Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1815
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BRISTEN, adj. Hard-pressed, in financial straits.Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Simple Sc. Rhymes 120:
An' sae do I, but really now-a-days, Folk are sae bristen, wi' their meat an' Claise, A Tradesman's finances will scarcely thole, To make a purchase o' a cart o' coal.[Pa.p of Birst, v., with metathesis. Cf. Birst, n.2]
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"Bristen adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Sep 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/bristen>
