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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

PICK, n.2, v.2 Also pik(k) (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.), peck.

I. n. 1. As in Eng., a tool for breaking up hard ground, etc. Sc. combs. and phrs.: (1) as fou as the ee o a pick, very drunk (Kcb. 1965); (2) pick an' mell, see Mell, n.1, 14. (3); (3) pick-head, the swift, Cypselus apus (see quot.); (4) pick(s)man, a miner, coal-hewer (Sc. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 243, 1886 J. Barrowman Mining Terms 50). Now also in Eng. Cf. Picker, 2., pickieman s.v. 2. below.(3) w.Lth. 1945 Scotsman (5 Aug.) 7:
There is a rather curious name for the swift, which was used in West Lothian when I was a boy. It was called the “pick-head”, because when it is gliding the bird has the exact appearance of a miner's light pick-head.
(4) Dmf. 1793 J. McConnel Upper Nithsdale Coalworks (1962) 17:
4 Pickmen to put out 42 creels per day net, at a rate of 14d. each per clad score.
Dmf. 1812 J. Singer Agric. Dmf. 28:
At Wanlockhead 118 pickmen are employed.
Lnk. 1893 T. Stewart Miners 4:
She was the bonniest picksman ever I saw.

2. Specif.: (1) the small pointed or edged hammer used to roughen the surface of a millstone when it has become smooth with use. Also mill-pick, id. (Ork. 1965). Hence pick(ie)-man, a miller's assistant, a worker in a mill whose job this is (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sh. 1965).Abd. 1741 Session Papers, Earl of Aboyne v. Garden (29 June) 6:
Pickieman at the Mill of Dennity.
Sc. 1923 Sc. N. & Q. (Ser. 3) I. 95:
The pickman or pickie-man was a miller's servant whose occupation was to trim the mill-stones by “picking” when they were worn smooth by use.
Ork. 1965:
Headed like a mill-pick Buited like a shule Bodied like a bokie Bit yet hid's no a fule. Answer: a goose.

(2) an implement for collecting sea-weed (see quot.).Sc. 1895 Longman's Mag. (Nov.) 33:
He [the kelper] is armed with a “pick”, an implement resembling a very strong hay fork, but with prongs set, like those of a rake, at right angles to the handle. With this pick . . . he grapples the tumbling seaweed and drags it up to the beach.

(3) a tool for prising shellfish from rocks (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928) pikk, Sh. 1965). Combs. bait-pick (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.; Cai. 1965), lempit-pick, id. (Jak.). See Lempit.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (22 Jan.):
He took his cuddie an' pick an' guid i' da lempit ebb.

3. A spike, prong; a prickle, spine. Obs. in Eng. Dim. pickie, id. Combs. pick-hook, pikk(i)(e)-, in Sh. taboo language: a strong hook or prong mounted on a stout handle for hauling aboard a large fish after it has been caught, a gaff, Huggiestaff (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 175, 1908 Jak. (1928)), pickie-dog, the piked dogfish, Spinax acanthias (Uls. 1953 Traynor). Cf. Pike, n., 3. (5). Also reduced form pickie, pikki, id. (Jak.).

4. A chap on the skin (Ork., Bnff., Abd. 1965).Abd.15 1930:
The frosty winds his a boddie's han's in a hotterel o' picks.

5. A pike (Sc. 1764 Scots Mag. (April) 187). Comb. pick-staff, a pike-staff. Obs. in Eng.Abd. 1725 Bibliotheca Brittannica (1782) V. iv. 41:
There pertain to this township firelocks, guns, muskets, halberts, swords, picks.
Abd. 1757 Session Papers, Petition T. Greig (15 Nov.) 6:
He and William Moir examined the Moss by stamping with a Pick-staff.
Ags. 1850 A. Laing Wayside Flowers 144:
The auldest greybeard sin' he ken'd a pickstaff, Ne'er heard o' a marrow to Halkerton's calf.

