Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1801-1850, 1923-1933
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0]
BELGE, BILCH, BILSH, BILGE, n. and v. [bɛldʒ Abd., Ags., Arg.; bɪldʒ Kcb.; bɪlʃ Dmf., nw.Rxb., Slk.; ′bɛlʃi Lnk.]
1. n. A short, fat person, used also as a term of disrespect.Arg. 1801-1850 The Follinash in Bk. of Old Castlehill (1921) v.:
He that will not in chorus join A claty belge is he.Lnk., Rxb. 1825 Jam.2:
Bilsh. A short, plump, and thriving person or animal; as "a bilsh o' a callan," a thickset boy.Kcb. 1933 (per Dmf.10):
She was a bilge o' a body like her mither.Dmf.11 1933:
He's a stout bilch o' a man.Slk. 1825 Jam.2:
Bilsh. A little waddling fellow.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales, etc. (1837) III. 214:
I was but a little bilsh of a callant then.
Hence the adj. bilshie (Slk. 1825 Jam.2), bilchy, bilshy, belshie, short, plump, and thriving.Upp.Cld. 1825 Jam.2:
Belshie. Fat and at the same time diminutive.†nw.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 56:
A bilshy lass.Dmf.11 1933:
A short bilchy body.
2. v.
(1) To protrude, puff out.Bch. 1928 (per Abd.15):
He belges awfu fin he's in gey gweed binner.Bch.1928 (per Abd.15):
He's standin belgin there an' speakin' oot o's breist at a great lick.
(2) To knock up against (from idea of swelling, crowding).Ags. 1821 D. Shaw Humorous Songs and Poems 17:
We stummelt an' belg'd upon ither.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Belge n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/belge>
