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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

SNASH, v., n., adj., adv. Also snesh, snas-, snosh. [snɑʃ]

I. v. 1. intr. To snap, bite (Ork. 1970, of a dog). Also in Eng. dial.Lnk. 1856 “Young Glasgow” Deil's Hallowe'en 29:
Ilk devil, dippin' in his headie, Snashed at the apples unco greedy.Fif. 1883 W. D. Latto Bodkin Papers 41:
A double raw o' teeth that blinkit fire when they snashed forgainst ane anither.

2. tr. To insult, to speak impertinently to, to sneer at (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Also absol. Vbl.n. snashing, abuse, insolence. Deriv. ¶sneshter, to be impertinent or cheeky.Per. 1802 S. Kerr Poems 57:
Sair he dreads the snashin factor's scorn.Slg. 1818 W. Muir Poems 25:
An' wae worth them, wha, jeering snash, An' ca' me tentless, fretfu' hash.Ags. 1822 A. Balfour Farmers' Three Daughters II. 182, III. 208:
Muckle snashing has she tholed about her. . . . It's o'er late now to snash me about the way I've brought up my bairn.Sc. 1924 J. Innes Till a' the Seas xix.:
“Well, Dominie,” he cried over the hedge, as if I was a grieve and him the laird. The sneshtering whelp!Lnk. 1925 Bellshill Speaker (6 Oct.):
When you're deid an' burnin' An' smother't wi' reek I'll think o' yer snashin' When help I did seek.Lnk. 1925 Stirling Observer (29 Sept.):
If yin o' them daur snash or girn, their lugs I gie a cloot.

II. n. Abuse, harsh words, insulting remarks, impudence (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 429; Uls. c.1840 W. Lutton Montiaghisms (1924); Ayr. 1923 Wilson D. Burns 186; Dmf. 1925 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 39, snosh; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen. (exc.I.) Sc. Also in n.Eng. dial.Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 95–6:
Poor tenant bodies, scant o' cash, How they maun thole a factor's snash.Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 277:
I'll tak nane o your snash.Uls. 1884 Lays (Cruck-a-Leaghan & Slieve Gallion) 40:
Some laugh'd, as but the careless can, At witless snesh.Fif. 1894 A. S. Robertson Provost 51:
I got naething but snash for my pains.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss-Hags xl.:
I hadna been learned at the Balmaghie to thole snash frae onybody.Ags. 1901 W. J. Milne Reminisc. 293:
Cloot threatened an' scoldit wi' muckle deil's snash.Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 83:
The guff that cam up fae that birstlin trash My gab did close an' cut aff my snash.Gsw. 1951 H. W. Pryde M. McFlannel's Romance 10:
We're no' wantin' ony o' yer snash.Gsw. 1992 Jeff Torrington Swing Hammer Swing! (1993) 75:
I've some cheek coming that snash. Pain is no joke - especially birth pain. The very thought of giving birth makes my eyeballs sweat. Sc. 1994 Herald 4 May 13:
She teaches deaf children and doesn't take any self-pitying snash from him when he comes in from another hard day at the office, dear. Sc. 1996 Scotsman 28 Oct 16:
... having survived their own daughter's teenage years, they know the nature of the beast. In otherwords, they will stand no snash. Sc. 1997 Sunday Mail 4 May 76:
They're also both very wealthy men already. They don't need the snash they'd be sure to encounter. Sc. 2004 Sunday Herald 13 Jun 1:
"Don't take any snash." It sums up Scotland's new cultural commissar: James Boyle doesn't take any snash.

Comb. and deriv.: 1. snash-gab, (1) petulant, insolent talk (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Lth., Rxb. 1970); (2) a chatterer, a prattling, forward youngster (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Cf. gab-(s)nash, s.v. Gab, n.¹, 4., and nash-gab, s.v. Nash; 2. snastry, low chat (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 429). (1)Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 13:
Ay, and sae it micht be
wi mysel, and my foot'rin phraisie style:
snashgab, nocht mair, a silly dashelt screed, ...

†III. adj. Pert, saucy (Sc. 1808 Jam.).

†IV. adv. Snappishly, pertly.Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 189:
The tither says I'll hae't, and that right snash.