Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1891-1965
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SKRIT, n., v. Also scrit, skritt. [skrɪt]
I. n. 1. A scraping, scratching, tearing, the sound of scraping, etc.; a rent, a tear (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1970). Phr. to gie a skritt in (something), to tear (a thing) in pieces, to rend (Jak.).Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 3:
Wi a soond jüst da saim as da scrit o da cliv.Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
Da skrit av a pen.Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 41:
Da scrit an' swish o' da scaffy's bussom.
2. A great hurry or haste (Sh. 1970).
II. v. tr. and intr. To tear (up), to scratch, to make a scraping sound (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1970); to strike (a match); to write hastily or casually.Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 45:
Shü yokks a spade, comes buxin in, An scrits da earten flür.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (19 Feb.):
Mak' yon skunner scrit 'is croon.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
To grind in a quern: to skritt upo' de hwern; . . . “to skritt de green”, in ploughing the end of a strip of field: to tear up the surface of the ground here and there, to pull up tufts of grass together with clods of earth.Sh. 1955 New Shetlander No. 41. 22:
I skrit a match my pipe ta licht.Sh. 1965:
I'll geng an skrit twartree lines.
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"Skrit n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/skrit>
