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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.

SHAN, adj., n., v.¹ Also shand. [ʃɑn]

I. adj. 1. Of poor quality, bad, mean, worn-out, shabby, pitiful, paltry, lit. and fig. (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 20; Rxb. 1970). Deriv. ¶shaney, id.Sc. 1714 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 17:
Of umquhile John to lie or bann, Shaws but ill Will, and looks right shan.Gsw. 1823 J. Livingston Comic Songs 19:
For she had in her han' a tree bit stick Wi' a shaney joint, that play'd rick, tick, tick.Rxb. 1933 Border Mag. (April) 64:
Kelso has, too, words like “shan” (meaning of poor quality, as “a shan game”).Per. 1979 Betsy Whyte The Yellow on the Broom 33:
I was cooried inside her tent and could hear every word he said. I hadn't wanted to desert her in case he was a 'shan gadgie' - an unpleasant man looking for a woman. Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 113:
Since Sammie and Noreen were a bit of an oddity, they sometimes would bing avree frae the rest of the hantel and gang awa by themsels. Sometimes they felt a bittie shan aboot their appearances and there were aye een or twa folks would make keelioshieks oot of them; ... Edb. 1992:
That's shan on Timmy! wm.Sc. 1994 Duncan Williamson The Horsieman 149:
And fags, I never wanted for fags. I got kind o shan after that he gave me so many packets. Edb. 1995 Irvine Welsh Marabou Stork Nightmares (1996) 140:
Bernard was constantly blowing my cool. I fancied myself as a hard cunt and it was fuckin shan to have that for a brother. Edb. 1995 Dougie McKenzie in Joy Hendry Chapman 81 38:
Ma Shughy is a barry gadge,
No shy, no shan, a total radge.
When we walk oot they're aa impressed.
He only nashes wi the best.

2. Bashful, timid, backward, chicken-hearted, frightened (Rxb. 1950 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 336); also of fish when reluctant to take the bait (Cai. 1970). Also in Eng. dial., and in forms shandy, shannie (Sc. 1887 Jam.).Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems I. 67:
Yet man At theft an' robbing is na shan.Rxb. 1930:
I'm shan for the bull.

3. Angry, annoyed, in a bad temper, offended (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Rxb. 1933 Border Mag. (April) 64:
In the phrase pupils apply to a teacher, “He's shan this morning.”

4. In poor health, ailing (Watson).Edb. 1993 Irvine Welsh Trainspotting (1994) 6:
Ah soon started tae feel fucking shan n aw. Bad cramps wir beginning tae hit us as we mounted the stairs tae Johnny's gaff.

II. n. 1. Forged money, counterfeit coins or bank-notes. Also fig.Sc. 1800 Edb. Advertiser (22 July) 54:
“Do you know any thing about Shan?” . . . “I believe it is bad money.”Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxxii.:
I doubt Glossin will prove but shand after a' . . .; but this is a gude half-crown ony way.

2. In bakers' usage: inferior or damaged loaves, usu. sold at a cheaper price (Gsw. 1950 A. R. Daniel Bakers' Dict. Suppl.). Comb. shan shop, A baker's shop selling shan.Ayr. c.1900 per J. Morrison, Stevenston:
The end or side loaves of a batch of bread were called “Shan”.Gsw. 1977 Jimmy Boyle A Sense of Freedom 14:
On a Saturday morning Harry and I would get up and go down to the Shan shop at the bottom of our street, and keep a place in the enormous queue, giving Ma time to visit shops to get the things she wanted there. The Shan shop was a Co-op store that sold fresh spoils sent over from the nearby Co-op Bakery and it was very popular as people would come from all over to get the cheap, fresh food. They gave out big bags of broken buns for a penny and we used to get someone at the front of the queue to get us a bag and we would do them all in while waiting our turn.Dundee 1991:
Ye mind on him ... he opened the shan shop that sellt aulders in the Hilltoon ...

3. Shame. Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 36:
I felt a kind of shan whin he asked a woman like Muggie tae mang aboot vulgar things and far mair surprised whin Muggie started tae tell aboot her wedding night.wm.Sc. 1994 Duncan Williamson The Horsieman 159:
I put some stones round it, and I went and cut some rashes and made a bed. Jeannie was kind of shan, with other folk next to us. We were only about two nights together. I said, 'Come on, get the bed made!' And she was awfully ashamed. She was very easy shanned. I said, 'Come on, ye're a mairriet woman now, so get the bed made!'

III. v. In ppl.adj. shann'd, shant, 1. of milk: gone bad, sour (Cai. 1920–69, shant); 2. sorry, disappointed (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., shann'd).