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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GREE, v.1 Also grei, †grie. [Sc. gri:, s.Sc. grəi]

1. tr. To reconcile (persons) (Ags. 1955); to settle, agree upon (Ork., Abd., Ags., Rxb. 1955).Sc. 1711 Analecta Scot. (Maidment 1834) I. 295:
Noe sending home partys [to a dispute] to take a pint, an 'gree the matter.
Sc. c.1750 Hogg Jacobite Relics (1819) I. 146:
They've fallen out among themselves Shame fa' the first that grees them!
Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 85:
Kenning that ye're nae strange to what has been Your dather an' my ladie lang between, An' even we had greed it 'tweesh oursells.
Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 9:
Ach man! I wad a tane thee or ony body to have them greed again.
Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 116:
Drink grees us wi' our callin', . . . An' sets the heart a swallin' Like barm amang the beer.
wm.Sc. 1835 Laird of Logan 162:
That morning that I gaed to gree matters wi' Lizzie.
Ags. 1872 J. Kennedy Jock Craufurt 24:
An aye when 'twas her Sabbath oot, (For Jess was 'greed for week aboot), She never baide at hame frae kirk.
Ags. 1901 W. S. Milne Reminisc. 291:
[It] micht hae sattled the hash 'mang the ministers noo, An' 'greed the savants 'boot the auld cuddie's moo.

2. intr. To come to terms, to make an agreement; to become reconciled with (a person). Gen.Sc., exc. Sh. Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1737 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 64:
Take a pint and 'gree, the law's costly.
Ayr. 1785 Burns Death & Dr Hornbook xi.:
“Weel, weel!” says I, “a bargain be't; Come, gie's your hand, an' say we're gree't.”
Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf i.:
I am for down to Christie Wilson's, to see if him and me can gree about the luckpenny I am to gie him for his year-aulds.
Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb viii.:
Aw wadna care a great heap; gin we can 'gree aboot the waages.
Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 176:
An' aye we focht an' gree'd again, When we were at the schule.
Ork. 1907 Old-Lore Misc. I. ii. 62:
Dere's a new la oot 'at deres no tae be ony mair pressan, gin every perish'll 'gree amang dersels tae gae twa men.
Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables 23:
A Cuddy stown by two bauld thieves ae day, They cudna gree hoo to dispose their prey.

3. To be or to live in harmony, to be friends; to be of the same mind (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., gree, grei). Gen.Sc. Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 118:
'Gree like Dogs. Ironically forbiding Children to fall out about their Meat.
Abd. 1759 F. Douglas Rural Love 20:
Nor wad I hae their age unev'n, Can twenty ‘gree with fifty seven?
Edb. 1772 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 10:
As lang's there's pith into the barrel We'll drink and 'gree.
Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xiii.:
I tell ye they are man and wife, and gree better than some others.
Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 200:
Tibby . . . ye'll maybe min', married a ploughman up in the Colmonel han', an' angert me sae, that I wou'd naither speak wi' the tane, nor gree wi' the tither.
Nai. 1828 W. Gordon Poems 228:
Sometimes they greed — sometimes disputed.
Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 98:
Till drunk he [Adam] tummilt, An', as oor sacred authors gree, Life's garden bummilt.
Lnk. 1853 W. Watson Poems 63:
Then “here's a guid game an' guid greein', Fairplay, an' nae wee puny pranks.”
Ags. 1893 Brechin Advertiser (12 Sept.) 3:
Be that as it likes, they're an ill greein pack.
Kcb. 1893 Crockett Stickit Minister 301:
Me an the minister 'grees fine.
Abd. 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 9:
His cleadin' fashioned wi' his tastes to 'gree, Fae hose an' cuitikins to plaid an' hat.
Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables 27:
An' while they focht, he bore the prey awa' Baith Tods, forfouchen, gree'd to tak a share.
Sh. 1916 J. Burgess Rasmie's Smaa Murr Aagust 15:
Lambs döesna aft gree, whin dey'r first kringed tagedder.
Per. 1954:
When heating nuts at Halloween one would say, “Are they gaun tae gree?” or “They winna gree,” i.e. jump together or apart.

[O.Sc. has gre(e), grie, to be in or come to agreement, from 1567, to settle, from 1570; O.Fr. gréer, to approve, be in accord, refl. to come to an agreement.]

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"Gree v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gree_v1>

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