Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

†LITHRY, n. Also liethry. A crowd of people, specif. of rather disreputable characters, a rabble, mob (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems Gl., 1825 Jam.). [′liðri]Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Jnl. from London 29:
In came sik a rangle o' gentles, an' a liethry o' hanziel slyps at their tail.Sh. 1822 S. Hibbert Descr. Shet. 236:
Lord Robert brought with him a great number of dependants into Orkney and Shetland, styled in these islands “broken men” … It was on this account that the name of a “livery” or “lithry”, answering to a retinue of serving-men, long became in Scotland the by-word that was used to signify a despicable crowd.