Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
JEEG, v., adv., n.2 Also jig, jeea(c)k, jeig; gig; jeg. [dʒig]
I. v. 1. To creak, make a creaking noise (Sc. 1825 Jam., gig; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 90, jeeack; Sc. 1880 Jam.; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Phr. to jeeack oot o' ither, of a dilapidated piece of furniture: to fall to pieces with creaking (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 90).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 239:
Lick thy Loof, and lay't to mine, dry Leather gigs ay.Edb. 1877 J. A. Sidey Alter Ejusdem 3:
Syne wi' the jeegin' wheel, Roun' in a rummlin' reel, Thrummles the burnie that wins to the sea.ne.Sc. 1935 Sc. N. & Q. (Feb.) 23:
Th' reeftree jeeaks eerilie unner th' thak.
2. To move so as to produce a creaking noise (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 90). Ppl.adj. jeeackin, emitting a creaking noise; vbl.n. jeeackan, the act of shaking so as to produce a creaking noise, the noise itself (Ib.).Sc. 1808 Jam.:
A weaver, in vulgar phraseology, is said to jeeg awa at his loom, in reference to the sound made by the loom.
3. = Eng. jig, to move with a light jerky motion (Ayr. 1959), tr. and intr.Ayr. 1793 Burns Duncan Gray (1st set) i.:
I maun sit the lee-lang day, And jeeg the cradle wi' my tae.
†4. To taunt, scoff at (a person or thing) (Ags. 1825 Jam.).Ib.:
Why are ye ay jeeggin at me?
II. adv. With a creaking noise (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 90).
III. n. 1. A creaking noise (Sc. 1880 Jam.). Hence, a jerk, sudden pull, tilt, rock, swing (Sc. 1887 Id.; Cai. 1907 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 75, Cai. 1959).
2. = Eng. jig, the dance; also in pl., with extended meanings, carry-on, ongoings, capers (ne.Sc. 1959).Sc. 1757 Poem on Wright-Craft 13:
Since thus they by lascivious, sordid, vain And idle Jeiggs the Muses much profane.Ags. 1899 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy i.:
Princie began to do a bit jeeg, garrin' Sandy bowse aboot on the front o' the cairt.Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 74:
To suit the alter'd beirin's o' our Chief, An' a' our ain domestic fireside jeegs.
†3. A taunt, a jibe (Ags. 1825 Jam.).
[A variant of Eng. jig, a dance, a caper, a piece of sport, a comic interlude, a skit or lampoon (cf. I. 4., III. 2. and 3.), which may be of Sc. orig. O.Sc. jeig, a jig, a.1578.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Jeeg v., adv., n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/jeeg_v_adv_n2>
