Chiefly Sc. and north. Also (6 Sc. louge), 6–7 lugg(e. [Of obscure etymology.
As a synonym of ear, it first appears early in the 16th c., and in colloquial Sc. use has entirely superseded the older word. Presumably this application is a transferred use of a word that existed earlier with some other meaning. It is possible that the sense ‘ear-flap of a cap,’ which is the earliest represented in our quots., may really be prior to the sense ‘ear’; for similar transferences of words from parts of clothing to the parts of the body covered, cf. breech, crown, sole. If so, the word may perh. be of Scandinavian origin, with a general sense of ‘something that can be pulled or laid hold of,’ specialized differently in Sw. lugg forelock, with which cf. Eng. dial. (Sheffield, North Derb., etc.) ‘to pull (somebody’s) lugs,’ meaning not as in Scotland, the ears, but the hair. (See LUG v.)]
1. One of the flaps or lappets of a cap or bonnet, covering the ears.
1495. Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl. (1877), I. 225. Item, fra Henry Cant, ij cappis wyth luggis; price xxxvjs.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 43. Euyrie scheiphird hed ane horne spune in the lug of there bonet.
1737. Ramsay, Sc. Prov. (1797), 35. He has a bee in his bannet lug.
1822. Goldie, Poems, 115. (E.D.D.). Cock yer bonnet hie, An’ frae its lug let tartans flee.
2. = EAR sb.1 1 and 3.
In Sc. the only word in use, ear being obs. exc. in combination. Eng. writers of 16–17th c. use lug as a slang or jocular synonymn (see quots. 1592 and 1625, and cf. b).
1507. Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844), I. 437. That na craftismen by hidis bot as the law requires, that is to say, the louge and the horne elik lang.
1515. Edin. Counc. Rec., in A. Laing, Lindores Abbey, xxii. (1876), 297. To be scurgeit to the gallows and thair his lug takkit to the beame.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 64. Kyng midas gat tua asse luggis on his hede be cause of his auereis.
1581. Satir. Poems Reform., xliv. 109. Sathan in ȝour knauish luggis bleu.
1592. Greene, Conny-catching, Wks. (Grosart), XI. 62. Then the gentlewoman let loose his eares, and let slip his head, and away went he home with his bloody lugges.
1625. B. Jonson, Staple News, V. i. A fine round head when those two lugs are off To trundle through a pillory.
1659. Shirley, Content. Ajax & Ulysses, i. If you have a mind to lose one of your lugs,… Talk on.
1721. Ramsay, Lucky Spence, xiii. I … Roun’d in his lug, that there was a Poor country Kate.
1786. Burns, Scotch Drink, 4. Let other Poets … grate our lug.
1824. Scott, Redgauntlet, let. xii. Dinna blaw in folk’s lugs that gate.
1893. Stevenson, Catriona, 52. I heard the balls whistle in our lugs.
† b. In other than Sc. use, sometimes taken in specialized meanings: (a) the lobe of the ear; (b) a large ugly ear. Obs.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., V. iv. 2232. Like a great swine by his long leane eard lugges.
1611. Cotgr., Le mol de l’oreille, the lug or list of th’ eare.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., viii. (1653), 158. The prominency of our Eares serve also for a defence [etc.] … all which commodities our mickle-wise Mothers defraud us of by their nice dislike of Lugs, and as they call them in reproach, Prickeares.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Lug, the tip of the Ear.
1764. O’Hara, Midas, 60. Dare you think your clumsey lugs [printed lungs] so proper to decide, as The delicate ears of Justice Midas?
c. In phrases similar to those s.v. EAR sb.1 Also, fig. to get one’s lug in one’s loof, to be severely taken to task; by the lug and the horn, by main force; to hang by the lug of, to keep a firm hold of.
a. 1652. Brome, Mad Couple, III. i. Wks. 1873, I. 47. You … were found by my servants at Luggs with your brace of Corps bearers.
a. 1693. M. Bruce, Good News in Evil T. (1708), 54. Since the Cause is put in his Hand, ye have ay good Reason to hing by the Lug of it.
1744. Adam Smith, in Life W. Cullen (1832), I. 481. I shall get my lug in my lufe, as we say, for what I have written.
1770. Bp. Forbes, Jrnls. (1886), 300. The poor Brutes … cock’d their Lugs when they came in sight of Maryburgh.
1828. Moir, Mansie Wauch, xx. 291. We carried them by the lug and the horn before a justice of peace.
1883. Thomson, Leddy May, 109. (E. D. D.). Up in debt owre the lugs, he is happy for a’.
3. An object resembling the external ear.
a. The handle of a pitcher, etc. Also techn. in various uses, denoting an appendage by which an object may be lifted or suspended; cf. EAR sb.1 8, 8 b, 13.
