A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1648-1665
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Wick, n.2 [ME and e.m.E. wyke (14th c.), wike (1570), ON vik. Also in the later dial.] To hing by the wicks of the mouth or of a person, to cling determinedly ? at or ? to the corners of a person's mouth, to refuse to give up easily. Only fig. — 1648 Hay Fleming Six Saints I 199.
I parted o'er easily with thee, which has been many a sore heart to me; but I shall hing by the wicks of thee now ?1661-5 M. Bruce Soul-Confirmation 18.
The men of the world say we will sell the truth: we will let them ken that we will hing by the wicks of the mouth for the least point of truth
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"Wick n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 4 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/wick_n_2>
