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1763 Scots Mag. July 380/1 The lord provost, the dean of guild, the treasurer, and likewise the deacons of the incorporations, and the convener..are usually continued two years... When they are not continued a second year, they are said to be grased, (a term of dishonour), if not elected into another office.

1776 in A. H. Millar First Hist. Dundee (1923) 155 The Provost..commonly is Two year in his Office, unless there were any malmanagement then they would bring him doun at the end of his first year, which is called girsing him, and choice a new Provost in his room.

1823 J. Galt Entail II. xix. 184 Since that time he's been neither to bind nor to haud, threatening to send me, his mother, a garsing.

1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. at Gerss This term is well known in the Councils of Boroughs. When a member becomes refractory..the ruling party vote him out at the next election. This they call gerssing him.