Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
CLIPSHEAR, CLIPSHEER, n. Also clipsher. An earwig (Fif.10, Lnl.1, Lnk.3 1937; Fif., Edb. 2000s). [′klɪpʃir]Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin xxx .:
“Ou, it's maybe no a flech ava,” quoth I, turnin' roond to compose mysel' to sleep again, “it's maybe a clipsheer.”Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Poems in Two Tongues 27:
And for a' the worms and the clipshears raikin' aboot They've peace o' their banes.Edb. 1992:
It's scary if ye find a clipshear in yer bed. Edb. 1995 Irvine Welsh Marabou Stork Nightmares (1996) 23:
The auld man didn't understand that it was only clipshers I put in Kim's hair. - It wis jist clipshers, Dad, I pleaded. - Clipshers dinnae sting.
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"Clipshear n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/clipshear>
