† thevis nekn.
Scottish. Obsolete.
= ‘Thief's neck’, one fit for the gallows: a term of opprobrium. In quots. represented as the cry of the tewhit or lapwing.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > roguery, knavery, or rascalry > [noun] > rogue, knave, or rascal > worthy of hanging
wickhals?a1400
crack-rope?a1500
widdieneck?a1500
widdiefu?a1513
thevis neka1525
stretch-hemp1532
man of death1535
slip-string1546
waghalter1546
ropeful1567
gallows-clapper1570
hang-rope1570
rope-ripe1570
crack-halter1573
hempstring1573
wag-string1578
stretch-halter1583
gallows1598
halter-sack1598
wag-with1611
crack-hempa1616
roper1615
halter-sick1617
gallows-climber1668
hang-string1675
hempy1718
gallows-face1725
gallows-bird1785
hang-gallows1785
a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 823 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 120 The tuchet and ye gukkit golk...callit him [sc. the rook] thryss thevisnek to thrawe in a widdy.
c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) vi. 31 The tuechitis cryit theuis nek, quhen the piettis clattrit.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
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n.a1525