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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

SKEEG, v., n.², adv. Also skeig, skig, skeg, skaig(g); †skeyg; erron. skug. [skig]

I. v. 1. To whip, strike, esp. with the palm of the hand, to slap, to spank a child's bottom (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 465; ne.Sc. 1970). Vbl.n. skeegin, a spanking. Deriv. †skeegers, n.pl., a whip for a top, esp. one made of rushes (Arg. 1808 Jam.).Mry. 1790 Aberdeen Mag. 31:
How Brownie the houdie, . . . Syne skeigit the fleip [who] should ha'e gane.Sc. 1803 Scott Minstrelsy III. 359:
The norlan blast . . . That skeegs the dark brown waste.Ags. 1865 W. Grant Poet. Pieces 43:
Whither when bullerin boreas skegs.Abd. 1861 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. 75:
Fa skuggit [sic] the lawdy?, that is, whipt or flogged the boy.Abd. 1935 J. White Sea Road i.:
If I see ye as much as lay a finger on the bairn again, I'll — I'll skeeg ye.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iv.:
“A'll gie ye a gweed skeegin,” cried the exasperated mother.

2. To move nimbly, to hurry along, to walk with long, unbecoming steps (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 156), with sim. semantic development to Skelp, v.n.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
Skeyggin awa' on the road, walking stoutly and quickly.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 52:
Aff, sae they skeygit, man and dame.

II. n. 1. A blow, slap, smack, esp. on the bottom (ne.Sc. 1825 Jam., ne.Sc. 1970). Deriv. skeegit, -at, id. (ne.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 157, -at).

2. In phrs. †at the skegg, skeyg-for-skeyg, at a quick cracking pace, scudding along (Ags. 1825 Jam.); to play skeeg, skaig(g), to fall with a flat smack, to clash down, also fig. to go suddenly bankrupt (Fif. 1825 Jam.).Bnff. 1852 A. Harper Solitary Hours 56:
He flew like fireflaught — roof an a'! Gade skeyg-for-skeyg out ower the leys.

III. adv. With long, unbecoming steps (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 156). See v., 2, above.