DSL - SND1 SCUNNER, v., n. Also skunner, -ir, sconner, skonner, scouner; scunhur (Uls.), scunder (Rs.), -re, -dther (Uls.). [
sk
n
r; Rs., Uls. skndr]
I. v. 1. absol. To get a feeling of aversion, disgust or loathing, to feel surfeited or nauseated (Uls. 1931 Northern Whig (27 Nov.)). Gen.Sc.
*Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 54:
Haff done, his Heart began to scunner.
*Ayr. 1786 Burns To J. Smith xxii.:
Yill an' whisky gie to Cairds, Until they sconner.
*Edb. c.1796 H. Macneill Poet. Works (1801) 47:
Sic qualms o' honour Whan sneaking rascals mak you sconner.
*Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxxv.:
A taid may sit on her coffin the day, and she can never scunner when he croaks.
*Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 140:
Be you strong of stomach, and, as the Shepherd would say, dinna scunner.
*Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch Bk. 103:
Tae dive wi' dugged folk, I scunner.
*Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xv.:
A holy smile that gart me scunner.
*m.Sc. 1924 O. Douglas Pink Sugar xix.:
The knife gangs through it [margarine] so creeshy-like, it fair maks me scunner.
2. intr. with at or rarely with: to feel disgust for, to be sickened by, turn in aversion from, be bored or repelled by. Gen Sc., somewhat rare or obsol. Rarely in pass. constr. as in a.1779 quot.
*Sc. 1704 J. Fraser Lawfulness & Duty of Separation (1744) 80:
How Men scunner and ugg at their Meat, being conveyed to them thro' and in such Vessels.
*Edb. a.1774 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 99:
But far frae thee the bailies dwell, Or they wud scunner at your knell.
*Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 21:
It's no to be scunnert at.
*Sc. 1844 Cockburn Circuit Journeys (1888) 220:
The modern chapel, though used every Sunday, would be scunnered at by any congregation of pigs.
*Ayr. 1866 Trans. Highl. Soc. 73:
So long as we are so much dependent on ``foreign'' grass-seeds (or, trash, rather), so long will all wise farmers scunner at using them.
*Kcb. 1893 Crockett Stickit Minister 121:
He did mak' them scunner with the Law.
*Arg. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xxiii.:
I would scunner at the very word.
*m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood xix.:
There are times when I scunner at my native land.
3. intr. To shrink, to flinch, draw back, hestitate.
*Ayr. 1819 Kilmarnock Mirror 174:
Aul' John Knox didnae skunner to tell them their fauts starkly to their face.
*Kcb. 1903 Crockett Banner of Blue xxx.:
They wadna scunner to pit Maister John to ony kind o' expense.
4. tr. To cause a feeling of repulsion, aversion or loathing in (a person), to disgust, nauseate, surfeit (Abd., s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.). Gen.Sc. Followed by at or wi governing the indirect obj. (1) in a lit. sense:
*Sc. 1820 Blackwood's Mag. (Aug.) 513:
The scunnering smell o' an acre o' corses.
*Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 376:
Dutch cheese, foo o' creesh, that I wis ance scunner't wi'.
*Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 95:
They are as the puddock pies or the herrin' puddin's o' Mounseer himsel . . . fit to scunner ony decent man.
*Per. 1894 I. Maclaren Brier Bush 201:
Gruel . . . and eneuch tae scunner ye wi' sugar.
*Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss Hags xxiii.:
It wad hae scunnered a soo!
*Abd. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood iv.:
The smell of his body scunnered them.
*Edb. 1930 Weekly Scotsman (8 March) 7:
Adam yae day, fairly scunnert wi' fruit, For a change o' his diet was wishin'.
(2) in fig. usage, to make (one) bored, uninterested or antipathetic. Gen.Sc. Very freq. in ppl.adj. scunnert, scunnered, disgusted, bored, repelled, ``fed up''. Comb. Scunnert Fair (see 1938 quot.).
*Abd. 1844 W. Thom Poems 41:
Love heard, an' skunnert wi' the plot Swore grey the very moon.
*Edb. 1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal 34:
But wonnert aye what scunnert me, At savoury Shorter Carritch.
*Uls. 1886 W. G. Lyttle Sons of Sod vi.:
A'm jest skunnered wi' coortin', so a `em!
*Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister x.:
I was fair scunnered at Tammas the day.
