Sawney
Britishnoun
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a derogatory word for Scotsman
-
informal (also not capital) a fool
Etymology
Origin of Sawney
C18: a Scots variant of Sandy, short for Alexander
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the time of publication anti-Scottish sentiment was also high in England, while the name Sawney was considered a jibe at Scottish people, in the way "jock" would later become.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
The influence of Sawney Bean has since travelled far beyond Scotland.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Seating his boys in order from ace to dunce, Old Sawney fired questions down the line.
From Time Magazine Archive
Said Sawney: "I would rather make my living plowing on a steep, rocky hillside with a blind mule than imprison innocent children."
From Time Magazine Archive
A young man about Madison’s age named Sawney went with him.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
