Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
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.
Quotation dates: 1721-1996
[0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1]
SUP, v., n.
I. v. To take (liquid or soft food) into the mouth, esp. with a spoon (Sc. 1808 Jam., 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 51). Sometimes with up. Gen.Sc. Rare or dial. in Eng.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 147:
He had need of a long Spoon that sups Kail with the Dee'l.Ayr. a.1796 Merry Muses (1911) 45:
The brose ye sup at e'en.Sc. 1818 S. Ferrier Marriage xxvii.:
Girls that sup their porridge will always cut a good figure.Bwk. 1876 W. Brockie Leaderside Leg. 45:
The laich herd's hoose, Where I suppit nettle kail.Kcb. 1885 A. J. Armstrong Friend and Foe i.:
To sup champers with our friend Jim.Gsw. 1889 J. Houston Autobiography 109:
I've learned him tae sup parritch.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 63:
Sooghin, as tho' suppin curds.Sc. 1939 St Andrews Cit. (30 Dec.) 7:
To take out a little of the meat paste and sup it.
Derivs. (1) suppable, fit to be supped in this way, palatable (ne., em., sm. and s.Sc. 1971); (2) suppin, vbl.n., (i) in comb. suppin-sowans, Sowans thick enough to be taken with a spoon, as opposed to drinkin-sowans (see Sowans, I. 2. (4)) (Ork., ne.Sc. 1971); (ii) in pl. suppins, soft semi-liquid food, spoon-meat.(1) Sc. 1825 Jam.:
Thai kail ar sae saut, they're no suppable.Sc. 1897 L. Keith Bonnie Lady iv.:
They [porridge]'re no suppable when they're cauld.(2) (ii) Sc. 1754–64 W. Smellie Midwifery III. 77:
I directed some Thebaick drops with warm suppings.Rnf. 1766 Session Papers, Ballantyne v. Wallace Proof 38:
Peasemeal 101/2d. and suppens 6d. to dogs.
II. n. 1. A mouthful of liquid or spoon-meat, an indefinite quantity of such, enough to satisfy one for the time being, a drink of liquor (Abd. 1825 Jam.). Gen.Sc. Also fig. The usual idiom is for the o(f) to be omitted before the word governed, e.g. a sup water, a sup parritch, a sup soup, etc. See O, prep., 1. (5). Dim. suppie.Abd. 1733 W. Forbes Dominie Depos'd (1765) 30:
Wae worth that weary sup of drink.Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 196:
Poor Tom loves his sup.Sc. 1823 Lockhart Reg. Dalton III. 117:
In wi' your glasses, lads — there's a sup mair in the bowl yet.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet xv.:
"A sup at parting," said Father Crackenthorp, extending a flask to Nanty Ewart.Sc. 1843 R. Nicoll Poems 160:
Although our parritch-cap be sma', To him who needs it yet we'll spare a sup.Bnff. 1881 W. M. Philip K. MacIntosh's Scholars 95:
Makin her suppie porridge wi' his ain han.Kcb. 1897 J. Morrison Miss McGraw 15:
Will ye tak a sup o' tea an' a bite o' bread?Ags. 1904 V. Jacob Interloper xix.:
Maybe ye'll take a suppie brose.Mry. 1969 L. G. Rich White Rose of Druminnor 10:
I had aye yer suppie broth Tae bid ye welcome hame.Abd. 1993:
Wid ye like a suppie tay tae cheer yersel up? Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 49:
Fin Henry socht Norman roon the neist Setterday fur a suppie maet, he lowpit at the inveet. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 71:
I hope ye dinna mind me jynin ye, yer Reverence, bit seein's there's hardly onybody else here I thocht ye'd enjoy the company. I suppose ye cudna afford tae ging abroad fur yer holidays either, nae wi the wee suppie fowk fa uses the kirk nooadays.
2. Of other liquids: a quantity, amount, e.g. of rain (ne.Sc., em.Sc.(a). Ayr. 1971). Also dim. suppie. Also in Eng. dial.Abd. 1872 J. G. Michie Deeside Tales 150:
There had been a good sup rain the nicht afore.Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
A good sup of rain fell last night.Abd. 1969:
There's still a sup water in the burn.Abd. 1992 David Toulmin Collected Short Stories 30:
Some of them had a bowie 'neath the spoot at the gable to catch a suppie rain water from the roof.
