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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WAGHORN, n. Also waughorn ; ¶waugram. A fabulous character, more mendacious than the Devil, the greatest of all liars, hence dim. Waggie, a nickname for a liar; the Devil himself, Satan.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 55:
As false as Waghorn, and he was nineteen-times falser than the De'el.
Abd. 1825 Jam.:
A fabulous personage, who, being a liar nineteen times (or, according to others, four and twenty times) greater than the devil, was crowned king of liars. Hence extravagant liars are said to be as ill as Waghorn, or waur than Waghorn.
Sc. 1847 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 221:
Auld Waughorn himsel' may come to rock his son's cradle.
Abd. 1880 W. Robbie Yonderton 89:
Ou aye, awat he lees like waghorn.
Sc. 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ i. xxiv.:
He wha flings atowre the dreddour o' God wull swith fa' intil the girns o' Auld Waghorn.
Kcd. 1921:
I was asking at old John about Waggie. He says there was a story went roun' the toun that there was a Waugram told that mony lees that he was kickit oot o' Hell, and that he jist get the name o Waggie eftir him.

[O.Sc. waghorn, id., c.1663, presumably from wag + horn (cf. Hornie, the devil).]

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"Waghorn n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 23 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/waghorn>

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