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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BLIRT, Blurt, v.¹, n.¹ [blɪ̢rt, blrt Sc.; blʌrt Sh., Uls.]

I. v. “To cry, weep, to burst into tears” (Bnff.², Abd.², Abd.⁹, Ags.² 1935). Given in N.E.D. as north. dial. Omitted by Concise and Un. Eng. Dicts.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 397:
I'll gar you blirt wi' baith your een.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
To blirt and greet, i.e. to burst out a crying.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales, etc. (1837) VI. 118:
When he saw “the bit bonny English callan', that was comed o' sic grand blude, grow sae desperately wae, an' fa' a blirting and greeting, the deil a bit but his heart was like to come out at his mouth.”

ppl.adjs. (1) blirted, tear-stained; (2) blirtin', blurtin', (a) crying, weeping; (b) squally, with short spatters of snow or rain.(1) Fif. 1825 Jam.²:
She's a' blirted wi' greeting.(2) (a) Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.:
Blurtin' thing, a crying child.(b) Sc. 1824 J. E. Shortreed in Cornhill Mag. (Sept. 1932) 274:
Blirtin', snawy weather it was, I mind.

Hence, (a) blirtin'-fou, -fow, adj., “maudlin in drink, ‘greetin' fou'” (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.); (b) blirty-eild, n., “extreme old age in which tears trickle as if one were weeping” (Sc. 1790 Grose MS. Add. (C) (E.D.D.)).

II. n.

1. A burst (of weeping). Given as Sc. in N.E.D.n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff.² 1935:
“A blirt of greeting,” a violent burst of tears, accompanied with crying.

2. “A term of contempt for a crying useless person” (Uls.² 1929).Uls. 1943 Sam Hanna Bell Summer Loanen (1996) 200:
'Shut it,' he said. 'You've a brass neck, talking to me, lettin' my sister down an' makin' a cod outa me; ye blirt ye.' Uls. 1951 Sam Hanna Bell December Bride (1974) 32:
'He's a crabbit ould blirt, too,' grumbled the servingman, referring to Andrew, as he and Pentland turned away.

3. (1) “A gust of wind accompanied with rain” (Bnff.² 1935; Lth. 1825 Jam.²; n.–w.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). N.E.D. gives this as Sc. and naut.Sc.(E) 1879 P. H. Waddell Isaiah xli. 16:
Ye sal dicht them, an' syne the win' lift them; an' the blirt, it sal whirl them awa.

†(2) “An intermittent drizzle” (Rxb. 1825 Jam.²; 1923 Watson W.-B.).

Hence blirtie, blirty, adj., “of weather: changeable and showery” (Bnff.², Abd.²² 1935; nw., w.–s.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Slg. 1818 W. Muir Poems 28:
There issued forth a dreary blast, That hard on its foundations press'd Wi' blirty frown.Lth., w.Sc. 1825 Jam.²:
A blirtie day, one that has occasionally severe blasts of wind and rain.Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems and Songs 19:
O Poortith is a wintry day, Cheerless, blirtie, cauld, an' blae.nw., w.–s.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
Blirty. Of weather, etc.: Marked by the occurrence of a “blirt” or “blirts.”