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.
CLARY, CLARRY, CLAIRY, CLAARY, n. and v. [′klɑ(:)rɪ̢, ′kle(:)rɪ̢]
1. n. A mess; a liberal spread (as of butter or jam) on bread; “a daub of paint” (n.Ant. 1924 “N. Antrim” in North. Whig (14 Jan.)); a poultice or plaster (Arg.1 1937). Known to Lnk.3, Kcb.9 (1937).Arg. 1882 Argyllsh. Herald (3 June):
I tok a ould moggan fit an row'd up a clary o' hechhow [water-hemlock] an' moogart an' grandivies [ground-ivy].Arg.1 1937:
Sit doon noo an' dae yer lessons lake a cluvver laddie an' then ye'll get yer tea wi a fine claary o' jam on yer shafe o' breed.Ayr.4 1928:
He made just a clairy o' that job.Dmf. 1925 W. A. Scott in Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 20:
Come intae the hoose this meenit; see what a clairy ye're makin' o' yersel'.
2. v. To besmear (Lnk.3' Kcb.9 1937; Uls. 1920 H. S. Morrison Mod. Ulster 38). MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. (1824) 135 gives clarrie = besmeared with mud, and Arg.1 (1935) clairit.
[Cf. Glaurie, in the same sense as the noun above.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Clary n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/clary>
