Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
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.
Quotation dates: 1932-1992
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1]
SHERRACK, n., v. Also -ick, -ik, shirrak-, -ick, -ik, and altered forms shirragle, shirrang. Dims. shirrakie, shirraglie. [′ʃɛrək]
I. n. A contention, noisy squabble, rumpus (Lth. 1808 Jam., shirraglie; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 154, shirrang, -agle; Gsw. 1970).Abd. 1932 J. Leatham Fisherfolk 41:
My, sic a shirrakie!Per.4 1950:
Whatna shirraggle's that they're haein next door?
II. v. tr. To rabble or raise a riot about (a person), to incite a mob against (someone) by publicly reviling and denouncing him (wm.Sc. 1970). Freq. in vbl.n. sherracking, a public rebuke or dressing-down, a rabbling of someone, a holding-up of someone to public ridicule or hostility.Gsw. 1935 McArthur & Long No Mean City v.:
"Ah'm tellin' ye this in case she tries to sherrick me." . . . That strange and wild appeal to crowd justice and crowd sympathy which Glasgow describes as a "sherrieking."Abd. 1958 Bulletin (22 Jan.):
One day Cameron gave Matheson a "sherracking" in front of everybody.Edb. 1960s:
You'll be sherricked by your teacher if you don't do your homework. Gsw. 1962 Bill McGhee Cut and Run 111:
They opened your cell in the morning, and 'sherricked' you till they closed the door at tea-time. Gsw. 1977 Alan Spence in Moira Burgess and Hamish Whyte Streets of Stone (1985) 146:
'Noo don't start! Ye gave me enough shirrickin last night. Bloody dog's abuse.' e.Lth. 1983 Mollie Hunter The Dragonfly Years (1989) 58:
'Whadda ya use yer ears fur - ornaments?'
'But that's keelie talk, that's - '
'Ach, shut yer Holy Willie gob before I get ma fella tae kick yer teeth in. And if ya want a damned sight more o' a sherickin' just you try layin' yer dirty mitts on me again!' Gsw. 1986 Moira Burgess in Deirdre Chapman Scottish Short Stories 1986 37:
' ... I gied him a sherrickin' he'll no' forget in a hurry.' Gsw. 1990 Alan Spence The Magic Flute (1991) 125:
' ... We'd let out a big roar every time John Greig got the baw. And we'd give wee Johnstone a right shirriking whenever he made an arse of it! ... ' Gsw. 1992 Jeff Torrington Swing Hammer Swing! (1993) 273:
This was me getting a sherrikin - verbal abuse, Glesca style.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Sherrack n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/sherrack>
