Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1897-1934
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BIRTY, adj. Forward, officious. [′brt, ′bʌrt]Kcb. 1897 A. J. Armstrong Robbie Rankine 7 :
If I thocht that birty body o' Barscarra was gaun to staun', deil a bit o' me but I wad joost staun' to keep him oot.Kcb.1 1934:
Birty. The old miller explained it as equivalent to "forretsome."
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"Birty adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/birty>
