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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LEASH, n., v. Also leesh, leis(c)h, and intensive form leeshach. [liʃ]

Sc. usages:

I. n. 1. As in Eng. Phr. to gie (somebody) the leash, to give one leave or liberty to act as he pleases, give one time off (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 55:
Gee us our leesh this night, an' ye sall be My dauted lass, an' gang alang wi' me.

2. A long piece of string, rope, thread, etc. (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 314; Abd.1 1925, “a leash o tow”; Abd., Ags., Wgt. 1960); fig. anything long or extensive of its kind, a lengthy discourse, a long distance, a large amount, a great deal (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 104, leesh(ach)), a long string or succession.Abd. 1809 J. Skinner Amusements 96:
[My muse]'s rattled out a leash o' rhyme.
Ayr. 1821 Scots Mag. (April) 351:
To yoke to an' skreid owre a lang leish o' clishmaclavers anent their stunkertness.
Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 104:
A leesh o' a speech. A leesh o' a sermon.
Abd. 1887 Bon-Accord (11 June) 12:
I wis jist thinkin' that I maybe wad be a gweed leesh mair comfortuble kin' gin I wis on the lan.
Ags. 1890 A. N. Simpson Muirside Memories 105:
Had yont a leish.
m.Lth. 1895 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick x.:
The tae side said his speech was juist a leesh o' lees.
Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 46:
Ye wisna sweir te rin a leesh.

3. A whip, a lash, the stroke of a whip (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sh., m.Lth. 1960).Bnff. 1748 Sc. N. & Q. (Nov. 1927) 216:
Receiving six leashes at each of the following places.
Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 110:
Now some for this, wi' Satyr's Leesh, Ha'e gi'en auld Edinburgh a Creesh.

II. v. 1. As in Eng., to tie together, link as with a leash; hence fig. in ppl.adj. leished, married (Sc. 1880 Jam.); to tie by splicing, to lash (Cld. Ib.).

2. With aff: to unwind or unroll a length of rope or the like, hence fig. to talk or recite at length, to relate volubly (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 104, leesh(ach)). Cf. n., 2.Ib.:
For mair nor three oors [he] keepit a leeshan-aff o' (or aboot) a' the winners he saw.

3. To ply a whip, to lash, scourge (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis; Sh. 1960). Also fig. to reprove, castigate (faults). Cf. n., 3.Bnff. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 168:
They're seenil right, but whan they're leeshin ithers.
Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 159:
Terrour flew owr them wi' his whip. … He leisch'd the blude out o' their faces.
Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 15:
The drummie shud tak a pair o' whups an' leesh 'im frae the toon o' Arbroad?
Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 63:
Bit heth! aald “Cerby” widna wheesht His tail frae side ta side he leeshed.
Hdg. 1896 J. Lumsden Battle of Dunbar 22:
Ablins, I micht hae lat him slip, Were he less ready wi' his whip! But for his leishin's he maun pay.

4. Of rain: to fall in torrents, lash down (Sh., Ags. 1960).Ags. 1950:
The rain's aye leeshin on.

5. To walk or move quickly or energetically, usu. with advs. (n.Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis s.v. releischand; Bnff., Abd. 1825 Jam.; Sh., Abd. 1960); to walk or stride in wet grass (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein); with at, adv. and prep.: to work with great vigour or speed (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 104), to go at it.Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings (1873) 25:
She sees him leeshin' up the craft.
Ags. 1815 G. Beattie John o' Arnha' (1852) 18:
Upon a crummock staff she lent her, Fast John came leeshin' up ahint her.
Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck v.:
Leish away, link away, Hell is afore ye.
Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 104:
Leesh-oot has reference rather to the beginning, leesh-on to the continuance of the motion.
Sh. 1886 J. Burgess Sk. & Poems 8:
I heard dee leeshin at i' da barn whin I gaed in.
Abd. a.1890 Mod. Sc. Poets (Edwards) XIII. 91:
Syne leeshed awa', an' left him ther.
Sh. 1919 T. Manson Peat. Comm. 121:
Noo, my Tittie, at a perteeclar time i da spring, whin I roar “Reel O,” ye come dis wye and go dat wye, an turn roond, an go back ta whaar ye cam frae, an dan leesh at.

6. Vbl. derivs.: (1) leisher, n., a tall and active person (Lnk. 1825 Jam.). Cf. v., 5.; an extensive tract, a long journey (Ib.). Cf. n., 2.; (2) leishin, ppl.adj., tall and active, of a person of either sex; extensive, as applied to a field, farm, parish, etc.; long, of a journey (Ib.). Cf. (1) above.

[O.Sc. lesche, leich, lash, n. and v., from c.1500.]

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"Leash n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/leash>

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