Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1788, 1898
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CURST, adj. Sc. usages.
†1. Fierce, vicious. Last Eng. example 1727 (N.E.D.).Abd.(D) 1788 J. Skinner Christmass Bawing xxviii. in Caled. Mag. 504:
A curst-like gully and a snack Was made, fowk said, in Fife.
2. “Very cross” (Mry.1 1925; Abd.27 1947; Ags.17 1941).Abd. 1898 J. R. Imray Sandy Todd ix.:
Last ook he wis as curst an ull-naturt's a doug wi' a burnt tail.
Comb.: curst-guts, “a person in an extremely bad temper” (Bch. 1931 (per Abd.4)). Now arch. or dial. in Eng.
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"Curst adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/curst>
