Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1934
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BETTY, n. Also Bettie. Diminutive of Bet, an abbreviation for Elizabeth.
1. A man who does housework.Gsw.2 1934:
He's a regular Betty. [Given in N.E.D. but neither in Un. Eng. Dict. nor in Concise Eng. Dict.]
2. Female name in combs.
(1) Handy Betty, “a plate warmer” (e.Dmf.2 1917).
(2) Tidy Betty, “an ash-pan” (Id.).
3. A local name for the hare (Kcb. 1878 Zoologist (3rd Ser.) II. 427).
[Cf. brown Bess, tin Lizzie.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Betty n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/betty>
