Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1777
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BIRKY, n. In phr. like birky, appar. firmly, securely.Edb. 1777 Weekly Mag. (30 Oct.) 112:
Young lear is ill forgot indeed, It sticks like birky in my head, E'en now whan I am auld.
[Orig. uncertain. Poss. adapted from Birkie, n.3, on the assumption that the word was merely an intensive.]
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"Birky n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snd00087990>
