Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1701-1731, 1788-1841, 1895
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BLAUD, BLAD, BLAWD, Blade, n.2 [blɑ(:)d Sc.; blǫ(:)d em. and wm.Sc.]
1. A bit of something broken off; a broad piece of any kind; a large portion; also used fig.Sc. 1701–1731 R. Wodrow Analecta (Maitland Club 1843) III. 7:
God's bairns should gett a good blade of his oun bread.Ags. 1820 A. Balfour Contemplation, etc. 262:
Lang blads o' linen, wabs o' harn, Enow to theekit Watty's barn.Per. 1816 J. Duff Poems 4:
Dear sister, Kinnoul, I have heard ye wi' patience, An' blads o' the truth ye hae spoken.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 7:
Strang pupits flew about in blads.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 300:
We'll gather gear fu' rowth like cauf an' sand, To buy us houses, an' grit blawds o' land.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems, etc. 15:
Some fowk are gettan curious fun At gnawin' blauds o' curran'-bun.Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems and Songs 130:
Its skin came aff a large big blad.
2. A selection or specimen, esp. of something written (perhaps influenced by blade). Cf. Eng. bits of verse.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Letter xi.:
Hutcheon . . . would have read a chapter of the Bible; but Dougal would hear naething but a blaud of Davie Lindsay.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 208:
'Tween blads o' sang we built our nest upo' the gorsy lea.Fif. 1841 C. Gray Lays and Lyrics 226:
Instead of prose, my honest Peter, Accept frae me a blaud o' metre.Edb. 1720 A. Pennecuik Streams from Helicon 75:
The meikle Tasker, Davie Dallas, Was telling Blads of William Wallace.Ayr. publ. 1834 Burns To Dr Mackenzie (Cent. ed.):
Friday first's the day appointed . . . To get a blaud o' Johnie's morals.
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"Blaud n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/blaud_n2>
