Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
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.

QUAICH, n.¹, v.¹ Also quaig(h), que(y)ch, queach, quegh; queech, queich, quiech; quoich; quach (Sc. 1831 J. Logan Sc. Gael II. 157); queff (Sc. 1711 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 12); quaff (Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 164); cuach (Sc. 1846 Tait's Mag. (Jan.) 31). See etym. note. Dim. quechan (Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 147). Cf. also Coif, n.² [kweç]

I. n. A shallow bowl-shaped drinking-cup, usu. made of wooden staves hooped with metal with two horizontal projections from the rim as handles, more artistic specimens having silver mountings or being made entirely of silver. Their use is now mainly ornamental. Gen.Sc. Also the quantity that fills a quaich. Also attrib.Sc. 1703 Sc. N. & Q. (Dec. 1900) 90:
A big quech cup with three lugs.Ayr. 1723 Ayr Presb. Reg. MS. (7 Aug.):
Anent uttensills for the sacraments they have a silver queff & one stoup & table-cloaths.Sc. 1771 Smollett Humphry Clinker, Melford to Phillips (3 Sept.):
A quaff; that is a curious cup made of different pieces of wood, such as box and ebony, cut into little staves.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 50:
O quegh o brose! wi' milk, or fat.Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 94:
Wiping his mouth, replacing his bonnet , and putting the quegh into circulation.Sc. 1824 Scott Letters (Cent. Ed.) VIII. 362:
I have been making some old-fashioned Scottish quaighs out of such scraps of remarkable wood as I have chanced to collect — Wallaces oak — Sir John the Graemes yew tree and the like.Sc. 1884 Queen Victoria More Leaves 142:
A silver quaich out of which Prince Charles Edward had drunk.Abd. 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 82:
A parting cup, we will drink it noo, Syne break the quaich to a shattered faith.Sc. 1958 Scots Year Book 192:
Makers of Wooden Scottish Quaichs from drinking size suitable for St. Andrew Dinners and Burns Nicht, to large carved ones for prizes or presentation.Sc. 1991 John McDonald in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 90:
I pree a strang quaich i the myndin o ye
(heidier fir its fifty-year quickenin)
a stowp stobbed i the steirin sauns Dundee 1991 W. N. Herbert in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 179:
An yet he cams tae peer, tae pree this element
lyk syrup inniz thocht, sklaichan' iz tung aroond
thi mappamundi's quaich, laivan a kneggum o' um
aa airts that winna waash awa, Sc. 2003 Scotsman (18 Jan) 27:
Talisker is my chosen dram. It beats all other malts hands down with haggis. Its light peppery quality is the killer note. I'd serve it in a quaich that's being continually passed around the table. Sc. 2003 Scotland on Sunday (22 Jun) 8:
The setting was magnificent, the dinner superb and the water of life was flowing. Members of the Keepers of the Quaich, Scotland's most prestigious whisky society, settled back for the after-dinner speech to be delivered by the guest of honour.

Hence (1) quaighful(l), the quantity that fills a quaich; (2) quaighmaker, queff-, a maker of quaichs.(1) Sc. 1729 W. Macintosh Inclosing 230:
I saw it [punch] go round in Scots Quaighfuls of good wholesome Ale.Per. 1838 W. Scrope Deer-stalking 280:
The hill-man, as he gralloched the deer, and drank the whiskey, swore there never was such a deer seen in the forest; he grew larger and larger at every quaigh-full.Sc. 1845 J. Grant Romance of War II. xv.:
That trunken loon has sae mony queghsfu' under his belt, that he took the dorts.(2) Edb. 1696 Edb. Testaments MS. II. 303:
Robert Nicoll, Queffmaker.Abd. 1719–29 Rec. Old Abd. (S.C.) I. 251, II. 175:
James Dey, quachmaker. . . . James Shirres, quechmaker in College Bounds.e.Lth. 1756 P. McNeill Tranent (1884) 76:
John Mather, Quaighmaker, who died the 23rd of March 1756.

¶II. v. To drink in quaichfuls.Peb. 1793 R. Brown Carlop Green (1832) 17:
And walth o' whisky he may quech, For naething frae his still.