Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SHORTSOME, adj., v. Also -sum, ¶-shum. [′ʃortsəm]

I. adj. 1. Of persons or things: causing or feeling time to pass quickly, lively and entertaining, cheerful, merry (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis s.v. schort; Kcd., Cld. 1880 Jam.; ne.Sc. 1970); also of a pleasant situation (Bch. 1825 Jam.; n.Sc., Ags., Per. 1970).Mry. 1828 Edb. Ev. Courant (18 Sept.):
It's very shortsome. There's a hantle o' folk passing to the market.Abd. a.1835 Bards Bon-Accord (Walker 1887) 607:
Maybe a sang To haud fowk shortsum roun' the ingle.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 78:
A niver saw sic a short-some, cantie bit bodie.Mry. 1914 H. J. Warwick Tales 17:
“The Toon” was a “shortshum plaicie, wi' a terrible haip o' fowk in't.”Abd. 1956 Abd. Press & Jnl. (7 March):
Life is shortsome for her these days.

II. v. To make shortsome, to pass (time) quickly, to enliven, to entertain. Cf. Shorten.Bnff. 1850 Brown Robin in Child Ballads No. 97. B. xiv.:
But therr's nae a mary mang them a' Can pu flowers to shortsome me.Mry.¹ 1925:
To shortsome the forenicht wi readin the papers.