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.
Quotation dates: 1914
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¶SPENSIE, adj. Also spencie. Neat, tidy, smart in appearance. Cf. Pense, I. 2.(2)
(i) and S, letter, 5.Mry. 1914 H. J. Warwick Tales 17, 43:
A figure appears at the corner of South Row — a “spencie mannie” in a “lum” hat. . . . But his neebor, the aul' wyver, . . . wisna jeist sae spensie.
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"Spensie adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/spensie>
