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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TROUBLE, n., v. Also trub(b)le; tribble (Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Jphnny Gibb v., Per. 1896 I. Maclaren Kate Carnegie 5, Uls. 1897 A. McIlroy When Lint was in the Bell v.; Mry. 1908 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. 67; Bnff. 1939 J. M. Caie Hills and Sea 23; ne.Sc., em.Sc.(a), Slk. 1973), trible (Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 43, 1879 G. MacDonald Sir Gibbie xxix.). Hence triblesome, troublesome (Abd. 1909 J. Tennant Jeannie Jaffray 62). Sc. forms and usages. [trʌbl; ne.Sc. + ‡trɪbl]

I. n. 1. Sickness, disease, a specific ailment or disorder. Gen.Sc. Rare in Eng. and gen. preceded by the organ affected as in lung trouble, stomach trouble, etc. Sc. 1726 R. Wodrow Corresp. (1843) III. 267:
Riding agrees much with my trouble which I am not altogether free of.Sc. 1798 Monthly Mag. II. 436:
He is much distressed with an inward trouble.Lth. 1842 Children in Mines Report (2) 457:
I do not always change mysel, as I'm o'er fatigued. We have had much trouble.Per. 1894 I. Maclaren Brier Bush 30:
The mysterious “tribble” that needed the Perth doctor.Gsw. 1895 A. G. Murdoch Readings I. 98:
The trouble maun be swat oot o' ye, guidman, at ony cost.Abd. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 85:
Daein' a' ae man cud dee t' fecht the tribble.Abd. 1935 J. Milne Gangrel's Flute 62:
He's clever, for he'll scan ye, An' straucht aff diagnose Yer tribble.

Comb. death-trouble, a fatal or terminal illness. Rnf. 1873 D. Gilmour Pen' Folk 39:
Till his death-trouble William Dickson enjoyed unbroken health.

2. A dislocation or interruption in the strata in a mine, quarry, etc., a fault (m.Sc. 1973). Also in n.Eng. mining usage.Ayr. 1776 Session Papers, Fergusson v. Earl of Cassillis (14 Oct.) Proof 60:
A large dike, or trouble of confused metal.Sc. 1809 Wernerian Soc. Memoirs I. 501:
Deranged with (what is termed by miners) troubles, viz. dikes, slips and hitches.m.Lth. 1837 Trans. Highl. Soc. 61:
Masses of broken limestone and spar, by the quarriers termed trouble, renders the operations expensive.Ayr. 1925 Econ. Geol. Ayr. Coalfields II. 60:
A belt of disturbance which is known to the mining community as the ‘Red Trouble '.

II. v. Ppl.adj. troubled, of a coal seam: broken or disturbed by faults. See I. 2.Ayr. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ VII. 14:
The whole coal becomes very much troubled, and turns into what they call humph, a black useless substance.Rnf. 1920 Mem. Geol. Survey Scot. 41:
The ground here is much “troubled” and broken up by faults.