*Kcb. 1911 G. M. Gordon Auld Clay Biggin' 25:
He had hated the vera sicht o' weemen, as he said they fair scunner't him.
*m.Sc. 1917 O. Douglas The Setons iv.:
He canna stand Tories by naething, they fair scunner him.
*Slg. 1938 Daily Express (3 June):
Only 20 farm workers --- a record low number --- attended yesterday the Falkirk ``Scunnert'' Fair --- so named because it is held after the annual feeing fair to enable workers who are dissatisfied with their wages and conditions to find alternative employment.
*Sc. 1956 Scotsman (10 Jan.) 4:
As a result of the scunnering experience of the past few months, a further substantial decrease in acreage may be expected in 1956.
(3) to bother, to take up (someone's) time or interest.
*Per. 1969:
I canna be scunnered wi = I have no time for, no patience with.
II. n. 1. A feeling of disgust, surfeit or nausea, loathing (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.). Gen.Sc. Occas. in pl. Phr. to tak a scunner (the scunners) at, to take a dislike to, distaste for, (1) lit. of the stomach or appetite:
*Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Jnl. from London 11:
It was enough to gi' a warsh-stamack'd body a scunner.
*Ayr. 1786 Burns To a Haggis v.:
Or fricassee wad mak her spew Wi' perfect sconner.
*Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xxi.:
Like an auld dog that trails its useless ugsome carcass into some bush or bracken, no to gie living things a sconner wi' the sight o't when it's dead.
*Ayr. 1848 J. Ramsay Woodnotes 105:
He'd eat a badger, tail an' a', Without a scunner!
*Abd. 1895 G. Williams Scarbraes 25:
Ever afterwards that worthy woman had a scunner at mitey cheese.
*Edb. 1995 J. Tweeddale Moff 103:
Unless thraitened wi' the shivers, drinks like tae gie me the scunners.
*Uls. 1820 J. Logan Uls. in X-rays vi.:
Bad eggs gie onybody the skunner.
*Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 20:
The clairty, creeshy look o'd wad heh gien a body the scunners.
*Slg. 1935 W. D. Cocker Further Poems 32:
We tak' sic a scunner at plain brose an' brochan.
(2) in a fig. sense: repugnance, distaste, dislike, a loss of interest or enthusiasm (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Gen.Sc. Followed by 
again(st), at, o, tae, til, wi.
*Mry. 1806 J. Cock Simple Strains 15:
I'm wae she mingled praise wi' sconner.
*Ayr. 1824 A. Crawford Tales Grandmother v.:
She had got a perfect scunner at the banks wi' the Douglas and Heron bubble.
*Edb. 1849 G. Bell Wynds Edb. 5:
Horror-striken at first, the subject of a moral skunner.
*Abd. 1882 G. MacDonald Castle Warlock xlix.:
It's the natur o' dougs to tak scunners. They see far ben.
*Lth. 1883 M. Oliphant Ladies Lindores ii.:
A scunner is a sudden sickening and disgust with an object not necessarily disagreeable --- a sort of fantastic prejudice, which there is no struggling against.
*Gall. 1900 R. J. Muir Mystery Muncraig ii.:
He had never told his weakness to his brother, having had a `scunner' against doing so.
*Uls. 1911 F. E. Crichton Soundless Tide 20:
He tuk some soort of a scunner til her, an' now he's just left her sittin'.
*Ork. 1915 Old-Lore Misc. VIII. I. 44:
Sheu flitted hersel a' dat lent wi' fair scunner.
*Sh. 1918 T. Manson Peat Comm. 142:
Shu'd tak a skuner ta da animal if shu kent what I'm paid fur her.
*m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood i.:
You'll give our young brother a scunner of the place.
*Ags. 1930 A. Kennedy Orra Boughs xxx.:
I come hame o' nichts wi' a scunner o' their littleness.
*Rnf. 1935 L. Kerr Woman of Glenshiels xiii.:
It fair gies ye the scunner the way they all grumble.
*Sc. 1964 Scotsman (12 Nov.) 5:
Many of them have taken a scunner at religion because they took a scunner at it at school.
(3) a shudder betokening physical or moral repugnance; a sudden shock.
*Fif. 1864 St. Andrews Gazette (20 Feb.):
A `scunner' had visibly passed over the frame of Farmer Briggs at these words.
*Sc. 1881 Stevenson Works (1907) VI. 103:
There gaed a scunner through the flesh upon his banes.
