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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PAIK, v., n. Also paike, paick, pake, paek, peck; †paak (ne.Sc. 1808 Jam.): paiks, pex (Sh.). [pek]

I. v. 1. tr. To beat, strike, belabour, castigate, punish, lit. and fig. (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 258; Kcd., Ags., Ayr., Uls. 1965). Also intr. with at, to deal blows on, fight with.Sc. 1721 Women's Indictment 7:
But they've caus'd the Knave of Spades, Hangie, paick our Shoulder Blades.Abd. 1777 R. Forbes Ulysses 25:
[We] gart him tell the news o' Troy, An' paak't him syne to hell.Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Tales 124:
Our auld gudeman, sae crouse an' canty, Now frets and granes, An' paiks the weans.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck vii.:
They had been terribly paiket and daddit wi' something.Sc. 1822 Scott F. Nigel xxxvii.:
If she comes to dunts, I have a hand to paik her with.Sc. 1824 Blackwood's Mag. (June) 724:
It's ay a pleasure to you to be paiking at him — I wonder you're not wearied o't.Ayr. 1861 A. McKay Lilts (1868) 29:
For my fauts, wi' the taws I was paikit.Bwk. 1879 W. Chisholm Poems 78:
Some aiblins may paik ye thro' mischief or spite.Ags. 1896 J. Stirton Thrums 23:
He was severely paiked and thumped.Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae French 38:
A wearie Loon paikt by misfortune sair Cried oot: “I'm hauden doon wi' dool an' care.”

Hence (1) vbl.n. paikin, -en, pexin(s). a thrashing, punishment, a “beating-up” (Sh. (pexins), Crm., Bnff., Ags., Per., Ayr., Kcb., Slk. 1965), a severe rating; (2) ppl.adj. paikit, -et, cowed, dejected, defeated (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Also paikit-like, having a battered and dispirited appearance (Jam.): (3) paikment, n., = (1).(1) Rnf. 1862 A. McGilvray Poems 124:
The Quaker, too' whose paper still Gives you a paiking.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin v.:
I got a paikin' ance every lawfu' day, an' sometimes twice.Ags. 1897 A. Reid Bards 182:
If he should gi'e the French their paikin's.Sh. 1900 Shetland News (17 March):
A'll gie daa his pexins when he comes.Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 7:
He skanced the'oors o' canny fraikin, Wi', noo an' than, a freenly paikin.Sh. 1965:
Doo'll get dy paiksins, my boy.(3) Bwk. 1897 R. M. Calder Poems 202:
A voice oor paikment threeps.

2. intr. To trudge, tramp along, to stump, pace (w.Sc. 1880 Jam.). Derivs. paiker, a street-walker, prostitute (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Hence causey-paiker, street-paiker (Watson), id.; paikie, id. (Sc. 1808 Jam.).Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 94:
Her feet laigh on the causey paikin'; Her head amang the thin clouds raikin'.Sc. 1846 Edb. Tales (Johnstone) I.I. 287:
Thae miserable waifs o' women, causey-paikers.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 145:
I wat sheu wus a sight tae see As sheu paik'd frae the Ha'.Sh. 1937 J. Nicolson Yarns 96:
Whistle-beardie hed a hen, Shö guid paiksin but an' ben.

II. n. 1. A blow, stroke, thump, buffet, prod, lit. and fig. (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bnff., Ayr. 1965). Deriv. paikie, a drubbing, a hiding; a piece of material or skin worn over the thighs to protect them from blows from the spade in peat-cutting, a pelting pock (Kcd. 1825 Jam.).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 50:
While monie a paik unto his beef they led, Till wi' the thumps he blue an' blae was made.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 54:
O soldiers! for your ain dear sakes, For Scotland's, alias Land of Cakes, Gie not her bairns sic deadly pakes.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck vii.:
A paik, that's a swap or a skelp like.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie v.:
Ye're a deevil at a paik, when your birses are up.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 48:
Ilk clapper gaif ilk bell sic paiks They swat on baith sides wi' the straiks.Kcb. 1896 Crockett Grey Man xxviii.:
He could lift any lad in the school with one [arm] while he gave him “paikie” with the other.Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae French 21:
Misfortune's paiks micht be made lichter.Sc. 1935 W. D. Cocker Further Poems 62:
“Why should we thole?” we ask o' God, “The paiks o' Thy afflictin' rod?”

2. In pl.: a beating, thrashing (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Gen.Sc.; freq. with possess. pron., one's deserved punishment, one's deserts, one's just retribution. Phr. to be right cheap of one's paiks, to be “asking for trouble”, to deserve punishment.Edb. 1720 A. Pennecuik Helicon 79:
She gave him his Paicks and soundly did toss him.Sc. 1777 Weekly Mag. (3 July) 20:
Our Highland regiments bear the brag awa', Wi' gude claymores gie rebel lads their paiks.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxvi.:
He deserved his paiks for't — to put out the light when the fish was on ane's witters!Sc. 1822 Byron Letters (Moore 1875) 899:
He got his paiks — having acted like an assassin, and being treated like one.s.Sc. 1836 Wilson's Tales of the Borders III. 69:
He was richt cheap o' his paiks; for they say he looked after ither women.Abd. 1868 G. Macdonald R. Falconer ii. ii.:
“He's had a stroke,” said his wife . . . “I hae gotten my pecks,” resumed the soutar.Sc. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods (1907) 156:
I'll thole my paiks.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss Hags xxxix.:
We never had more religion than we could carry with comfort, yet we always got our paiks for what little we had.Fif. 1897 S. Tytler Witch-Wife viii.:
But I must say my lessons — if I would not get such paiks as I do not care to provoke.Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables 14:
If they werena' gettin' their paiks for fugiein' . . . it was for herryin' a robin's nest.Sc. 1931 J. Lorimer Red Sergeant x.:
The hang-dog air of such a child begging to escape the paiks he had earned.Sc. 1935 W. D. Cocker Further Poems 37:
Wee Davie, the herd, left the flocks o' his daddy, An' swore he would gie the big giant his paiks.

3. A disreputable character, a worthless creature (Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 351; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.), specif. of women or female animals (Jam.; Watson). Cf. I. 2.Lnk., Rxb. 1825 Jam.:
A cow is called an “auld pake”; a niggardly woman, a “hard pake”.s.Sc. 1898 E. Hamilton Mawkin iii.:
“Foul fa' you, ye daft pake,” he roared. “Whaten hell-brose is this you gi'en me?”