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: 1706-1722, 1817-1897
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‡SPONSIBLE, adj. Responsible, reliable, respectable (Sc. 1808 Jam.); in 1859 quot. of an animal. Also in Eng. dial. Cf. Sponsefu, Sponsall.Wgt. 1706 Session Bk. Wgt. (1934) 104:
Any person sponsible who would take in lone the money which had been depositated in his hand.Sc. 1722 R. Wodrow Sufferings iii. vii. s.l:
Not till Caution was found by Two sponsible Persons.Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy xxi.:
Mr. Hammorgaw, or ony ither sober and sponsible person.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch xi.:
From the man's sponsible and feasible manner of speech.Lth. 1859 M. Oliphant Adam Graeme iii. iii.:
He's a decent, sober, 'sponsible beast.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xviii.:
The Presbytery concludit the sattlement i' the manse again a' spon[s]ible objections.Sc. 1876 S. R. Whitehead Daft Davie 197:
The most sponsible folk of her own station.Fif. 1897 S. Tytler Lady Jean's Son ii.:
A douce, sponsible gentleman.
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"Sponsible adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 8 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/sponsible>
