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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CHAPE, CHAEP, Chaip, adj. Gen.Sc. forms of Eng. cheap. The Eng. form is illustrated only in phrase peculiar to Sc. [tʃep Sc.; ʃɛp Sh.]Ork.(D) 1880 Dennison Orcad. Sk. Bk. 29:
Aye! hid wus blithesem days than whin a bothy could get a drink baith chaep an geud.Abd.(D) 1924 J. Wight in Swatches o' Hamespun 71:
Auntie Bell wis o' the aive o' takkin a taik intul Aiberdeen . . . te fess oot wi' her some chaip wincey an' sarkin.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 5:
Sandy Milne ... brocht up bi a granny fa fyles tuik scunner o the darg an fairmed him oot aroon the Howe like a feeding nowt, tae onybody sikken chaip labour in excheenge fur bed an boord.Arg.¹ 1930:
“What price are you putting on it?” “Five pound, an' he's chape at that.”

Phrase: to be chape (chaep, cheap) o', — on, to get off lightly with, to be well deserving of (any punishment), to serve one right; used pers. or impers. Bnff.², Fif.¹⁰, Slg.³ (1939) give the form ye're chape o't; Abd.², Abd.⁹, it's chaep on ye; Ags.¹⁷, ye're real chaep; Kcb.¹⁰, ye're chape served. Cf. colloq. it's the price of you, it's what you deserve.Mry.(D) 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sketches xiv.:
A heard the neebors lauchin' aboot hoo Meg keepit it [tea-cosy] clockin' on the teapot on the bink ower near the fire an' scaum't it a'. It wis richt cheap on 'er. Fat wis she daein' wi' a cosy?Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick xvi.:
Weel, Jims, . . . ye've got your fairin the day, an' I maun say I think ye're cheap o't.Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems and Songs 87:
An' maist thinks Roger cheap o' Jenny's scorn; His dowless gait, the cause o' a' his care.