Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1842-1935
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BREEKUMS, Breekum, Breekims, n. [′brikʌm(z), ′brikɪmz]
1. In pl. Short or scanty trousers; knee breeches (occasionally in sing. in this sense). Known to Abd.9 1935.Ags. 1880 J. E. Watt Poet. Sk. of Sc. Life and Char. 17:
His breekums were short by amaist a han'-breed.Ags.1 1935Per. a.1843 J. Stewart Sketches (1857) 178:
The hame-spun breekum and the wyliecoat For me had mair attractive pleasantness.Fif.10 1935:
C'wa an' pit on your bit breekums. Hurry noo!Edb. 1856 J. Ballantine Poems 65:
Although the breekums on thy bodie Are e'en right raggit.
2. In sing. or pl. “A person of short stature” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 16); “an endearing name for a little boy” (Bnff.2 1935), cf. Breeklums.Bch. 1930 (per Abd.15):
Wee breekims is a gey man, isna he?Per. 1904 R. Ford Hum. Sc. Stories (Ser. 2) 42:
Fond as baith o' us are o' the wee toddlin' breekums.
3. Combs.: (1) ¶breekum-braws, nice new trousers; ‡(2) breekum-foogie, “one wearing short or ragged trousers” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Add.); †(3) breekumstoich, “a short thick child in breeches” (Sc. 1818 Sawers Dict. Sc. Lang.). Used attrib. in 1885 quot. Liter. (1) Edb. 1865 M. Barr Poems 77:
And then a merry time we had When ye in breekum-braws were clad.(3) Slg. 1885 A. Murray Poems 10, 63:
O Thou wha art th' ghost o' Fintry, Wha flegs oor wee breekumstoich gentry. . . . In my breekumstoich skulegaun days.
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"Breekums n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/breekums>
