Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
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.

VARG, v., n. Also vaarg; verg; freq. form vargle. [vɑrg; vɛrg]

I. v. 1. tr. To soil, defile (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., verg, Sh. 1973). Hence ppl.adj. vergit, striped with dirt (Ib.), with intensive form vargled.Sh. 1906 T. P. Ollason Spindrift 17:
Dy claes lyin' vargled i' da dirt.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
Du is vargin dy claes.

2. intr. To work in dirty conditions, perform a messy task (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)); to work in a slaving laborious way (Sh. 1973); to meddle messily with.Sh. 1919 T. Manson Peat Comm. 133, 152:
Muckle need I hae fur pearl broches, vargin i da byre. . . . Shu's vargid lang anof efter him, I kno.Sh. 1947 Sh. Folk Bk. (Tait) I. 72:
We aye vargit while we cood see.Sh. 1961 New Shetlander No. 58. 16:
For you'll no catch me vargin wi ony ice-cremm.Sh. 1994 Laureen Johnson in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 164:
Heth, it wisna an aesy job. I vargit on for da swaet wis hailin aff o me, an still da branch höld. Maybe he wisna as dead as I towt.

II. n. 1. A mess, an untidy mix-up, dirt, rubbish, lit. and fig. (Sh. 1973).Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 29:
Güd feth! I'd caa't mi staff debasin, Ta steer da verg.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
To mak' a varg o' a t'ing. To speak a lock o' varg.

2. Messiness, dirty or disgusting work or conditions (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1973). Also deriv. vargation, id. (Sh. 1973).Sh. 1919 T. Manson Peat Comm. 166, 190:
Bit man da varg aboot it is aafil. . . . Ta help ta get her or wan o dem oot o da vargation o a croft.Sh. 1949 New Shetlander (Mar.*nd. Apr.) 7:
There was little of the picturesque in the varg and slaister of an old-time voar-rig.