
Some yows came nosing among the withered stalks of the tattie shows.m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 25:
Blythe nou wha tholed the wintertide
its crannreuch cauld an lang.
Green, green the shaws on braw Kenside
an sweet the laverock's sang. Sc. 1988 Scotsman 21 May 6:
Early-planted potato varieties such as Epicure should now be ready for their final earthing-up. For the past month or more I've been scraping soil over individual shaws whenever frost threatened. Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 20:
The neeps were already plucked and cut free from earth and shaw, and lay in rows like dull, irregular bowls. With a greip it did not take long to fill the cart, or with sufficient to feed the cattle for a day or two.

4. The hawthorn, esp. when in full bloom (Mry. 1925).

5. Usu. the shows, a funfair.wm.Sc. 1979 Robin Jenkins Fergus Lamont 45:
The fish were in three tanks. Some were tropical, with bright colours and strange shapes. Others were ordinary goldfish, like those you could win at the shows.Gsw. 1980 Christine Marion Fraser Blue Above the Chimneys (1985) 35:
'We're all to go to the shows tomorrow,' volunteered Kirsty when we were lying in bed.Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 62:
shows A general term for any kind of funfair or carnival: 'If you're good your Granny'll take you to the shows tomorrow.'Gsw. 1987 Peter Mason C'mon Geeze Yer Patter! 24:
A'm gauny take the weans doon tae the shows. I will accompany the children to the fairground.Gsw. 1990 Ian McGinness Bannock 20:
When my father won me a goldfish at the shows and we bought a bowl for it on the way home.Edb. 1992:
It's awfy dear now at the shows.m.Sc. 1994 Mary McCabe Everwinding Times 99:
On the first of July Ailie went with six schoolmates to the shows at Glasgow Green.