Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
JEEG, v., adv., n.2 Also jig, jeea(c)k, jeig; gig; jeg. [dʒig]
I. v. 1. To creak, make a creaking noise (Sc. 1825 Jam., gig; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 90, jeeack; Sc. 1880 Jam.; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Phr. to jeeack oot o' ither, of a dilapidated piece of furniture: to fall to pieces with creaking (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 90).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 239:
Lick thy Loof, and lay't to mine, dry Leather gigs ay.Edb. 1877 J. A. Sidey Alter Ejusdem 3:
Syne wi' the jeegin' wheel, Roun' in a rummlin' reel, Thrummles the burnie that wins to the sea.ne.Sc. 1935 Sc. N. & Q. (Feb.) 23:
Th' reeftree jeeaks eerilie unner th' thak.
2. To move so as to produce a creaking noise (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 90). Ppl.adj. jeeackin, emitting a creaking noise; vbl.n. jeeackan, the act of shaking so as to produce a creaking noise, the noise itself (Ib.).Sc. 1808 Jam.:
A weaver, in vulgar phraseology, is said to jeeg awa at his loom, in reference to the sound made by the loom.
3. = Eng. jig, to move with a light jerky motion (Ayr. 1959), tr. and intr.Ayr. 1793 Burns Duncan Gray (1st set) i.:
I maun sit the lee-lang day, And jeeg the cradle wi' my tae.
†4. To taunt, scoff at (a person or thing) (Ags. 1825 Jam.).Ib.:
Why are ye ay jeeggin at me?
II. adv. With a creaking noise (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 90).
III. n. 1. A creaking noise (Sc. 1880 Jam.). Hence, a jerk, sudden pull, tilt, rock, swing (Sc. 1887 Id.; Cai. 1907 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 75, Cai. 1959).
2. = Eng. jig, the dance; also in pl., with extended meanings, carry-on, ongoings, capers (ne.Sc. 1959).Sc. 1757 Poem on Wright-Craft 13:
Since thus they by lascivious, sordid, vain And idle Jeiggs the Muses much profane.Ags. 1899 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy i.:
Princie began to do a bit jeeg, garrin' Sandy bowse aboot on the front o' the cairt.Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 74:
To suit the alter'd beirin's o' our Chief, An' a' our ain domestic fireside jeegs.
†3. A taunt, a jibe (Ags. 1825 Jam.).
[A variant of Eng. jig, a dance, a caper, a piece of sport, a comic interlude, a skit or lampoon (cf. I. 4., III. 2. and 3.), which may be of Sc. orig. O.Sc. jeig, a jig, a.1578.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Jeeg v., adv., n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 24 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/jeeg_v_adv_n2>
