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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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.

THRASH, n.¹ Also thresh (em. and s.Sc.). Deriv. and dim. forms thrasher (Bwk. 1853 G. Johnston Botany E. Borders 199, 1942 Wettstein), thrashie (Fif. 1882 S. Tytler Sc. Marriages I. ii.), threshie (Ags. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin vii.; Fif. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 270). [wm.Sc. θrɑʃ; em.Sc., s.Sc. θrɛʃ]

1. A rush, any of the species Juncus (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., thresh; Fif., Lth. (thresh), Ayr. (thrash) 1923–6 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; em. (thresh), wm. (thrash), s. (thresh) Sc. 1972). Freq. in combs. as in thrash-bus, a clump of rushes. See Buss, n.¹, 2.; thrash-hill, -made. Adj. threshie, -y, abounding in or made of rushes (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Hence threshie-cap, -coat, a cap or coat of plaited rushes. Threshie-coat in quots. is in allusion to Rashiecoat, Cinderella (see Rash, n.¹, 2.(2)), hence an old working coat; threshy wick, the rush wick of an oil lamp or Cruisie (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.).Rnf. 1725 W. Hector Judicial Rec. (1876) 120:
The Complainers servants did cutt and Shear the thrashes.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 155:
Owre the burn 'Yont the green, an' thro' the thrashes.Lnk. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XV. 50:
Its produce, within these few years, was little more than the Thrash.Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 48:
Baith by bus now coshly crackit, An' wi' their teeth green threshes chackit.Fif. 1830 A. Stewart Dunfermline (1889) 159:
Some of them, too, would gather green rushes, and make to themselves and companions threshy caps.Sc. 1833 Chambers's Jnl. (May) 136:
I gathered the thrashies when you [moon] were on high.Ayr. 1841 J. Paton Songs 27:
Wi' posts the kipples they are prapit, Wi' thrash made strings they are o'erlapit.Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 74:
Oor Peggie there minds fu brawly o' thrashes growin' i' Panmure Street.Edb. 1875 J. Smith Hum. Sc. Stories 55:
It was me that gaed to the thresh-hill for the puddocks.Lnl. 1880 T. Orrock Fortha's Lyrics 270:
Near the auld water-hoose the thrashies I ha'e pookit Tae mak' parasols, or tae plait a doo's dooket.Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Verses 76:
If frae a thresh bus' ane wad keek.s.Sc. 1904 W. G. Stevenson Glen Sloken 111:
Aff she [toy boat] gaed, an' stuck amun' some threshes.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood xx.:
He's a dwaibly body wi' nae mair fushion than a thresh.Lnk. 1969 Scotsman (22 Feb.) Suppl. 1:
The draining of wetlands and the reseeding of threshy pastures.wm.Sc. 1988 Scotsman (21 May) vi:
At 8.45 p.m. I saw a movement in a patch of threshes, and presently a big vole appeared and swam to my side of the burn and out of my sight. A few minutes later one appeared on the other side of the burn running the water's edge, and disappeared into the threshes.

2. A mat of rushes or straw (Lnk. 1863 J. Brown J. Leech (1882) 330).

3. A string or cord made of plaited rushes; a bundle, esp. of fish, linked by such a string.Lnk. 1919 G. Rae Clyde and Tweed 97:
A laddie wearied wi' a lang day's guddlin', Lays by his thresh o' troots upon the brae.