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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LEATHER, n., v. Also leither (Sc. 1703 N. Dickson Kirk and its Worthies 202), laither; laidder, ledder (I. and ne.Sc.); †lader (ne.Sc. c.1800 Child Ballads (1956) V. 265). [′leðər, s.Sc. ′læð-, ne.Sc. ′ledər]

I. n. 1. As in Eng. Adj. leddern, made of leather, leathern (Abd. 1960). Also attrib. and fig. Phr. leather-ty [to]-patch, orig. the name of a step in a dance, hence adv. of a similar staccato movement or sound; rat-tat-tat or the like. Also in n.Eng. dial.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1898) xxv.:
I'll beat leather-ty-patch wi' my buckles on the back-door.
Abd. 1928 Word-Lore III. vi. 147:
On's back a leddern wallet.
m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 90:
For aw his yirdin-claes the craw ye'll see
hes aye a braisant skinkle in his ee.
Struntin aboot the ferm on laither legs
in ilka seck an trouch an kist he'll pree,
then lowp thro boles tae lift the chookie's eggs.
ne.Sc. 1993 Ronald W. McDonald in A. L. Kennedy and Hamish Whyte New Writing Scotland 11: The Ghost of Liberace 70:
'Jist ee watch es,' ses Andra an pullt oan a pair o muckle ledder gloves.

2. The skin, now only in slang usage in Eng., the hide of an animal; specif. the lining of the throat, in jocular reference to drinking.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 186:
Deacon Cocks hae pass'd a law To rax an' weet your leather Wi' drink thir days.
Ayr. 1787 Burns Auld Mare xviii.:
Wi' tentie care I'll flit thy tether. To some hain'd rig, Whare ye may nobly rax your leather.
Rxb. 1826 A. Scott Poems 75:
At times, nae doubt, he wat his leather, Till light his heart lap like a feather.
Ags. 1833 J. S. Sands Poems 133:
An', if ye touch a single feather, I'll score your back till't lose the leather.
Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 239:
I rax'd da tar ledder o' da grice for humbli-baands.
Abd.4 1928:
Lat the win' blaw upon strait laidder, i.e. eat your fill and face the weather.

3. The udder of a cow. Also in Eng. dial.Lnk. 1827 J. Watt Poems 56:
To drain the milk frae bruckie's leather.

4. A heavy blow (Bnff., Cai. 1902 E.D.D.; n.Sc., Ags., sm.Sc. 1960). Cf. v.

II. v. 1. As in colloq. Eng., to beat, flog, thrash. Gen.Sc. Vbl.n. leatherin, a hiding (Sc., Sh. 1825 Jam.) and in phr. clean leatherin, a ding-dong fight.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 60:
Earth! ye deserve a leath'ring, Right snell, this day.
Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxiii.:
I cam to a place where there had been some clean leatherin', and a' the puir chields were lying there.
Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales I. 262:
“A leatherin, friend!” said I, “pray what may that mean?” “'Tis what we ca' threshin' ane's skin i' some places; or, a drubbing, as an Englishman wad ca't.”
Arg. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xii.:
Lord! yon's a wife who would be nane the waur o' a leatherin', as they say in the south.
Abd. 1925 R. L. Cassie Gangrel Muse 15:
We herdit nowt the simmer throwe, In winter took a raith O' skweelin' wi' a maister brow, Fa wis tae ledderin' laith.

2. To scold, rail at, criticise severely (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 102).Ayr. 1879 J. White Jottings 196:
We'll sing oor sang, tho' critics leather, We'll string oor rhymes, nay aiblins blether.

3. To tie tightly, sc. with a leather thong (Slk. 1825 Jam.).

4. Freq. with at or up: to do anything with vigour and speed, to tear on, to work hard or assiduously (Sc. 1808 Jam., Add., “a low word”; Sh., Ags., Kcb., Uls. 1960), often in conjunction with another verb. Also in Eng. dial.; to urge upon, to argue or plead with, to exhort; with aff: to utter vehemently or volubly.Bwk. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 181:
To leather and gang — to walk rapidly. To leather and dance — to dance with much spirit and vigour.
Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 102:
She wiz leatherin' an' washin' the fleer. A'm eye leatherin' at 'im t' learn's lessons.
Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Sc. Verses 12:
Losh, the laddie's uncommonly gifted; Ye should see him mount up on a chair An' leather awa' at the readin'.
Kcb. 1898 Crockett Standard Bearer xiv.:
He was just leatherin' aff the words that fast the folk couldna tell whether he was gi'en them guid Scots or ill-contrived Laitin.
Abd. 1941 C. Gavin Black Milestone ii.:
He'll be leatherin' awa' at St Paul's missionary journeys.
Gsw. 1994 Carol Ann Duffy in Daniel O'Rourke Dream State 5-6:
We were Scottish, moved down there for work, and every Sunday I was leathered up the road to Church.

5. To hurry, hasten, to walk briskly, “get a move on” (Abd., Lth., Slk. 1960).Peb. 1800 Edb. Mag. (Dec.) 477:
On Monday mornin', a' the bairns Through a' their friends are leatherin!
Abd. 1955:
If you've gotten sairt, then ledder.
ne.Sc. 1996 W. Gordon McPherson in Sandy Stronach New Wirds: An Anthology of Winning Poems and Stories from the Doric Writing Competitions of 1994 and 1995 19:
The driver chiel loupit oot an hid a leuk aneth the bonnet a meenit, gaed back an said somethin ti the fowk inside, syne awa doon the road aa it he cwid laidder.

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"Leather n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/leather>

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