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 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.

BROD, Brodd, Brode, n.², v.²

1. n.

(1) Something with a point on, as a goad, a spur (Bnff.², Abd.²², Fif.¹⁰ 1936).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 107:
Fling at the brod was ne'er a good Ox.Sc. 1896 A. Cheviot Proverbs 213:
Its hard to sing at the brod (goad), or kick at the prick.ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore of N.-E. Scot. 15:
Pit a bit upo' the tae, T' gar the horsie clim' the brae; Pit a bit upo, the brod, T' gar the horsie clim' the road.

(2) “A broad-headed nail” (Mry.¹ 1925).Sc. [1826] R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes (1870) 18:
There's a nail, and there's a brod, And there's a horsie weel shod. [Given by E.D.D. for n. and cent. dial. as a short, round-headed nail made by blacksmiths.]

Comb.: brod-iron, nail iron. Inv. 1726 Trans. Inv. Scient. Soc. I. 226: 
50 lbs pan brass and 50 lbs brod iron.

(3) “A stroke [thrust] with any sharp-pointed instrument” (Sc. 1808 Jam., brod, brode); a prick (Bnff.², Lnl.¹ 1936).Abd.(D) 1923 R. L. Cassie Heid or Hert x.:
A fan' stoons aboot my hert like the brod o' a needle ilka noo an' than.

2. v.

(1) To prick, to pierce, to jab (Abd.¹⁹, Fif.¹⁰ 1936). Lit. and fig.Sc. 1933 D. Rorie in Scots Mag. (Oct.) 55:
He [a bull] coupit owre a wife twa year come June An' broddit a' her hips.Bnff. 1925 G. J. Milne W.-L.:
I'm a' broded wi nettles.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin (1868) xiv.:
I wad be sure to get my hurdies broddit if I tried to sklim owre.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Sc. Poems (1925) 59:
His words they brodit like a wumill, Frae ear to ear.

Hence broddy, adj., prickly.Bch. 1928 (per Abd.¹⁵):
The sweetbreer's a broddy buss.

(2) To appear; to show up in a point, as corn when it brairds.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
De hill (hill-top) just brodds in sight.Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
Da fish brods idda skrüf.