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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STECH, v., n. Also staich, stegh; steech, steigh, stich; stych-; stoich, stoych; stauch-. [steç; stiç; Arg. stɔiç]

I. v. 1. tr. or refl. To stuff or cram (the stomach, oneself) with food, to fill to repletion (Sc. 1825 Jam; Edb. 1952 R. Fergusson (Smith) 141). Rarely to pack, cram in gen. Vbl.n. stechin, -en, -an, food, a hearty meal.Sc. 1732 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) IV. 131:
Come see, ye hash, how sair I sweat, To stegh your guts, ye sot.Sc. 1772 J. Reed Register-Office 25:
I ha' no had my puir Wame weel-steght this two Owks an aboon.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 57:
His barns weel-stock't wi' best o' grain, An' been stegh't fother lafts.Lth. 1813 G. Bruce Poems 165:
In hopes that in a jiffy, he Cou'd stechen to his belly gie.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 126:
Fu, mony a kyte, says she, I've stech'd.Fif. 1867 J. Morton Clarkson Gray 32:
To stech yersel' wi' my bit laif.Clc. 1882 J. Walker Poems 81:
But in a hostel beef and kail Now gied our wames a stechan.Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Drunk Man 3:
O gin they'd stegh their guts and haud their wheesht.Edb. 1965 J. K. Annand Sing it Aince 16:
We'll stech oor kytes till the denties are dune.

2. absol. for refl.: to gorge or stuff oneself with food, to gormandize (Sc. 1825 Jam.; em.Sc. (a), Lth. 1971). Ppl.adj. stechin, gluttonous, gutsy; deriv. stechie, id., also as a n., a glutton (Fif. 1825 Jam.).Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 61:
Tho' the gentry first are stechin.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 59:
He steghs on fat, synds't down wi' wine.Sc. 1826 M. Dods Manual II. 65:
Let the Englishers stech till they burst.Edb. 1869 J. Smith Poems 4, 116:
Wee Benjie, stechin' rogue . . . Sic feastin' an' stechin'.e.Lth. 1889 J. Lumsden Lays 142:
The southern dealers, yamp an crouse, Wad stech an' denner.

3. To pack, cram (people) together, to crowd.Sc. 1794 J. Grahame Poems 97:
But mind whan fok o'er close ye stech, It sometimes gars them sweat and pech.

4. tr. and intr. To oppress or be oppressed with heat, from being in a close atmosphere or having too many clothes on (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Abd. 1955). Phr. to stech in bed, to pamper oneself by lying in bed (Ib.). Also in deriv. stoicher. Ppl.adj. stoichert, overpowered with heat, lack of air, excess of clothing, etc. (Cld. 1880 Jam.).Ayr. 1825 Jam.:
Overloaded with clothes; as, “She's a stoichert quean,” or, “He's stoichert up like a Dutchman.”

5. tr. and intr. To create a strong unpleasant stifling atmosphere (in), to emit a vile smell (in), to fill with bad air or fumes, to stink (Bnff., Abd. 1971). Freq. with up.Ayr. a.1838 D. Caldwell Poems 24:
Wee cutty too (that's often stoychen).Lnk. 1825 Jam.:
The house is stoicht wi' reek.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie viii.:
A mixtie-maxtie steghing puddle.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xi.:
Comin' there wi' a foumart in's pouch, stechin up the kirk.Abd. 1925 Banffshire Jnl. (21 April):
The air was steechin' again.

6. To gasp, pant, be out of breath, puff, grunt: (1) from repletion (Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 693, Ayr. 1971).Sc. 1812 The Scotchman 51:
Staunin' stechin wi his, shouther at the door cheek.Ags. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin vi.:
Gettin' his kyte lined wi' sowens an' sweet milk until he was fairly stechin.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr. Duguid 258:
The fosy monks stechin wi' howtowdies and rumbledethumps.

(2) from exertion or effort (Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Per., Fif., Lth., wm.Sc., Wgt., s.Sc. 1971). Ppl.adj. in deriv. form stechled, puffed, tired out (Wettstein). Vbl.n. stechin panting.Fif. 1862 St Andrews Gazette (19 Sept.):
Then aff they throw their outer duds, And till't they gang wi' stechin'.Ags. 1885 Mod. Sc. Poets (Edwards) VIII. 191:
Sae dinna stech, and grane and pech.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 258:
In the glunshes I sippit my coffee, Syne stech'd out the gate for the air.Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 12:
Steghin' back He'd heard the auld-Tron Kirk bell's crack.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
He cam stechin' up the brae.s.Sc. 1947 L. Derwent Clashmaclavers 4:
The congregation, shaire as fate, Fa' far ahint, stechin' an' groanin'.

†7. To puff oneself up, to swell with self-importance, to look big.Rxb. 1807 J. Ruickbie Wayside Cottager 182:
Ye sour-mou'd fock pang'd fu' o' prose . . . Nae doubt ye'll steigh, and cock your nose.

II. n. 1. A stuffing or cramming with food, a guzzle, a greedy mouthful; rich. dainty or trashy food (Kcd. 1971).e.Lth. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 39:
Aye atween the stechs galore We pree the tither drappie.

2. A gasp, grunt, a panting breath, as if due to over-exertion (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.; Lth., Wgt., Rxb. 1971).Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 23:
Wei war off — wui a yerk an a dunsh an a stech an a “Parp!”

3. (1) A dense crowd, heap or mass of people or objects squeezed or huddled together in small compass (Ags. 1971).n.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
A stech of bairns, a stech of claise.

(2) The stuffy, fetid atmosphere produced by this (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Abd., Kcd. 1971); any form of disorder or lack of cleanliness, noisome or dirt-accumulating rubbish (Ags. 1971); “something obnoxious” (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Deriv. stechrie, id. (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.). Adj. ¶stauchie, stuffy, humid.Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 138:
Her house for rannigants an' quines Was just a steigh.Ags. 1845 G. Webster Strathbrachan III. xv.:
We could lend her some o' the stechrie o' this house.Abd. 1867 W. Anderson Rhymes 189:
His herd o' swine That keepit sic a stech and stink.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 27:
She has an awfu' hoosefu' o' stech.Sc. 1898 Royal Caled. Curling Club Ann. 154:
The mauchie stauchie simmer heat.Abd. 1900 E.D.D., s.v. fust:
What a lot o' stech an' foosht there is in that house.

(3) A choking sulphurous smell, an obnoxious nauseating fetor, a stench.Lnk. 1825 Jam.:
There's a stoich o' reek in the house.Arg.¹ 1930:
Whaar's that aafu stoich comin' frae?