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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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.

TUG, n., v. Also teug (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 184; Per. 1903 H. Dryerre Blairgowrie 244; Fif., Lth., Ayr. 192 3–16 Wilson; Slg. 1929 W. D. Cocker Dandie 9; Cai., Kcb. 1940); toog (Rxb. 1826 A. Scott Poems 41; Mry. 1927 E. B. Levack Lossiemouth 30); tju(i)g, tjog, ¶tüog (Sh.); misreading trigg (see I. 5.). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. tug, (to) pull. Cf. Chug. [tʌg, ‡tug; m.Sc. tjʌg; Sh., Lth., Bwk. tjug, tjəg]

I. n. 1. A pull at a drink of liquor, a swig (Ork. 1973).Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 33:
Paetie teuk twa'rt'ree wallie tugs o' the eel.

2. In dim. teugie: a moment, an instant (Cai. 1973). Cf. Eng. snatch.Cai., Rs. 1921 T.S.D.C.:
Haud on a teugie.

3. A handle to a bell-rope, a bell-pull.Mry. 1706 Boharm Parish Mag. (July 1897):
A rocking tree, new buckle and tugg to the bell.

†4. A browband forming part of the harness worn by a female coal-hauler. Hist.e.Lth. 1842 Children in Mines Report (1), 29, 92:
When the tugs which pass over the forehead break, it is very dangerous to be under with a load. . . . The tugs or straps are placed over the forehead, and the body bent in a semicircular form, in order to stiffen the arch.

5. A strip of hide or skin (see 1850 quot.), from being freq. used for the tugs or traces of horse harness (Sc., Uls. 1790 MS. add. to Grose Provinc. Gl. in E.D.D., triggs).Gsw. 1739 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1911) 16:
For every holl or tug shall be found in the hide the flesher shall pay three pence.Ayr. 1787 Burns Poems Gl.:
Tug, raw hide, of which, in old times, plough-traces were frequently made.Rnf. c.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) T. 165:
Tug — a piece of skin about two inches broad taken from below the chafts of the carcase of a cow to the navel. The said piece of skin salted and sorted, used for hooding to souple and mid-kipple to a flail; also formerly used for rive-lethers.

†6. A trouser-leg, gen. in pl.: trousers (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl., tju(i)gs), sc. what is drawn or pulled on.

7. A steam towing vessel, a tug-boat. The word was appar. first applied in Port Glasgow in 1817.Rnf. 1872 A.T.R. Memoir J. H. Ritchie 11:
It was he [Charles Wood], also, who gave the name of “Tugs” to vessels meant to tow. His brother John — and the subject of this memoir were standing with him, at the head of one of their building slips, when the first towing vessel was about to be launched. “Charlie,” (said John,) “what are we to call this new class of steam-boats?” “Why”, answered Charles, without a moment's hesitation, “call them ‘Tugs'” — and “Tugs” they have ever since been called!wm.Sc.¹ 1946:
My great-granduncles, John and Charles Wood launched in 1817 a steam paddle towing vessel, 70 feet by 17 feet named “Tug”.

†8. In Sh. usage: a small poor quality fish esp. a lean small ling (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Cf. II. 2.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 14:
Da lazy man comes draiglan ashore wi' twa tüogs an' twa brumplicks.

9. A tangle in hair. Also adj. tuggy (Ork., Bnff., Ags., Fif., Edb., Gsw., Ayr., Rxb. 2000s). m.Sc. 1939 James Barke The Land of the Leal (1987) 406:
At first Jean would talk to him as she took out her hairpins and he gently combed out the 'tugs'.Per. 2000:
Alice's hair wis aye tuggy in the mornin and she'd scream blue murder when ye tried tae brush oot the tugs.

II. v. 1. As in Eng. Comb. tug-net, a salmon-net which is pulled behind a boat at the mouth of a river, esp. the Spey. Also attrib.Mry. 1728 D. Donaldson Cramondiana (1965) 14:
His right of tugnet fishing on the west side of the said water of Spey.Mry. 1760 Session Papers, Earl of Murray v. Duke of Gordon (11 July) 11:
The tugnet is a larger and deeper kind of net, fit only for fishing, either in the sea . . . or in a stream, such as this at the mouth of the river swelled with the tide, or at any time spread wide over sand and gravel.Mry. 1845 Stat. Acc.² XIII. 57:
If the fishing is good, they have the option of being paid 2¼d. for each full box of fish shipped from the tug-net.

2. To jerk a fishing-line up and down and to and fro in the water to attract fish to the bait.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
To tjog for ling.

3. To cut strips from an animal's hide. Cf. I. 5.Gsw. 1751 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1911) 346:
The fleshers within the burgh and others repairing thereto from the country are prohibited and discharged to tugg or pull the neck or any part of sheep skins they slay.