Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1725, 1806-1822, 1881-1895, 1955
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MUTTON, n. Sc. usages in combs. and phr.: 1. mutton-bouk, the carcase of a sheep. See Bouk; 2. mutton eater, a nickname for a native of Duncansby parish in Cai., as living on the mutton of the native Keerie sheep (Cai. 1972 Caithness Bk. (Omand) 84); 3. mutton-ham, a leg of mutton cured in the same way as ham; 4. mutton-kail, broth made with mutton. See Kail, n., 3.; 5. mutton-tee, = 3. (Sh. 1866 Edm.Gl.). See Thie; 6. sic a mutton's on a hen!, an exclamation expressive of an incongruous or incredible situation (Ork. 1963).1. Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. II. i.:
Our meikle Pot that scads the Whey put on, A Mutton-bouk to boil.3. m.Lth. 1812 P. Forbes Poems 22:
Porter, beef or mutton ham.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie lxxxviii.:
The shackle-bane o' a mutton-ham.Abd. 1881 W. Paul Past & Present 128:
Ye'll get a slicy o' a dishy nicey, An' a sweety wiggy, an' a mutton ham.Lnk. 1895 W. Fraser Whaups 221:
The kitchen ceiling darkened with a goodly array of mutton-hams.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss-Hags xlvi.:
He rode past, bung full of brandy and good mutton ham.4. Fif. 1806 A. Douglas Poems 120:
Ait-cakes an' mutton-kail.6. Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iii.:
Eppie could hardly repress her wonderment that a ploughman of this unusual character should land at Endriggs. "Eh, Losh fie," she cried, "sic a mutton's on a hen as 'e aal folk eest tae say."
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"Mutton n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/mutton>
