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: 1821-1860, 1925-1948
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TEER, adv. Also tier, tear, in phrs. (1) a' by teer, a' the teer, all that ever . . .; as little as matters, as much and no more, barely, by the skin of one's teeth, to denote an action that comes within an ace of success or failure (wm.Sc. 1930); (2) a teer tae him, her, etc., used in speaking of a person determined to get his own way at all costs (see quot.).(1) Ayr. 1821 Scots Mag. (April) 352:
Gin I cou'd hae ony ou'rance o' you, I wad egg you a' the teer that I cou'd.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
"Can you lift that?" "It's a' the teer."Gsw. 1860 J. Young Poorhouse Lays 48:
'Twas just a' the tier I had ony ava.Gsw. 1925:
"I beat you that time!" "Oh, aye, it was aa by tear" i.e. it took you all your time.Kcb. 1928:
It was a' by tear that I was not killed.(2) Ayr. 1948:
A tear tae him, he'll wreck the hoose. A tear tae him, he wad win his point.
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"Teer adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/teer_adv>
