Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STRESS, v., n. Sc. usages:

I. v. tr. To cause exertion or strain on (some person or thing), to strain, overwork, to bear hard on, to stretch to the uttermost (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Per., Slg., Fif., Lth., Dmb., Lnk., Rxb. 1971); refl. to exert oneself very much, to strive or struggle, also intr. for refl., id. Pa.p. strest. Obs. in Eng.Sc. 1715 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 71:
Some were like to tyne their Sight, Wi' Sleep and Drinking strest.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 48:
He stress'd himsell to cry aboon his pith.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 37:
[Ilk] made a brig that ane could pull it, Nor stress his banes.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
An emphatical Scots Proverb, meant to ridicule those who complain of great fatigue, when they have scarcely had any thing to do, or at least have done nothing that deserves the name of work. “Ye're sair strest stringin' ingans.”Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's W. x.:
I was stressed for the penny money.Sc. 1851 S. R. Whitehead Rose Douglas viii.:
Ye wadna be stressed, that's a'.Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters i.:
[A horse's feet] as they stressed painfully on edge to get weigh on the great waggon.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 11:
Braisslin on an stressin masel that gait.Uls. 1953 Traynor:
My hand is stressed with cutting oats.

II. n. 1. An exertion, effort, rare or obs. in Eng.; pressure of work, a heavy call on one's services.Ayr. 1822 Galt Provost vii.:
A flock of fleets and ships frae the East and West Indies came in a' thegither; and there was sic a stress for tide-waiters.Lnk. 1889 A. G. Murdoch Readings i. 18:
Ye micht manage the length o' Paisley wi' a stress.

2. An emergency, an urgent need or want, in phr. to kep a stress, see Kep, v., 2. (2).