1624. Invent., in Archæologia, XLVIII. 151. One copper pan with 2 lugges.
a. 1693. Urquhart’s Rabelais, III. xlv. Instructors of Children shake the heads of their Disciples, as one would do a Pot in holding it by the Lugs.
1794. W. Felton, Carriages (1801), II. Suppl. 51. Sewing on one old lug or flap … 0. 0. 6.
1819. Scott, Leg. Montrose, iv. The lady’s auld posset dish, that wants the cover and one o’ the lugs.
1862. Macm. Mag., Oct., 510. That, when they ‘pree’ or examine a corner or lug of their nets, they may find it glitter with the silvery sheen of the fish.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Lugs, the ears of a bomb-shell, to which the hooks are applied in lifting it.
1871. Owen, Mod. Artill., 98. There are three natures of mortar shells … the two higher natures have either lugs or lewis holes.
1881. Whitehead, Hops, 69. A lug or ear is left on each side of the mouth of the pocket.
1895. Month, Sept., 53. Its [the haddock’s] head had been cut off, and it hung by the lug, or ear.
b. = EAR sb.1 9.
1833. Holland, Manuf. Metal, II. 215. In the centre of this fulcrum are two projecting lugs, one on each side.
1855. Hopkins, Organ, ii. 16. The fork-shaped piece of wood that projects from the hanging end of the feeder [in the blowing-action], called the lug.
1875. Carpentry & Join., 33. A neat iron tank, with lugs to allow of its being screwed to a bench.
1881. Greener, Gun, 262. The lugs of the barrels … should be oiled occasionally.
1882. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 39. Top-gallant yards are … fitted with an iron band and lug round the centre of the yard.
1897. Encycl. Sport, I. 271/2. The [bicycle] Frame is made of steel tubes, inserted at their points of junction into hollow stampings or castings of metal, known as ‘lugs.’
c. The side-wall (of a fire-place or other recess); a (chimney) corner.
1784. Burns, Ep. to Davie, i. Frosty winds blaw … Ben to the chimla lug.
1843. J. Ballantine, Gaberlunzie’s Wallet, xii. 276. He likit the lug o’ the kitchen fire best.
4. Tobacco trade (see quots.).
1859. Bartlett, Dict. Amer.
1888. Paton & Dittmar, in Encycl. Brit., XXIII. 424/2. The leaves [of tobacco] are … sorted into qualities, such as ‘lugs,’ or lower leaves, ‘firsts’ and ‘seconds.’
1896. P. A. Bruce, Econ. Hist. Virginia, I. 442. The lowest grade was known as lugs as early as 1686.
5. attrib. and Comb., as (sense 1) lug-cap; (sense 2) lug-drum, -trumpet; (sense 3) lug-end, -knee; lug-bab Sc., an ear-drop (cf. BOB sb.1 3); lug-bolt, a cylindrical bolt, to which is welded a flat iron bar (Cent. Dict.); lug-chair, an easy-chair with side-pieces for the head; lug-haul v., to pull by the ears; lug-knot, a knot of ribbons worn at the ear; lug-mark, sb. and v. = EAR-MARK.
1725. Cock-laird, in Orpheus Caledonius, Craig-claiths, and *lug-babs, And rings twa or three.
1898. Westm. Gaz., 4 March, 3/1. The black skull cap of silk or cotton, the common *lug-cap [etc.].
1901. N. Munro, in Blackw. Mag., March, 347/1. Humped in his *lug-chair, he would forget his duty.
1865. Young, Pict., 169 (E.D.D.). The whistlin’ and the skirlin’ … Rings through ane’s *lug-drum like a bullet.
1894. Bottone, Electr. Instr. Making (ed. 6), App. 228. These plates must be perforated all over … to within about 3/4 in. of the top, or *lug-end.
1829. Hood, Sheph. Cal., I. vii. 201. Speak plain out, else I’ll have thee *lug-hauled, thou dwarf!
1874. Thearle, Naval Archit., 39. Plate XVI. and fig. 7, show the kind known as *lug knees, the lugs being forged to the knee.
17[?]. Muirland Willie, xii. in Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1788), I. 9. Our bride’s maidens were na few, Wi’ tap-knots, *lug-knots, a’ in blew.
1685. M. Shields, Faithf. Contend. (1780), 181. Imprisoning,… *lugg-marking, banishing, and killing.
1802. C. Findlater, Agric. Surv. Peebles, 191. They [lambs] receive … marks cut into the ear with a knife, designed lug mark.
1892. Newcastle Daily Jrnl., 28 March, 5/6. A Northumberland farmer … in identifying a heifer in dispute, stated that he lug-marked it.
1893. Crockett, Stickit Minister, etc., 68. Every sentence has got the ‘Gallowa’ lug-mark’ plain on it.
1830. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr. (1864), III. 54. Gin he uses a *lug-trumpet.
