Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WHINGE, v., n.¹ Also wheenge, whindge, whunge; wheensh, whinse, winge. [ʍɪn(d)ʒ, ʍin(d)ʒ]

I. v. To whine, whimper, of a dog, child, etc., to complain or fret in a whining manner (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 474, whunge; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1923–6 Wilson; Ork. 1929 Marw., s.v. whinyan; ne., em., wm. and s.Sc. 1974). Also in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1715 H. Tayler Seven Sons of the Provost (1949) 52:
He wing'd and cry'd and said a great deal of stuff.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. i. ii.:
Syne whindging Getts about your Ingleside, Yelping for this or that with fasheous Din.Sc. 1756 M. Calderwood Journey (M.C.) 234:
The Franciscans were a set of poor, whinsing-like bodies.Ayr. 1790 Burns Elegy Capt. Henderson xxiv.:
If ony whiggish, whingin' sot To blame poor Matthew dare, man.Sc. 1814 Scott Waverley xxx.:
I'se warrant him nane of your whingeing King George folk.Slk. 1823 Hogg Tales (1874) 298:
The dog came, and fawned on his old acquaintance, and whimpered, and whinged.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 111:
Da dog cam ta da foreside o' da bed an' began ta whinge.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 63:
He wheenged an' groaned like's he was terriple ill wi' his inside.Edb. 1924 Edb. Ev. News (24 Dec.) 4:
Dod! I fancy that I hear A bairnie wheenshin i' the stable!Bwk. 1947 W. L. Ferguson Makar's Medley 56:
Nae wunner I'm whungin' and whinin'!Gsw. 1953 J. J. Lavin Compass of Youth i. vi.:
D'ye hear, ye wheengin' soo?Ayr. 1971 P. O'Connor Down the Bath Rocks i. vii.:
Don't winge son, I'll soon be finished.

Hence whinger, one who whines or complains, a malcontent (Per. c.1930; Slg., Lth., Lnk., Wgt., s.Sc. 1974).Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 312:
Sae I'll nae act the whinger's part, Like bairnies discontentit.

II. n. A whine, whimper, querulous complaint (Ags., Slg., Fif., Lnk., Ayr. 1974). In 1811 quot. used as vbl.n., whining, ingratiating. Adj. whingey, fig., of weather: dull and wet, dreary, inclement.Per. 1811 J. Sim Poems 14:
Wi' a guid moral Character, And whinge wi' none.Rxb. 1848 R. Davidson Leaves 142:
Reynard, wha, wi' sturdie gloom, Disdains to gi'e a whinge.Gall. 1898 Crockett Standard Bearer xxxviii.:
Never a whinge or a greet did ye gae.Ags. 1929 Scots Mag. (May) 150:
Wi' a wheenge an' a rattle, the oor strack.wm.Sc. 1952 A. J. Cronin Adventures in Two Worlds viii.:
It was an afternoon, a grey, wet day — what Cameron called “whingey weather.”