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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PAPER, n., v. Also peyper (Abd. 1928 Weekly Jnl. (29 Nov.)); pepper (Abd. 1892 Innes Rev. (Spring 1956) 23); peiper, piper (Rs. 1722 W. MacGill Old Rossshire (1909) 62, 74); pipper (Sh. 1955 New Shetlander No. 41. 8). Sc. forms and usages. [′pɛpər, ′pɪpər]

Sc. form of Eng. paper (Ags. 1990s).Ork. 1984 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days i:
"Hey boy, is id right whit a'm been hearin' - that id's thee whar writes the pieces aboot Chohn Clouston in the pipper?"m.Lth. 1996:
Have ye seen the pipper?

Sc. usages.

I. n. 1. Combs. and phr.: †(1) paper baron, before the Reform Act of 1832, one who acquired a qualification to vote in a parliamentary election by becoming a lesser baron or freeholder of land of the annual value of £400 Scots through the legal device of obtaining a charter, as explained in quot.; (2) paper crier, a street seller of newspapers, a newsvendor (Sc. 1711 Edb. Evening Post (8–10 Feb.)). See Cry, v.; (3) paper dragon, a paper kite. See Draigon; (4) paper lead, lead-foil (Sh. 1965); (5) paper lord, a judge of the Court of Session, who has the courtesy title of Lord; (6)paper news, a newspaper; (7) paper note, a bank-note, usu. a one-pound note (I.Sc., Cai., Bnff. 1965). Cf. (7); (8) paper pound, a one-pound bank-note (Ork., Cai. 1965); (9) pipper-wecht, Sc. form of Eng. paperweight; (10) to work (up)on paper, to deal in credit rather than in hard cash, to be living on credit (Abd., Kcb. 1965).(1) Sc. 1787 G. W. T. Omond Arniston Memoirs (1887) 213:
A majority [of the county electors] were “paper barons” (or faggot voters as they would now be called), whose qualifications had been created in order to confer a vote, which they were bound in honour to give in favour of the candidate who was supported by the landowner from whom they obtained it.Sc. 1825 J. Mitchell Scotman's Lib. 706:
A rich proprietor, who is desirous of increasing his influence, is able to divide his estate into different parts, and thus create additional votes. In order to effect this he surrenders his charter to the crown; and then obtains charters for his particular friends. for the several parcels of his estate, in lots of £400 Scots valued rent; he then himself obtains a charter from these friends of the real property, at a mere nominal rent per annum. These friends are accordingly, in the eye of the law, the proprietors of the lands of which they hold the charters from the crown, and are entered on the roll of barons accordingly, and vote in choosing the member of parliament. . . . Such freeholders are in distinction often called paper barons.(3) Mry. 1851 Lintie o' Moray 62:
Green was thy gowan'd sward, Where paper-dragons flew.(4) Abd. 1867 W. Anderson Rhymes 216:
Their hair done up during the week in a dozen or two of paper-lead packages to preserve their curls for that day [Sunday].(5)Kcd. 1895 M. M. Black Cargill 73:
Wi' laws here an' shirras there, an' the paper lords in Edinburgh gien a' their judgments on the side o' what they ca' 'law an' equity'.(6) Edb. 1821 W. Liddle Poems 204:
He said the paper-news were cram'd, 'Bout Continental wars.(7) Abd. 1875 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 62:
Pull out thy pocket-book and offer him a “paper note” in reward of his services.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 17:
A'll send a paper note wi' him ta get wis a bow o' oatmeal.(8) Gsw. 1889 A. G. Murdoch Readings I. 73:
“Eh, me! the lucky woman!” sang out the whole party; “a paper pound in her hand, nae less!”Arg. 1931 H. Foulis Para Handy 136:
“Hoo can we be going and us with no money?” said Dougie — man, he wass sublime! So the man gave me a paper pound of money.ne.Sc. 1946 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 340:
Rose had twenty paper pounds anent her six months, work.(9)Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 84:
I did find, tho, in a lump o chalk,
a sea-urchin's fossil. I've it yet,
hauf-roonded as a pipper-wecht,
star-gnarlt wi stane plooks
like a hedgehog wi a haircut. (10) Abd. 1875 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 136:
Afore ye pay yer inveetors, an'ae thing wi' anither, ye'll be workin' upo' paper again for maist part.

2. Usu. with def. art.: the manuscript of a sermon, to adhere to which in preaching was looked upon as a sign of lack of inspiration or real conviction in a minister. Gen.Sc. Hence combs. and phr. with derog. force ¶paper carl (see Carl), paper minister, -ministry, -priest, -sermon, to use the paper.Sc. 1713 R. Wodrow Analecta (M.C.) II. 271:
He used his papers, and inclined to make extemporary flights, but frequently faultered.Sc. 1781 Reading no Preaching II. 11:
Let our paper priests and reading clergy apply this to themselves.Mry. 1828 J. Ruddiman Tales 269:
Have you been . . . railing against the paper ministry?wm.Sc. 1854 Laird of Logan 55:
It's a judgment on me for leaving my ain kirk, and gaun to hear a paper minister!Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 45:
To preach without a paper — without notes or without manuscript.Slk. 1886 T. Craig-Brown Hist. Slk. II. 165:
To “use the paper” — to read sermon — was then [in the 18th c.] considered a proof of disgraceful incapacity.Bnff. 1887 W. M. Philip Covedale v.:
“Yon's the chiel for me,” said Andrew Allan, the slater; “his nose wasna pinned to a bit paper . . .; I'm nae for nane o'your paper carls.”Ayr. 1891 H. Johnston Kilmallie iv.:
[He] warned me to keep the paper on which I had the heads of my discourse out of sight, as everybody in the loft could see it, and might think I was giving them a paper sermon.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick iii.:
He no' used the paper — no' even notes.

3. A printed proclamation or notice (Sh. 1965). Comb. blue-paper, an official notice to quit premises, generally presented on a blue form.Sc. 1886 Stevenson Kidnapped xix.:
I'll have to get a paper out against ye mysel'; I'll have to offer a reward for ye.Kcb. 1899 Crockett Kit Kennedy xv.:
It chanced that a blue paper had been put into Willie's hand to serve on a sad day of his life — that of his fourth wife's funeral.

4. “A begging petition, written by a clergyman, justice of the peace, or other person in authority, for any one who has lost a cow, horse, etc., or suffered other grave misfortune” (Gall. 1903 E.D.D.), presented gen. by the victim in soliciting charity.

II. v. To set down on paper for publication, to issue a bill or to insert a notice in a newspaper concerning (a person or thing), e.g. of a husband repudiating his wife's debts, or of an injured party asking for the detention of someone (ne.Sc., Ags., wm.Sc., Kcb. 1965).Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 45:
I'll paper it — I'll put it in the newspaper.Sc. 1886 Stevenson Kidnapped xix.:
Set the blame where it belongs, and that is on the man that fired the shot. Paper him, as ye call it, set the hunt on him.wm.Sc. 1903 S. Macplowter Mrs. McCraw 33:
Noo, be carefu' what ye're up till, or shair as daith A'll paper ye.Arg. 1914 N. Munro New Road xxxvi.:
He might appear at any hour, though he was papered, and find out how he had been wronged!