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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.

UNCANNIE, adj. Also uncanny, unkanny; o(o)ncanny. Cf. Canny, adj., Wancanny.

1. Unskilful, not deft, clumsy, careless (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Also in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1847 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 313:
It's no the wheelie that has the wyte, It's my uncanny hand.

2. Awkward, not easy to manage (Sh., ne.Sc., Ags., Fif. 1973).Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister x.:
Guid care you took I should hae the dagont oncanny things [shoes] on.

3. Hard, violent, severe, heavy, esp. of a blow or fall (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff., Abd., Ags., Per. 1973). Also in n.Eng. dial.Abd. 1759 F. Douglas Rural Love 12:
Ae day on the muir of Affort He got a maist uncanny sclaffort.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 124:
Whin-stanes, howkit frae the craigs, May thole the prancing feet o' naigs, Nor ever fear uncanny hotches.Sc. 1814 Scott Waverley lxvi.:
An uncanny coup I got for my pains.Ags. 1823 A. Balfour Foundling III. iii.:
If ye hadna happened to get an uncanny straik.Bwk. 1898 Border Mag. (July) 132:
Ane no accustomed to ridin' micht have an uncannie spill.Abd. 1972:
He got a maist uncannie wallop on the side o's heid.

4. (1) Dangerous, unreliable, insecure, treacherous, threatening (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Gen.Sc., now also in St.Eng. Also used adv. Adv. uncannily, dangerously.Abd. 1748 R. Forbes Ajax 13:
Thus wi' uncanny pranks he fights; An' sae he did beguile.Edb. 1787 A. Pennecuik Poems 36:
You're an hawk of an unkanny nest.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xxi.:
To big up the passage in some parts, and pu' it down in others, for fear o' some uncanny body getting into it.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb v.:
Tak' care an' keep awa' fae the edges o' that ooncanny banks.Gsw. 1873 A. G. Murdoch Doric Lyre 98:
Slates an' tiles an' chimla cans Uncannily were fa'in'.Sc. 1886 Stevenson Kidnapped xviii.:
I would truly like least to die by the gallows; and the picture of that uncanny instrument came into my head.Bnff. 1887 W. M. Philip Covedale x.:
Doon ower the broken wa' and uncanny stanes.Ags. 1897 Bards Ags. (Reid) 244:
An', wae to tell! our changfu' clime Did serve him maist uncanny.Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 70:
When an ‘uncanny' bull entering your garden begins to look narrowly at your flower border.

(2) Of things: unlucky, inauspicious, tempting Providence (Sh., Cai., Abd. 1973).Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 133:
There's mony a joy in this world below, And sweet the hopes that to sing were uncannie.Sc. a.1832 Lockhart Scott xliii.:
He said it was uncanny not to welcome the new year in the midst of his family.Kcd. 1912 W. MacGillivray Little Janet 15:
Mony ane thocht it terrible uncanny to tak' awa' the gravestones o' the auld Romans.

5. Of persons: not safe to meddle with, as supposedly being in league with supernatural forces or having skill in magic, witchcraft or the like, malignant, baleful, mischievous (Sc. 1808 Jam.; I., ne.Sc., em. Sc.(a), Lnk. 1973). See Canny, I. 4.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 85:
For this some ca'd him an uncanny wight; The clash gaed round, “he had the second sight.”Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 59:
An' how the auld, unkanny matrons, Grew whiles a hare, a dog, or batrons.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. liii.:
I wish she binna uncanny! her words dinna seem to come in God's name, or like other folk's.Rxb. 1820 Scots Mag. (June) 533:
The softer though still suspicious character of being uncannie or ill wishers.Ork. 1884 R. M. Fergusson Rambles 71:
An old dame won for herself the notorious character of an uncanny body.Sh. 1900 Manson's Almanac 123:
Henry was deemed a wizard, and awfully ‘uncanny' to come against.Mry. 1914 H. J. Warwick Tales 45:
Jean Leng hersel' wis a gey oncanny craitur.Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS. iii.:
The uncanny folk could tak awa the kye's milk by witchcraft.

6. Weird, mysterious, ominous, “spooky”, eerie, esp. of things. Gen.Sc., now also St. Eng. Adv. uncannily, in an unnatural or unaccountable manner, mysteriously.Slk. 1819 Hogg Tales (1874) 148:
Did ye no see nor hear naething uncanny about the house yoursel that night?m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 24:
Wha wad ever hae thocht he wad hae come tae sic an uncanny end [by being murdered]?Ags. 1866 R. Leighton Poems 333:
A wee thing fear'd o' ghaists and deils, Or onie ither uncannie tyke.Sc. 1887 Stevenson Merry Men ii.:
Fish — the hale clan o' them — cauld-wamed, blind-ee'd uncanny ferlies.Sc. 1888 R. W. Buchanan Heir of Linne xxv.:
He talks so uncannily.Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister viii.:
This is a gey mysterious world, and women's the uncanniest things in't.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss-Hags xlii.:
It was an uncanny night, but in some fashion we stumbled along.Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters viii.:
All was still, uncannily still.Lth. 1916 J. Fergus The Sodger 27:
Whiles the wind will fley me sair By giein' an uncanny mane.Slg. 1949 W. D. Cocker New Poems 30:
Uncanny was her lauch an' croose.