*Gall. 1901 Gallovidian III. 73:
What a scunner they got! the muckle flagstane wasna there.
2. A cause or object of loathing or aversion, a disgusting or tiresome business, a pest, nuisance: (1) of things or actions (Abd. 1825 Jam.). Gen.Sc.
*Mry. 1865 J. Horne Poems 24:
Faigs, borrowed money is a sconner.
*Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxi.:
The impidence o' creatures is a perfect scunner.
*Ags. 1878 J. S. Neish Reminisc. 115:
That ugly clout [a kilt] plapin' aboot yer legs was a perfect scunner.
*Ayr. 1879 J. White Jottings 185:
Ribbons bricht in hue and gloss, A perfect skunner.
*Lnk. 1926 W. Queen We're A' Coortin' 10:
It's a richt scunner walkin' up that long avenue tae the big hoose.
*Gsw. 1947 H. W. Pryde 1st Bk. McFlannels i.:
Ah thocht the room floor was bad but this is a fair scunner.
(2) of persons: one who causes disgust or dislike from his appearance, habits or actions, a troublesome, tiresome or objectionable person, a plague (Abd. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.). Gen.Sc.
*Gall. 1796 J. Lauderdale Poems 91:
Some poor waff detested scunner.
*Sc. a.1838 in Jam. MSS. XII. 194:
That scunner is guid for naething but setting up to fley awa the craws frae the potatoes.
*Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xxxv.:
Her --- a black ugly lookin' scunner.
*Sh. 1906 T. P. Ollason Spindrift 124:
Howld dee awey, doo skunner `at doo is.
*Lnk. 1926 W. Queen We're A' Coortin 69:
Ye wee bowly-leggit scunner ye.
*Fif. 1950 Scots Mag. (July) 263:
You iggerant, impident, shilpit, wee scunner!
*Bnff. 1958 Banffshire Jnl. (1 April):
A fraisie, meally-mou'd, twa-faced scunner o' a lad.
(3) Derivs.: (i) scunneration, scunnerashun, an object of dislike or disgust, an offensive sight (Sh., Abd., Ags., Per., Kcb. 1969); (ii) scunnerfu, disgusting, nauseating, objectionable (ne., m. and s.Sc. 1969); (iii) scunnerguts, a disgusting sight or object, a horrible appearance; (iv) scun(n)erous, -is, = (ii); (v) scunnersome, id. Gen.(exc. I.) Sc. Also adv.
(i)
*Sh. 1899 Shetland News (28 Oct.):
Yon twisted matash is dat pitten on laek, `at it's juist a scunnerashun.
(ii)
*Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xix.:
Isna't a rael scunnerfu' thing to see the like o' Maister Tawse colleagin' wi' sic company?
*Sc. 1894 Scots Mag. (Nov.) 466:
He was juist scunnerfu' wi' pride.
*Bnff. 1918 J. Mitchell Bydand 6:
It's scunnerfu' the things they say.
*Abd. 1956 People's Jnl. (24 March):
Sic a scunnerfu' week o' win' an' stooer `is his been.
(iii)
*Ayr. 1868 J. K. Hunter Artist's Life 91:
What a scunnerguts o' a face the Englishman put on him.
(iv)
*Sh. 1879 Shetland Times (10 May):
Bein' hooted by a scunneris Scotsman.
*Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 105:
I care no' for his scunerous tong'.
(v)
*Ags. 1863 Brechin Advert. (6 Oct.) 2:
It had sic a dreadfu' and scunnersome look.
*Lnk. 1880 Clydesdale Readings 213:
Exaggerated tae a degree that renders them perfeckly scunnersome an' abominable.
*Sc. 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ i. vii.:
What pleesures man is aften scunnersome tae God.
*Arg.1 1935:
Wuz her hoose clean? Clean! It wuz scunnersome clean.
*Sc. 1951 Scots Mag. (May) 89:
[Herod] cam by a scunnersome end himsel'.
*Edb. 1964 Weekly Scotsman (9 July) 19:
A scunnersome nyaff.
[Orig. uncertain. O.Sc. skunnyr, skowner, to shrink back, flinch, 1375, skoner, to feel sick or disgusted, 1420, scunner, a disgust, 1500. Poss. a freq. form of *scun, a north. form of Eng. shun, but evidence for this is wanting. Relationships with the earlier Mid.Eng. scurn, to flinch, and phs. Eng. scorn are even more problematical.]