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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

REEST, v.¹, n.¹ Also reist, riest, reast; rest; rist; ¶reesh; and freq. from reestle. [rist, rɛst, rɪst]

I. v. 1. tr. To cure by drying or smoking, of ham, fish, etc. (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1923–26 Wilson; I. and n.Sc., Per., Ayr., Wgt. 1968). Also fig. and in n.Eng. dial. Ppl.adj. reestit, smoked, cured, frizzled. lit. and fig.Sc. c.1730 R. Chambers Minor Antiquities (1833) 109:
A guid buffed herring, reisted skate.Ags. 1772 Session Papers, State of Process, Mudie v. Ross 91:
Sent to the prison to David Anderson, . . . two bottles of strong ale at each time, two reested or dried haddocks.Ayr. 1795 Burns To the Deil xvii.:
Wi' reekit duds, an' reestit gizz.Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf ix.:
Let us smoke that auld devil's dam as if she were to be reested for bacon.Slk. 1824 Hogg Justified Sinner (1874) 522:
What now, Mr. Satan? Deil be in your reistit trams.Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xxvi.:
Ony ane o' the twa reisted auld frights — crined in the flesh, wi' hides like the skin o' a pouket guse.m.Lth. 1856 J. Ballantine Poems 98:
He ne'er wants a braxy, nor gude reestit ham.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 125:
His tongue hang oot like reested tripe.Sh. 1914 Old-Lore Misc. VII. ii. 74:
Shetlanders preferred both fish, flesh and fowl “reested” rather than pickled.Sc. 1951 Folklore LXII. 327:
“Reested mutton” as the crofters called it.Abd. 1961 P. Buchan Mount Pleasant 22:
Reestin' stolen speldins in aneth the Lifeboat Slip.Sc. 1992 Herald 17 Oct 10:
Clinging loyally to their native ways and to the foods which have served them for centuries, Shetlanders continue to enjoy the flavours of aged mutton from the old reestit cure which is first salted and then hung up on the rafters (reests) to dry out. Sc. 1998 Scotsman 23 Apr 19:
Now that the Government has been sent away to chew again, subject to the appeal court, over beef-on-the-bone, can we expect a reprieve for reestit mutton?
Reestit mutton is the Shetland delicacy traditionally made by crofters from home-killed sheep, whose meat, very much on the bone, is salted, and dried over a peat fire (reesting).

Hence derivs.: reister, a smoked salmon or other fish (Per. 1968); reesty, sallow-complexioned.Sc. c.1700 A. Pennecuik Coll. Sc. Poems (1762) 11:
Thou nasty Negro, filthy reesty Ram, O Skin like that of a Westphalia Ham!Rxb. 1821 A. Scott Poems 9:
To gust the gabs of gentler wights wi' tasty reisters.

2. intr. Of fish, ham, etc.: to undergo the process of curing by drying or smoking (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 34, reestle; Sh. 1968). Also fig.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. II. i.:
A large Ham hings reesting in the Nook.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxvi.:
A braver kipper, could I but land him, never reisted abune a pair o' cleeks.Dmf. 1826 A. Cunningham Paul Jones I. ii.:
To reest like a kippert minnin in the reek of purgatory.

3. To roast. Ppl.adjs. reestin, burning hot, reestit, roasted, burnt. This usage is prob. due to a misapprehension of meaning 2. above.Abd. 1882 W. Forsyth Writings 23–5:
Tho' ay's they touch't his riestin' hyde, Ye heard their vera fingers fizzin. . . . Whuslin' o' yer' riestit thiume.

II. n. 1. A framework of spars or ropes on which fish, meat, etc., are hung to dry in smoke above a fire, specif. in a smoking kiln or a farm cottage (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1968). Combs. fire-reest, id.; reesh-tree, a beam fixed in a chimney for this purpose (see 1810 quot.).Bnff. c.1810 W. Cramond Old Cullen (1882) 45:
The fisher people went to the shore to collect “bell war'” . . . which was placed, some on the roof-tree, some on the reesh-tree, and some in the corners of the house. Thus they were in luck all the year.Kcd. 1883 Fish and Fisheries (Herbert) 115:
This arrangement of rails is termed the “back reest” About 18 inches within the hanging brace, and attached to a strong beam resting upon the side-walls, are the “hangs”, between which and the “back reest” the spitted fish are suspended.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 61:
The' wur plenty o' geese . . . hingan' i' the reest.Sc. 1904–5 Trans. Slg. Nat. Hist. Soc. 112:
The light of early days in the Highlands was the fir splint, made from trees found in bogs. They were then placed on the “fire reist” which hung within the ingle, to be dried ready for use.Sh. 1914 Old-Lore Misc. VII. ii. 74:
The reest of a well-to-do fisherman garnished by “tees” of mutton, “pensch” puddings, geese and “baunds o' piltacks” or sillock.Sh. 1964 Sh. Folk Book IV. 5:
The space overhead inside the “but-end” roof was termed “da reest”, the “reest” proper consisting of laths or rods and “simmond” netting laid down on top of the “twart-baaks” and several “reps” running across the width of the room both “ootby” and “inby” the fire. . . . Another appliance in the “ootby reest” was a fairly large rectangular framework of wooden boards on which cow-hides were stretched and dried.

2. Smoked meat; smoked fish roasted on a gridiron.Dmb. 1894 D. MacLeod Past Worthies 216:
And skink to sup until ye rive, And reasts upon a brander.Sh. 1961 New Shetlander No. 56. 25:
Da tee o reest an da dried piltocks oot ida ruif.