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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Stinkand, Stinking, ppl. adj. Also: stinkande, stynkand, stinchende, stynking, stinkan, styncken. Superl. stinckinest. [ME and e.m.E. stinnkennde (Orm), stinkinde (Ancr. R.), stinkand (Manning), stynkynge (Wyclif), stincking (a1564), stinking (1604); Stink v.]

1. That gives off an offensive smell; foul-smelling.Freq. in street names and other place-names.The quot. Hamilton Cat. 152 may properly belong in 2.(1) attrib. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 981.
Suddanly thai ware all deide & schot in till gong stinkand c1420 Ratis R. 156.
Smelinge Of nes, that makis thé knawleginge quhilk is weil smeland suet odore And quhilk is stinkand aire vnpure 1456 Hay I 46/7.
In myddis the citee of Rome the erde opnyt, and cum furth of the erde a stynkand ayre a1500 Henr. Fab. 2635 (Bann.).
It wer almous thé for till draw and hing, That suld presome with stinkand lippis will, To hurt my drink a1500 Seven S. 913.
A foule preve That was nere by of stynkand fen c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xxvi 83.
Thair wes with him ane vgly sort, And mony stynkand fowll tramort c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 11.
Of stinkand weidis maculate No man may mak ane rois chaiplat 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4164.
Adew the stinkand cordineris That sellis the schone our deir 1551 Hamilton Cat. 152.
He was nalit on the crosse on the stinkand mont of Calvary c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3482. 1562-3 Winȝet I 45/12.
The vnclene baris [sc. boars], quha be filthie leuing and sueingeing in thair stinkande styis infectis [etc.] 1567 G. Ball. 185.
The watter of life we gaif thame neuer to drink, Bot stinkand pulis of euerie rottin synk a1585 Polwart Flyt. 588 (T).
His nois weill lit in Bacchus blude about, His stinkand end corroptit as men knawis 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 114.
God cannot make residence in a saul that is a stinking midding alway 1604 James VI Tobacco 88/3.
From them likewise was brought this vse of tobacco as a stinking and vnsavourie antidot 1708 Maxwell Mem. II 354.
I hope my sister … , for annualrent, will send me stinking cheesepredic. a1400 Leg. S. xxv 122.
His body sa stinkand wes That nane by hyme mycht be a1500 K. Hart 76.
About the wall thair ran ane water void Blak stinkand sowr and salt as is the sey(2) c1190–1215 Panmure Reg. in Barrow Anglo-Norman Era App. C. 202.
Stinchende havene 1266 Laing Chart. MS No. 8.
[In the moor of Kellie, Fife] in petasta que est inter Belighistan et Qaghinshacre que dicitur Stinchandemire 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II 404.
[John Howell] duelland in the Stinkandhavin [to pay to] Jhone of Wynd [burgess of Disert] [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxii 15.
Ȝour stinkand s[ty]ll that standis dirk, Haldis the lycht fra ȝour parroche kirk 1519 Haddington Corr. 247.
Fornent the entre of Sanct Gelis Kirk, callit the Stynkand Stile 1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III 66.
To repair and big wp … ane parpall wall … streicht northe to the northe kirk dur at the Stynkand Styll for the said towbuyth 1574 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 22a.
For … mending of the Stinkand Style dur lok 1612 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 92.
To caus owlklie mak cleyne … fra the stynking style to Foresters Wynd heid 1634 Glasgow B. Rec. II 24.
That the haill fleschouris … stand with thair flaikis … vp the gait about the Stinking Vennell 1641 Dumfries Treas. Acc. MS 7.
For gathering of stones in the oversandbede for mending of the stinking vennell 1667 Edinb. Test. LXXIII 136b.
My laigh buith lyand in the buith rae of Edinburgh neir the church styll called the Stinking Style 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 233.
A narrow lane … commonly called the stinking closs

b. To think oneself no stinking herrings, to think highly of oneself. a1689 Cleland 66.
These did conclude, that saw his starings, He thought himself no stinking herrings

2. fig. That is offensive to the feelings or sensibilities; morally foul or repugnant. Also proverb. a1400 Leg. S. xxxv 112.
Behald & se hou I sal bryne The price of ȝoure stinkand syne 1429 Murray Early B. Organ. I 34.
This dome is fals, stynkand and rottin in the self c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3419.
Thay purposit thame for to … abuse thame vnnaturallye With thare foule stynkand sodomye 1558-66 Knox II 381.
Such styncken pryde of wemen as was sein at that parliament, was never sein befoir in Scotland a1578 Pitsc. I 263/5.
I beleif the stinkand adulltrie and fornicatioun had ane greit pairt of thair ewill succes 1596 Dalr. II 4/25.
This foul and stinkan midding [sc. the English army] 1596 Dalr. II 226/23.
He follow not rather the huche and stinkand swallie of Luther, than the cleir fontane of the true kirk 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 435.
Hes not some put away thair wyfis for stinkand endis? 16.. J. Row Cupp of Bon-Accord 1.
Now bring in the stinckinest Poprie to the Kirk of Scotland, and it will smell to her als sweet as ane appleproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 957.
It is a stinking pryde to come farting fra the middin

b. quasi-adv. ? Offensively. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10732.
Thy stait na way culd stand, it was sa stinkand stout