6. A light stroke or tap, gen. one made with a pointed instrument (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Ork. 1929 Marw.). Derivs. pikki, picko, a tapping sound or action (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1965, pikki), a game resembling tig (Ork. 1929 Marw., picko; I.Sc. 1965), comb. pikki-hoggi, a light blow or tap, a boys' game in which the aim is to tap another player on the shoulder (Jak., Sh. 1965). Cf. Fidro. Phr. to play pick at, = II. 2. (Kcb. 1965).Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 30:
A bothy c'uld no' ga'e the ba' a pick wi' his tae on Sunday, bit he wad be ca'd afore the session.
Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
To play pikki aroond de skrus: child's game in autumn, a kind of playing hide-and-seek around the corn-stacks.
Sh. 1923 T. Manson Lerwick 53:
The larks we used to have playing “pickie.”
Ork. 1923 P. Ork. A.S. 68:
There were also games played by mixed companies of boys and girls: “Lee-lo-ley,” for instance. Also “Picko,” “Hide-and-seek,” “Cocks awarning.”
Sh. 1958 New Shetlander No. 48. 26:
I wis juist gyaain ta rekk for me sark whin a pick cam ta da door.

II. v. 1. As in Eng., to pierce or indent with a pick or other sharp instrument, to chip, nick, roughen, to dress a millstone, etc. Phr. to pick a or the mill(s), to roughen a millstone-face for grinding (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.); also fig. (see Mill, n., 2. (6)). Hence pickal (Cai. 1903 E.D.D., Cai. 1965) picker, n., the miller's assistant who does this. Cf. I. 2. (1). Ppl.adj. pickit, -et, roughened, indented, pitted, uneven, full of irregularities, worn (ne.Sc., Lth. 1965); of the skin: rough with cold, chapped (Ork., Abd. 1965).Sc. a.1876 Sir Lionel in Child Ballads No. 18. B. iii.:
Will you gae fee to pick a mill?
Sh. 1898 Shetland News (11 Dec.):
Yon auld lipper o' a mill's as slight noo as a sharpin'-stane for want o' bein' pickid.
Abd.15 1930:
The table knives hisna been scoort for a fyle an' they're some sair pickit.

2. lit. and fig.: to make a deep impression on, to affect (Kcb. 1965).Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf ix.:
Pinches or forehammers will never pick upon 't.
Bwk. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 175:
“It pickit sair on him”. It affected him much, he felt it heavily.

3. intr., with (up)on, at, etc.: to tap lightly on some surface (e.g. to attract the attention of), to make a tapping or knocking noise (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Ork. 1929 Marw.; I.Sc. 1965). Vbl.n. pickin, a tapping sound. Phr. to pick upo' da kirn, to churn milk with a light tapping motion (Sh. 1965).Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 54:
I gengs ta pick oot da drap o' meilk dat wis standin'i'da keg, sae as to get a bit o' guid butter ta set by fir Yule.
Ork. 1894 W. R. Mackintosh Peat-fires 245:
Andrew of Curcabreck's wife came and “picked” on the flagstone roof of his “neuk-bed”, and warned him to get up and decamp.
Sh. 1899 Shetland News (21 Oct.):
A'll come an' pik apo' da kirn a moment, fil doo rests dee.
Sh. 1903 E.D.D.:
The milk is put into a narrow deep vessel, and to the end of a stick a round perforated disk of wood is attached. This is wrought up and down piston-fashion, and the milk is churned by the beating motion of the disk. When the quantity of milk is small the action must be gently performed, said “to be peckin upo' da kirn.”
Ork. 1927 H. C. Jean's Garden 22:
I heard a pickin' at wir door.
Sh. 1962 New Shetlander No. 61. 18:
I mind standing up in the window “pikkin” on the pane, bidding my sisters to come in.

[O.Sc. has Pikkeman as a personal name, 1520; peckaman, as a common n., 1604. For v., 3., cf. Norw. pikka, to tap.]

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"Pick n.2, v.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/pick_n2_v2>

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