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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.

CHEATRY, CHEATRIE, CHEATERY, Chaitry, n. Also cheaterie[′tʃitri, ′tʃetrɪ̢]

1. Deceit, fraud, swindling. Gen.Sc. Rarely used in Mod.Eng., latest quot. 1867 in N.E.D. Not given in Concise or in Un. Eng. Dicts.Sc. 1737 Ramsay Proverbs 41:
Keep out of his Company that cracks of his Cheatry.
Abd.(D) 1929 W. Robbie Mains of Yonderton 100:
An' fat his a' his meanness and chaitry come till?
m.Sc. 1979 Donald Campbell in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 67:
nou ye're atween him and the waa,
wi the pox fair dirlin in ye,
ill-mainnered cheaterie anaa.
Fif. 1909 Colville 127:
Poetical justice was gleefully noted with a “cheatery's choket you!” . . . when Nemesis brought ill luck.
Gall. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 56:
It's naething but cheatery frae beginning tae end.

2. Used attrib., fraudulent, deceitful.Sc. 1825 Jam.2:
The old adage, “Cheatrie game 'ill aye kythe,” i.e. false play will shew itself sooner or later.
Per. a.1837 R. Nicoll Poems (1843) 150:
Maids are witches — we the fools They cast their cheatrie glamour on.
Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail III. xxix.:
No to let your bairns be rookit o' their right by . . . the twa cheatrie Milrookits.

3. Comb.: cheatery-packery, “deception, fraud, cheating” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Cf. jookery-packery, see joukerie.

[O.Sc. cheatry, the practice of cheating, quots. 1685 and 1688 (D.O.S.T.); E.M.E. chetory, 1532, from cheat, v.]

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"Cheatry n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cheatry>

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