Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1875-1920
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DRAG, n. Sc. usages.
1. A large, heavy harrow. Gen.Sc. Common in Eng. dial.Abd. 1875 A. Smith Hist. Abdsh. II. 1220:
The drag can easily be converted into a harrow, simply by changing the tines.Ags. 1920 D. H. Edwards Men and Manners 87:
A twa-horse drag, a queer drill harrow.
2. A half-load (Uls.2 1929).Uls. 1920 H. S. Morrison Mod. Ulster 216:
“A drag” that is a small load which is emptied on some hard place where the horse can move freely and then the carter goes back for a second drag, and fills the load with the one taken first.
3. Phr. and Comb.: (1) never out (o') the drag, never finished (Bnff.2, Abd.15, Fif.10 1940); (2) drag-tae, a rake (Bnff.4 1927).(1) Fif. 1895 “G. Setoun” Sunshine and Haar i.:
Workin' late an' early . . . an' never out the drag.(2) Kcb. 1897 G. O. Elder Borgue 31 (orig. from MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. (1824) 26):
My theebanes like mill timmers and my fingers like dragtaes.
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"Drag n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 1 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/drag>
