Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BARRIE, BARREE, adj; also barry. Superl. barriest. Also adv. Fine; big; smart in appearance. [′bɒrɪ̢]Sc. 1992 Duncan McLean in Janice Galloway and Hamish Whyte New Writing Scotland 10: Pig Squealing 105:
Well, you wouldn't've been taking the morning off college to look after your wee baby sister and we wouldn't've met ever. And we wouldn't be sitting here now getting on barrie. ne.Sc. 1958 Jessie Kesson The White Bird Passes (1987) 55:
"A gentleman gave it to me," Janie protested, "with a hat on and gloves and everything, a real barrie gaje he was," she emphasised in Beulah's own language, proud of her knowledge of it.Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 165:
I wis packered wi the day before. Decky came in shouting "Barry cove! There's nae muckle fish intae the mairket the day!"m.Sc. 1997 Susie Maguire in Susie Maguire and David Jackson Young Hoots! 118:
Have you ever heard the expression 'barry' - as in fab, brilliant, really-really nice? Like, 'that's a barry tie'? People I know used to say it all the time, not just about ties obviously.Per. 1990 Betsy Whyte Red Rowans and Wild Honey (1991) 36:
'Oh, did I not tell you? I swapped it for a tent, the barriest tent that you ever seen. Come down to the shed and I will show it to you.'Edb. 1991:
That wis a barry picture we saw. Edb. 1995 Irvine Welsh Marabou Stork Nightmares (1996) 10:
Ah wis gaunny go, bit ah nivir goat a ticket. Saw it oan the telly. Like ah sais, one-nil, Darren Jackson, barry goal n aw. Gsw. 1998 Glaswegian 27 Nov :
If lucky enough to encounter a real native you might hear them use the only two existing words of genuine Edinburgh slang. One of these is "barrie" meaning good, and the other is "Weegie" meaning a Glaswegian.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 49:
A barrie gadgee [fellow].Rxb. (Kelso) 1933 A. Berwick in Border Mag. (April) 64:
“Barree manishi” (a good-looking girl).Rxb. 1950 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 331:
The collecting cards bore a slogan exhorting the reader to make the collection "a barry yin."