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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FLESH, n., v. Sc. usages:

I. n. 1. Butcher meat (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 147; Per. 1916, Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson; Sh., Cai., ne.Sc., Fif., m.Lth., Gall. 1951); esp. of pork (Cai.⁹ 1951). Now arch. or dial. in Eng. In pl. = carcases.Ayr. 1704 Arch. and Hist. Coll. Ayr. and Wgt. IV. 205:
In the action pursewed by William Allasone, flesher in Stewartoune, . . . to make payment of the soume of fyve pounds forteen for flesh receaved.Ags. 1714 Burgh Laws Dundee (ed. Warden 1872) 466:
If any master or servant shall be found to blaw any fleshes killed within the shamells, and convict of the doing thereof.Sh. 1729 in A. C. O'Dell Hist. Geog. Sh. Islands (1939) 302:
Haill Beeves and other fleshes.Bnff. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XIV. 541:
There is great odds in their living too; they are more social in the way of visiting; and flesh is more frequently used by all.Abd. 1877 W. Alexander Rural Life 129:
After the Union with England in 1707, amid a good deal of grumbling over that event, the consumption of “fleshes and wheat bread” sensibly increased with the growth of trade among the better-to-do of town populations.Ags. 1896 Barrie Margaret Ogilvy viii.:
She had flesh every day for her dinner.Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 60:
The acts of gallantry expected of him were to sit with her on his knee when seats were few, to carve for her when the “flesh” was served.Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 86:
Da tidder lass, tinkin I maybe didna laek soup, cam kerryin a lok o' flesh an' tatties.

2. Phr. and combs.: †(1) flesh-and-blood, tormentil, Potentilla tormentilla; (2) flesh bawbee, -ba(b)bie, a toll or due imposed on the sale of meat in a market; †(3) flesh-boat, a meat-tub; (4) flesh-crook, a meat hook. Obs. in Eng.; (5) flesh meat, butcher meat; (6) flesh payment, payment by giving one's labour to the creditor (Ork.⁵ 1952); .†(7) flesh-penny-wirt, money earned with one's life blood, by one's hard work; ‡(8) flesh-sto(c)k, a butchers block (Ags. 1952); (9) ¶flesh-tea, high tea, with a cooked meal. This usage is somewhat suspect.(1) Bwk. 1853 G. Johnston Botany E. Borders 72:
The plant itself, under the name flesh-and-blood, is a popular astringent medicine for children.(2) Ags. 1735-40 Arbroath T.C. Rec. MS. (14 April):
Flesh babies carryed by Alexander Duncan Deacon of the Weavers at fifteen Pounds Scots. . . . Babbies on Flesh carryed by the Treasurer at ten Pounds Scots.(3) Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 58:
A big flesh-boat wi' feathers fu', Stood by the side o' Ringan's mow.(4) Inv. 1722 Steuart Letter-Bk. (S.H.S.) 176:
Pleas buy for my wife ane iron spit and brander, with ane doz. sgoors, and fleshcrook.(5) s.Sc. 1837 J. M. Wilson Tales of the Borders IV. 404:
She . . . had not enjoyed a bit of mutton, or any other flesh meat, since the new year.m.Sc. 1838 A. Rodger Poems 82:
What right hae ye To sit down to your flesh-meat dinners?Sc. 1868 G. Webster Strathbrachan 832:
Flesh-meat at pleasure . . . and milkness o' a' sorts.(7) Sh. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. vi. 228:
I once overheard two men talking of the way in which they had “done” an unscrupulous and wealthy landlord, who was a hard man and very corpulent. The one said, “I got me flesh-penny-wirts oot o' him ageen.”(8) Ags. 1729 Arbroath T.C. Minutes (16 April):
Ane Inventour to be taken of the fleshstoks and Dealls that belongs to the Shambills.(9) Inv. 1948 D. Macmillan Not Scot-Free iv.:
That meal is always spoiled for me for two reasons: first, it is the most indigestible in the world, and second, because in these parts it is known as a 'Flesh Tea' and the title is peculiarly repugnant to me.

II. v. To deal in meat, follow the trade of a butcher. Only in vbl.n. fleshing, the business of a butcher (Sc. 1825 Jam., s.v. fleshary). Gen.Sc. Used attrib. as in fleshing department, shop, etc.Per. 1900 E.D.D.:
“What trade has your son followed after?” “The fleshin', a guid payin' trade in the meantime.”Sc. 1937 St Andrews Cit. (17 July) 12:
Wanted, boy for fleshing shop.Sc. 1938 Ib. (23 July) 12:
St Andrews Co-op. Soc. Ltd. Fleshing Department . . . nothing but the Best Home-Fed Meat.

Hence flesher, a meat-seller, a butcher, esp. as one of the Incorporated Trades of a burgh. Gen.Sc. obsol. Comb. †flesher dog, a kind of dog called in Eng. †butcher-dog.Sc. 1701 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.):
Aug. 10. The rate he gets for the rest of his wedders from the fletchers [sic. Read fleschers].Sc. 1720 Tinklarian Doctor Mitchel's wonderful Speech to the King of France (Broadsheet):
He will hunt Numbers of Devils after them, like as many Flesher Dogs upon a Sheep.Sc. 1753 Nairne Peerage Evidence (1873) 967:
Charles Alison late deacon of the fleshers.Ags. 1772 Dundee Charters, etc. (1880) 167:
No Flesher, whether free or unfree, shall bring in their stalls, stocks, or fleshes below the Piadzas of the Town House.Sc. 1822 Scott F. Nigel ii.:
I suspect you are a son of old Mungo Moniplies, the flesher, at the West Port.Sc. 1826 “Meg Dods” Manual i. 56:
Nationally speaking, we ought to say fleshers, as our countrymen would, till very lately, have been mortally offended at the designation of “butcher”.Sc. 1853 Tait's Mag. (Feb.) 102:
My housekeeper took with her a clean towel, and set off to the flesher's.Fif. 1894 J. Menzies Our Town viii.:
To the church on Sabbaths, or to the flesher's or the grocer's on weekdays.Sc. 1928 J. Buchan Montrose 218:
The bakers, vintners and fleshers of the burgh.Abd. 1951 Huntly Express (21 Sept.):
The trade (The Fleshers' Association) inform us, however, that ere the New Year is with us a substantial reduction in the ration may be looked for.Dundee 1986 David A. MacMurchie I Remember Another Princes Street! 40:
Frequently seen was the ice-man delivering oblong blocks of manufactured ice to the fish shops, ice-cream makers (mostly Italian), to some fleshers and, elsewhere in the town, to hotels and boarding-houses. wm.Sc. 1998 Alan Warner The Sopranos (1999) 47:
Oh ... ah tell yous ... it's wild ... see when you go to Mowat the Fleshers - ah go in to get ma mum's mince and the mincer machine, it makes this Neeee, Neee noise and the wee thing starts booting away like billy-oh. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 132:
He saw the crowds of filthy ragged people, the barefoot bairns, the hawkers and chapmen, soldiers, fleshers with their packs of dogs to guard the cattle, traders, ministers, merchants' daughters douce to look at but with tongues that would clip clouts, ...