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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SANSHACH, adj. Also -(a)uch, -agh, -e(u)ch, -schach, -ich, -sach, -seuch, saunchich, sansyach, sunshack, -ick, senshach, and altered form (metri causa) ¶saunsom. [′sɑnʃəx]

1. Wily, crafty (Bch. 1808 Jam.); shrewd, pawkie (Bnff. 1969); “sarcastically clever” (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 464; Bnff. 1920).Bnff. 1899 W. Geddes Mem. J. Geddes 10, 45:
The elder John Geddes . . . was a plain man of simple common-sense, shrewd and “sanschach”, but probably schooled by hard experience to canny and cautious ways of life. . . . Some floating sayings were credited to him of the kind called sansehach (or knowing) and pawky.
Bnff. 1918 J. Mitchell Bydand 28:
An he's a siccar sanseuch chiel, rale couthie, Kin', an' croose.
Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 16:
an' tho it maun be saired by ither words
gin they hinna the lear they're but dautit cage-birds
freed tae fend wi the sanshach craws
that ken the wun's airt afore it blaws;
thae winsome craturies peeplin a tune
'ill be an houlet's denner gey soon.

2. Disdainful, haughty, saucy, surly, “snooty”, snappish (Abd. 1825 Jam.; ne.Sc. 1969).Mry. 1851 D. Paul Poems 109:
Yer wives like ladies go Wi pride they are sae saunsom.
Abd. 1898 J. R. Imray Sandy Todd xi.:
Od be here, Meggie, yer unco sanshech wi's the day.
Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 114:
What will I dee to the sanshach skunk Wha refeeses me respeck?
Abd. 1956 People's Jnl. (5 May):
There's ey folk wha think us Scots are sunshick an' stan'affish.
Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 43:
He wis fyles a thochtie short in the trot
An sanshich in his mainner, ...

3. Precise, pettish, crotchetty (Kcd. 1825 Jam.; ne.Sc. 1969).Abd. 1882 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 179:
Jean Futtrit was aye a pernickitty, sansheuch kin' o' deemie in 'er nain wye.

4. Pleasant, agreeable, genial (Mry., Bnff., Abd. 1969); of children: sage, sensible, well-behaved (Cai. 1904 E.D.D., senshach).

[Of somewhat doubtful orig. Presumably the same word as Sonsie, q.v., Gael. sonasach, happy, fortunate, but in meanings 2. and 3. the semantic change is not obviously explained. There may have been confusion with Gael. sònasach, easily annoyed, pettish.]

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"Sanshach adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/sanshach>

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