A Night Out with Burns (13 page)

quean
young girl

queir
choir

raible
gabble

rak'd her
had sex with her

randie
rude, riotous

rant
spree; rantan merry

rape
rope

rash-buss
clump of rushes

ratton
rat

raucle
rough, coarse

raught
reached

ream
foam

reave
thieve

reck
heed

rede
advice

reekan
bloody; reeket smoky

reestet
cured

remead
remedy

rigwoodie
withered

ripp
handful

rive
break up

roose
praise

roupet
husky

row
roll

rowte
low

rowth
plenty

rozet
resin

run-deil
complete devil

rung
cudgel

runkl'd
wrinkled

runt
cabbage stalk

ryke
reach

sair-wark
labour

sark
shift;
sark-neck
collar

scaur
afraid

scrieve
glide swiftly

settlin
quieting

shavie
trick

shaw
small wood in a hollow

sheugh
trench

shore
offer; threaten

sicker
steady

sinsyne
since then

skaith
damage

skellum
rascal

skelpie-limmer
hussy;
skelp
slap; hurry;
skelpan
, skelping
smacking

skirl
shriek

sklent
direct with malice; slanting

skyte
blow that rebounds at an angle

slae
blackthorn

slap
gap in a dyke or fence

sleeket
smooth

smeddum
insecticide powder

smoor'd
was smothered

smoutie
ugly

smytrie
numerous collection

snash
abuse

sneeshin mill
snuff box

snell
bitter

snick-drawing
crafty

snirtle
snigger

snowck
sniff

sonsie
good-natured

souple
soft

sowther
patch up

spae
foretell

spairge
bespatter

span-lang
hand's-breadth

spean
wean

spier
ask

spleuchan
tobacco pouch, purse

splore
uproar

sprattle
scramble

spunkie
will o' the wisp

stan'
pause

stank
pond

staw
stole

steek
stitch

steek
shut

steer
molest

(a) steerin
in motion

stegh
stuff oneself with food

stent
duty

stibble-rig
reaper who takes the lead

stirk
young bullock

stoiter
stagger

stoor
harsh

stoure
tumult

stowlins
stealthily

stowp
tankard

strae-death
natural death in bed

streek
stretch

stroan't
pissed

strunt
liquor

strunt
move confidently, strut

studdie
anvil

sturt
trouble;
sturtan
afraid

sucker
sugar

sugh
rushing sound of wind

swat
sweated

swats
new small beer

swirlie
full of knots

swither
state of agitated uncertainty

syne
then;
lang syne
long ago

tack
tenure

taet
tuft

tak aff
drink up;
tak the gate
go home

tap-pickle
grain at the end of the stalk

tapsalteerie
topsy-turvy

tassie
goblet

tawtied
shaggy

tent
open-air pulpit

tent
care; take heed; tentie watchful

thack
thatch

thairms
fiddle strings

thole
endure

thrang
crowd; in a crowd, busy

thrave
two sets of corn sheaves

thraw
frustrate; twist;
for thrawing
to prevent warping

(a')
throu'ther, throw'ther
in confusion

till't
to it

timmer
timber

tine
lose

tippeny
ale originally sold at 2d a Scots pint

tirl
rattle

tod
fox

toom
empty

toop
ram

tow
bell-rope

towsing
fondling

towzie
unkempt, shaggy

toy
old-fashioned cap

tozie
tipsy

trepan
beguile

trig
smart

trow
believe

tryst
cattle market

twin
deprive

unco
very; strange

usquabae, usquebae
whisky

vap'rin
fuming

vauntie
vain

wabster
weaver

wae sucks
alas;
wae worth
cursed be

waft
sea-trip

wale
choicest kind; choose, pick out

wame
stomach; womb

warklum
tool

warsle
struggle

wat
know, be sure

water-fit
mouth of a river

waver
flutter

wawlie
fine, handsome

wean
child

weary fa'
a curse on

weason
gullet

whang
thick slice of cheese

whid
lie

whiles, whyles
at times

whin
gorse

whitter
draught of liquor

whittle
knife

wiel
eddy

wight
fellow

wimple
twist, meander

winn
winnow

winnock
window;
winnock-bunker
window-seat

win't
wound

wintle
roll

winze
curse

wonner
specimen

woodie
rope for hanging

wooer-bab
garter at knee tied with two loops and worn by a suitor

worms
long spiral tubes at the head of a whisky still in which the vapour is condensed

worset
worsted

wud
angry

wyle
lure

wylecoat
flannel vest

wyte
reproach

yell
milkless

yill
ale;
yill-caup
wooden vessel for drinking ale

yird
earth

This edition first published in Great Britain in 2008
by Canongate Books Ltd,
14 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1TE

This digital edition first published in 2009
by Canongate Books Ltd

Introduction and commentaries ©Andrew O'Hagan, 2008
‘A Birl for Burns' © Seamus Heaney, 2008

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted

The publishers gratefully acknowledge subsidy from the Scottish Arts Council
towards the publication of this title

Quote on p. xxiii reprinted with the kind permission of Andrew Noble

Quote on p.12 reprinted with the kind permission of James Fenton

Daily Mail
quote by Peter Hitchins on p.92 reprinted with the kind permission of
the
Daily Mail

CBS News
quote on p.122 reprinted with the kind permission of the Associated Press

Quote on p.170 from
Anthropology and the Global Factory: Studies of the New
Industrialization in the Late Twentieth Century
, copyright © Frances Abrahamer
Rothstein and Michael L. Blim (editors), reprinted with the kind permission of
Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., Westport, CT

Quote on p.204 by Muhammad Ali reprinted by permission of Muhammad Ali
Enterprises LLC

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission
for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologises for any errors or omissions
in the above list and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be
incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available on
request from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 84767 450 0

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