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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

SPUR, v., n.¹ Also spurr. Sc. forms and usages:

I. v. 1. Of a putter in a coal mine: to press the ground with the toes when pushing a hutch or coal truck, to give added leverage or force.e.Lth. 1887 P. McNeill Blawearie 78:
All the “spurring” must be done, not in a splay-footed manner, but from the points of the toes.

2. To scrape, scratch around, as a fowl in search of food (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1971).

3. To hurry, run fast (Sh. 1904 E.D.D., 1914 Angus Gl., ‡Sh. 1971). Obs. in Eng.

II. n. 1. As in Eng. Sc. phrs. and combs.: (1) spur-band, a strut or diagonal stay in a roof; (2) spur-bauk, id. (Mry., Abd. 1825 Jam.). Cf. Bauk, n.¹; (3) spur-faang, see (5); (4) spur in the head, a glass of spirits; (5) spur-(leather-)whang, -faang, (i) the leather strap or thong attaching a spur to the heel. See Whang; (ii) transf. a small trifling thing, something of little value; (iii) a person of a sour, dogged disposition (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 179). For this sense cf. Eng. †under-spur-leather, applied to a menial; (6) to wet a spur, appar. used fig. = to cross the sea.(1) Edb. 1755 Session Papers, Laing v. Lord Chief Baron Idle (5 March) 7:
The old Roof was what they call a sole-footed Roof, or hanging Post and Spur-band, which is a very ill contrived Kind of Roof.(4) Sc. 1736 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 16:
A spur in the head is worth twa in the heel.(5) (i) Sc. 1892 Scott Minstrelsy I. 187:
And the mergh o' his shin bane has run down on his spur leather whang.Sc. 1820 Scott Monastery xxxvi.:
There are strapping lads enough would have rid us of him for the lucre of his spur-whang.(ii) Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 175:
He hasna left the value of a spur-whang.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 231:
He didna ley ae spur-faang o's dainer.(6) Sc. 1751 Atholl MSS:
My kind Compliments to him and Mr. Young, for whom I hope yet to wett a Spur [Letter from Lord George Murray in exile].

2. Hurry, haste (Edb. 1898 J. Baillie Walter Crighton 285, spurr). Cf. I. 3.

3. In dim. form spurrie: a rove beetle, any staphylinid beetle, which moves very fast, such as earwigs, silverfish, etc., lang spurries being centipedes and millipedes (Ork. 1960). Cf. I. 3.