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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SWEET, v., n.¹ Also sweit (Sc. 1704 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 340; Slk. 1813 Hogg Poems (1874) 13; Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 6; Cai. 1909 D. Houston 'E Silkie Man 7; Lnk. 1919 G. Rae Clyde and Tweed 44); swite (Ags. 1813 Montrose Review (30 July) 240; Cai. 1871 M. MacLennan B. Blake i. iv.; Abd. 1946 J. C. Milne Orra Loon 27; Sh. 1952 New Shetlander No. 31. 27), swyte (Ags. 1872 J. Kennedy Jock Crawfurt 43; Mry. 1927 E. B. Levack Lossiemouth 31; ne.Sc., Ags. 1972); swat(t) (Ags. 1894 A. Reid Songs 38; Uls. 1898 H. MacDonagh Irish Life 293; Sc. 1924 Scots Mag. (July) 295); swaet (Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 28), swate (Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xliv.; Uls. 1884 Cruck-a-Leaghan and Slieve Gallion Lays and Leg. 55; Clc. 1885 J. Beveridge Poets Clc. 158). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. sweat (Sc. 1709 R. Wodrow Analecta (M.C.) I. 154; Per. 1729 D. P. Menzies Menzies Bk. (1894) 363, Wgt. 1742 Session Bk. Wigtown (1934) 573; wm.Sc. 1888 Anon. Archie Macnab 93; Kcb. 1911 G. M. Gordon Auld Clay Biggin 13; Lth., Ayr. 1923–6 Wilson; Slg. 1929 W. D. Cocker Dandie 12; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai). [swit; ne.Sc., Ags., Per. swəit. See P.L.D. § 126. 2.]

I. v. A. Forms. Pr.t. as above. Pa.t. reduced swat (Sc. 1718 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 69; Ayr. 1790 Burns Tam o' Shanter 148; Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 56; s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 208; Per. 1893 Harp Per. (Ford) 190; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Bnff. 1929 Abd. Univ. Review (March) 110; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Sh., Ags., Ayr., Rxb. 1972); swate (Lnk. 1856 “Young Glasgow” Deil's Hallowe'en 44), swet (Abd. 1920 G. P. Dunbar Peat Reek 13, Abd. 1972); full forms swatted (Kcb. 1911 Crockett Rose of the Wilderness xxii.), swattit (Abd. 1920 C. Murray Country Places 36; Dmf. 1972) sweitit (Ags. 1955 Forfar Dispatch (14 July); Abd. 1972), sweited (Cai. 1904 E.D.D.). Pa.p. strong swutten (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 208; Bwk. 1876 W. Brockie Confessional 181; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Abd., Dmf. 1972), swatten (Abd. 1882 G. MacDonald Castle Warlock xxiv.); weak sweited (Cai. 1904 E.D.D.); sweitit (ne.Sc. 1972); swat (Kcb. 1825 W. Nicholson Poems (1897) 81; Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 262; Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 67; Lnk. 1895 A. G. Murdoch Sc. Readings i. 98); mixed sweeten (Rxb. 1942 Zai).m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 65:
Thir Malebolges gar ye sweit a taet;
nestie, frae Circle Yin tae Circle Nine,Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 18:
This is whit he gies,
and waur, the feck wad hae that ease
raither than swite i the warsle tae see
Scotland as it is and as it micht be,

B. Usage. Of cheese: to exude whey, to ripen by drying (Gall. 1904 E.D.D.). Comb. sweating-room, the part of the dairy in which this is done. Also in Eng. dial.Per. 1879 P. R. Drummond Bygone Days 83:
The owner to appear forthwith in the sweating-room.Ayr. 1889 H. Johnston Glenbuckie vii.:
A' my last year's cheese lying in the laft sweating themselves awa' to mere skeletons.

II. n. 1. As in Eng. Combs. (1) sweet-bed, the process of allowing malt to exude moisture in fermentation for brewing (see quot.) (Ork. 1972); (2) sweat-blab, a drop or blob of sweat; (3) sweet fume, a state of great anger or excitement, a perspiring rage; (4) sweet-heap (Ork. 1972), (5) sweet-heat, brewing terms applied to the state of the malt when it is in the early stages of drying. See quot. and cf. (1).(1) Ork. 1968 M. A. Scott Island Saga 74:
The malt was put in “sweet bed”; that is, it was shovelled up in a heap again, turning as usual morning and night, outside under, inside over.(2) Ags. 1880 J. E. Watt Poet. Sk. 19:
The sweat-blabs fell frae my broo like rain.(3) Hdg. 1796 Session Papers, Petition J. Tait (26 May) Proof 32:
Mr Ker came in a sweet fume, and said “What the devil could tempt them to do this?”(4) (5) Sc. 1901 Scotsman (20 Aug.) 7:
The malt was spread out evenly on the barn floor . . . till the grains “could chalk the nail”. It was then ready for the ‘sweet heap'. . . . When it had reached the proper point of “sweet” heat it had to be kiln-dried at once, otherwise it lost strength. Hence it was common to “wauk maut”.

Deriv.: swyty, also sweity, swaetie. Sc. forms of Eng. sweaty.Sc. 1991 T. S. Law in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 34:
In thae days whuin a collier man
was crusht an killt alow a stane,
the-tyme wi sploongein, swaetie sark,
gurriein, he wrocht at the wark,m.Sc. 1994 John Burns in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 25:
He lookt up an saw the two o them: Jock, big an sweity and hairy wi his muckle gret moustache an the hairs pokin oot the en o his nose, an Tam wi his wizent wee futret face scruncht up ablow his bunnet.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 1:
The quine raxxed her swyty haun ower the lang gear stick an poued hard.

2. Stress, exertion; a state of anxiety or excitement. Gen.Sc. and U.S. Arch. or dial. in Eng.Mry. 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. 77:
He gya Jeames a swite for't [at a game of draughts].Edb. 1897 W. Beatty Secretar viii.:
He was in a bit of a sheugh, one that he was in a sweat to be out of.