Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

CATECHIS, Cattitches, Cathetchis, Catechers, Cattages, Cattiges, Cattiches, n. Also in reduced dim. form caties (Ags. 1892 A. Reid Howetoon 49). Sc. forms of Eng. catechism. See also Carritch. [′kɑtədʒɪz, ′kɑtətʃɪs, ′kɑtətʃərz]

1. The Catechism. Known to Bnff.² (cattiges, cattitches), Abd. correspondents and Slg.³ 1938.Bnff.(D) 1872 W. M. Philip It'll a' come Richt xii.:
I hiv' a' the Shorter Cathetchis o' my tongue.Abd.(D) 1909 C. Murray Hamewith 8:
He couldna sough the catechis nor pipe the rule o' three.Bch. 1928 (per Abd.¹⁵):
Hiv ye gotten yer cattages clair noo?Lnk. 1838 M'Ilwham Papers (ed. J. Morrison) Letter 1, 11:
Draw yer pen, an' let it be terrible as the claymore o' yer fathers, in defence o' Scotlan's Confession, Covenants, an' catechises, larger and shorter.Dmf. 1937 in J. M. Barrie Greenwood Hat iv.:
When I [James, brother of Thomas Carlyle] was a nine-year old, my teacher was hearing me say my catechers.

2. A catechizing, cross-questioning (Bnff.², Abd.² 1938).Bch. 1928 (per Abd.¹⁵):
Ay, Aw got ma cattiches fae him an' nae mistak! Speerin deevil!