Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. a fool, an idiot
- adj. foolish, stupid
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Soft; suave; somewhat deceitful or intended to persuade through excessive blandness.
- Dawdling; idling.
- n. A stupid, easy-going man.
- n. A suave, soft-spoken, artful person.
- n. A Scotsman: a nickname due to the frequent use of the name Alexander in Scotland, or to the characteristic Scotch pronunciation of the abbreviation.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Examples
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"Girls," suddenly asked Bess, "who ever started that lumberman's slang of 'sawney' for 'greenhorn' up in this hall of acquired good
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Edward Morris 5:32 pm: yes. or the tale of sawney beane. mine are from central p.a. the sollenheims
Transcript: Writing Paganism and Non-Christian Religions « Coyote Con
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"Out on the plank, sawney!" commanded Amelia from below.
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"Have a care, sawney," declared Amelia Boggs sternly.
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But the other girls -- at least, some of them -- meant to make the newcomer feel keenly her position as a "sawney."
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"Let the sawney climb the ship's taffrail and be plunged into the sea."
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Thank you, Miss, said Bob, lifting his cap and showing a delighted face, but immediately relieving himself of some accompanying embarrassment by looking down at his dog, and saying in a tone of disgust, Get out wi you, you thunderin sawney!
III. A Voice from the Past. Book IV—The Valley of Humiliation
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Considered to be, as far as any work is, unskilled labour. sawney: silly, gormless scab: see blackleg shout: In a group; to stand (pay for) a round of drinks.
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Well, it seemed a silly explanation, but he talked as if he had been weaned by an automatic machine, and I was sawney enough to listen to him.
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"Thank you, Miss," said Bob, lifting his cap and showing a delighted face, but immediately relieving himself of some accompanying embarrassment by looking down at his dog, and saying in a tone of disgust, "Get out wi 'you, you thunderin' sawney!"
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