REID

In Scots, reid or red gies us aw kinds o interestin compound wirds.

In Scots, reid or red gies rise tae some interestin compounds. As early as the fifteenth century, criminals war 'apprehendit with the red hand'. It wis not until the nineteenth century that the form red-handed wis yaised by Sir Walter Scott an wis taen up sooth o the Border.

Reid shanks may be foond on a wadin bird, bit the reid o the shanks caused by exposure tae the elements cud hae been the rationale ahint redshanks as a nem for a highlander. The Bannatyne Miscellany (1827-1855) quotes fae a letter scrievit in 1542 by a highlander:

We...goynge alwaies bair leggide and bair footide,...the tendir delicatt gentillmen of Scotland call us Reddshankes.

'Red-lichties', as aw football enthusiasts ken, are fowk fae Arbroath. The nicknem cam frae a misfortunat incident whaur a herbour licht wis pentit reid. This makkit the licht invisible frae the sea. Syne, the nem his been adoptit by the Red-lichties thaimsels.

Movin on tae craiturs, reid-ersies, reid-doups or reid-belties are species o bee wi reid on the abdomen; reid-gibbie is the stickle-back; the reid-back is the ladybird an a reid-sodger is a kin o reid spider.