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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GRUNSTANE, n. Also grund-; grinsteen (ne.Sc.). Sc. forms of Eng. grindstone (Sc. 1825 Jam., grun(d)stane; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., grund-; Uls. 1910 C. C. Russell Ulster 25, grun-). Gen.Sc. See P.L.D. § 64. [Sc. ′grʌnsten, but ne.Sc. grɪnsti:n]Ayr. 1786 Burns To G. Hamilton viii.:
Be to the Poor like onie whunstane, And haud their noses to the grunstane.Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales I. 9:
'Ye'll get nae luck o' that callant, sir,' said he, 'gin he dinna haud his neb better to the grunstane.'Sc. 1832 A. Henderson Proverbs 148:
Ye look like a Lochaber-axe new frae the grundstane.Lnk. 1853 W. Watson Poems 104:
But, Rab, how cam' ye to fin' out That Sol gaes grunstane-ways about?Clc. 1860 J. Crawford Doric Lays 25:
See ye yon carle wi' eldrich een, Wha's grunstane face micht sharp a whittle.Mry. 1865 W. H. L. Tester Poems 115:
Bung to the deil yer grinstane wheel, The auld Cock Bird's awa, laddie.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 60:
Staucherin' hame on a Saturday nicht with a stane in my pock that would have made a grun'-stane.Bnff. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 17:
Hard-wirkin, honest fock wi their niz aye on the grin'-steen.

Phrs.: 1. to be a ticht han' at the grinstane, to be greedy for gain, grasping, to get the last ounce out of a person or thing; ¶2. to talk a mill-wheel into a grunstane, to minimize, make light of, a matter.1. Abd. 1904 Abd. Weekly Free Press (16 April):
Robbie wis a ticht han' at the grinstane an' nae mistake. He never ga a penny awa without seein' twa pennies in return.2. Ayr. 1891 H. Johnston Kilmallie ix.:
Some men would talk a mill-wheel into a grunstane.