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.
Quotation dates: 1805-1836, 1918-1962
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STUIR, n. Also sture, stuer, stü(i)r, stör, stuur, stoor. The Dutch stiver or five cents piece, roughly of the value of a British pre-decimal penny; hence by transf. a penny (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1971); in pl.: cash in gen. Phr. to want a sture o' the doit, to be simple-minded, to be mentally deficient (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl. 121). Cf. Doit, n.1, 3. and Penny, 4. (44). [stør]Sh. 1805 Scots Mag. (May) 349:
At Lerwick, and indeed throughout Shetland, Dutch and Danish coins are more common than British. A stuer, or stiver, (a small piece of base metal silvered over), passes in circulation for one penny.Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 592:
A smuk it wiz wirt twa an a baabee, yea tree stùres.Sh. 1918 T. Manson Peat Comm. 41:
If I could hev twartree stures i da bank fur me ould age.Sh. 1948 New Shetlander (March-April) 9:
Three shillings and fivepence ha'-penny, mair dan forty black stuirs, for a paltry ounce of tobacco!Sh. 1962 New Shetlander No. 60. 27:
He shaa'd dem da kash wi da siller störs an styvers.
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"Stuir n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/stuir>
