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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STRUNT, n.¹, v.¹ [strʌnt]

I. n. 1. A fit of pique or pettishness, the huff, the sulks, freq. in pl. and in phr. to tak the strunt(s) (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Dmf. 1925 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. XIII. 40; Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 269; Uls. 1931 Northern Whig (17 Dec.) 10; Arg. 1936 L. McInnes Dial. S. Kintyre 15; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; m. and s.Sc. 1971). Also in n.Eng. dial. Adj. strunty, pettish, out of humour (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Sc. 1719 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 107:
Is that ye'r Jo Has tae'n the Strunt?Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' 21:
Take tent, and nae wi' strunts offend.Bwk. 1821 W. Sutherland Poems 90:
Least he'd tane the strunt again.Dmf. 1826 H. Duncan William Douglas III. iii.:
You are still in the strunts about the prisoners.Slk. 1875 Border Treasury (17 April) 432:
He had taen the strunts aboot Wullie's wipe at 'im.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 31:
The laird took the strunt on the heid o't, an' gied ower comin to the kirk.Rxb. 1918 Kelso Chronicle (19 April) 4:
The tyler takes the strunts, bids Bella gude-night.Slg. 1935 W. D. Cocker Further Poems 56:
The tinkler's cuddie took the strunts An' deil an inch would steer.

2. Strife, enmity, hostility.Sc. 1776 D. Herd Sc. Songs II. 222:
The steerer up o' strunt and strife.Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 110:
I'm but ill suited for a life, Sae fu' o struggle, strunt, and strife.Sc. 1882 C. Mackay Poetry and Humour Sc. Lang. 343:
Strunt and sturt are birds of ae feather, And aft are seen on the wing thegither.

3. A person of sulky disposition, a surly person (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 185).Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 223:
Then ye'll ken the foul thief's tribes You nasty strunt.

II. v. 1. To offend, pique, affront (a person). Hence struntit, offended, huffed, in a pet (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.; Uls. 1929).Rxb. 1825 Jam.:
He strunted the puir lass.Hebr. 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws xix.:
There's naething in a' the world that strunts him sae muckle as you.Sc. c.1925 R. Thomas Sandie McWhustler's Waddin' 94:
I ken fine ye wadna like tae be strunted afore ony o' them.

2. To sulk, to go about in a huff (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 185; Inv., ne.Sc., Bwk., wm., sm.Sc., Rxb. 1971).Fif. 1909 J. C. Craig Sangs o' Bairns 3:
He'll no' greet, nor glunch, nor strunt.Arg. 1917 A. W. Blue Quay Head Tryst 225:
He'll strunt for a week if he catches me wi' anythin' no' tae his fancy.Abd. 1961 Buchan Observer (7 March):
Throu' a' the evenin' she struntit but an' ben wantin' a word.