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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STRIP, n.¹, v.¹

I. n. 1. A stripe, a long, thin line of colour, light, etc. Gen.Sc. Phr. the White Strip, the Milky Way, the galaxy (Nai. c.1890 Gregor MSS.); the chevron or stripe worn as a sign of rank on the sleeve of a non-commissioned soldier (Abd. 1971).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 94:
The bonniest youth that ever I had seen; Wi' yellow strips clad in a coat of green.Edb. 1843 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie xiv.:
They won't be long in having sergeant's strips on their arms.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (22 Oct.):
Da rid an' mauve strips.Sc. 1919 N.E.D.:
In some dialects of Scotland the form stripe in this sense is unknown in genuine vernacular speech; “strips” is the only word, e.g. for the stripes of a tiger or a zebra.

2. In pl.: “a sort of stockings without feet worn instead of boots by old men or those of the lower classes. Supposed to be thus denominated as being of striped texture” (Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 180). Cf v., 1.

3. A long narrow belt of trees (Rxb. 1825 Jam., Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; ne., m. and s.Sc. 1971). Cf. Stripe, n.¹, 3.Per. 1816 J. Duff Poems 115:
I cam' past the bush an' bogle strip.Peb. 1856 J. Aiton Clerical Econ. 284:
A strip of firs, mingled with hard-wood.Ags. 1887 A. D. Willock Rosetty Ends 36:
There was only a palin' an' a strip o sauchs atween her place an' oors.Ags. 1947 J. B. Salmond Toby Jug iv.:
Those “strips” peculiar to Angus, where between the fields and the highway run narrow ribbons of trees and undergrowth.

4. A young fellow, a youth, stripling (Uls. 1953 Traynor; Ork., Lnk. 1971).Sc. 1822 R. M'Chronicle Legends Scot. II. 200:
Baith wee bit strips o' laddies.Wgt. 1881 Good Words 402:
He was a fine strip of a fellow.

5. A journey or turn of harrows over a ploughed field (n.Sc., Lth., Kcb. 1971).Abd. 1960 Huntly Express (6 May):
Newly-sown corn needed but one “strip” and the seed was well covered.

II. v. 1. To mark or ornament with stripes, or parallel lines, to variegate, to rib, very freq. in ppl adj. strippit, -ed, stript, striped (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Gen.Sc. Combs.: strippit ba, a round sweet of the boiling sort, flavoured with peppermint and gen. decorated with black and white stripes. Gen.Sc.; Stripped stockings, ribbed stockings (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 164); stripped stuff, striped cloth (Sc. 1800 Monthly Mag. I. 239).Sc. 1705 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 366:
8 plum imps, 4 pear imps, and 3 sets stript Hollie.Abd. 1758 Abd. Journal (13 June):
A blue gown, with green mankie cuffs, and a stript petticoat.Edb. 1788 G. Wilson Masonic Songs 95 Note:
When journeymen shoemakers went on the ramble, they wore the best stripped worsted caps.Ayr. 1821 Galt Annals vii.:
As if it had been worked and stripped in the loom with a shuttle.Ags. 1875 Arbroath Guide (18 Dec.) 3:
Wi' strippet apron, neat and clean.Knr. 1891 H. Haliburton Ochil Idylls 102:
The ley lies bonnie to the sun, Half-broken, strippit black an' green.Edb. 1924 Glasgow Ballad Club IV. 235:
A peppermint or strippit ba'.Lnk. 1930 Hamilton Advert. (8 Feb.) 3:
The red and white strippit tie.Fif. 1939 St Andrews Cit. (18 March) 4:
Wud ye like a toffee-aipple or d'ye fancy strippit rock?Abd. 1951 Fraserburgh Herald (2 Oct.):
A stray white, brown stripped cat.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 69:
A queer strippid petticoat a' kilted aap ahoot her.Gsw. 1970 George MacDonald Fraser The General Danced at Dawn (1988) 169:
Unbelievably McAuslan spoke. "Ah called him a two-strippit git, as weel," he announced. m.Sc. 1979 Tom Scott in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 89:
Close cuisin o the skunk, the strippit brock
pads plat-fuitit, deuck-ersed, near the grund, m.Sc. 1982 Eilidh Nisbet in Hamish Brown Poems of the Scottish Hills 154:
Wee strippit irritating beastie
Wha daurs o me to mak a feastie Lnk. 1997 Duncan Glen From Upland Man 8:
The wudden dividin waws are smashed doon
and aw traces o dung being brusht into the yaird.
Only auld shune are left hung on strippit waws
for luck.

2. Of a turnip-crop: to pull up in strips, to pull up every alternate drill or set of drills.Sc. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm II. 3:
Fig. 208 shows how turnips are stripped in the various proportions noticed above.Fif. 1876 Trans. Highl. Soc. 53:
The turnips to be eaten off by sheep are invariably “stripped,” generally one-half and sometimes two-thirds being pulled for the cattle.Rs. 1877 Trans. Highl. Soc. 149:
A good deal of the turnips is eaten off by sheep, the “stripping” system being adopted occasionally.