subs. (old).—See quots.—GROSE.
c. 1540. ELDAR [PINKERTON, History of Scotland, ii. 396]. Both summer and winter … going always bare-legged and bare-footed … therefore insomuch as we use and delight so to go always, the tender delicate gentlemen of Scotland call us REDSHANKS.
1542. BOORDE, Works [E.E.T.S.] [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 495. We see REDSHANK (applied to the Irish)].
1565. T. STAPLETON, Bede’s The History of the Church of Englande, B iii., c 4. A priest … called Columban cam from Ireland into Britany to preache the woord of God to the REDSHANKES [Picti] … as dwelt in the south quarters.
1577. HOLINSHED, History of Scotland, 318. In the battle of Bannockburn were three thousande of the Irish Scots, otherwise called Kateranes or REDSHANKS.
1596. SPENSER, A View of the Present State of Ireland. He [Robert Bruce, 1306–30] sent over his brother Edward with a power of Scots and REDSHANKS unto Ireland, where they got footing.
1610. England’s Eliza, in Mirror for Magistrates, 854 [NARES]. When the REDSHANKES on the borders by.
1630. TAYLOR (‘The Water Poet’), Workes. High-land-men, who for the most part speake nothing but Irish; and in former time were those people which called the RED-SHANKES.
1730. E. BURT, Letters, i. 74 [Note]. In the lowlands of Scotland, the rough footed Highlanders were called REDSHANKS from the colour of the red-deer hair.
1809. SCOTT, Lady of Lake, lx. [Note]. The ancient buskin was made of the undress’d deer hide … which procured the Highlanders the well-known epithet of RED-SHANKS.
3. (old cant).—A turkey. [Properly the pool-snipe.]
1707. Old Song, ‘Rum Mort’s Praise of Her Faithless Maunder’ [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 36]. RED SHANKS then I could not lack.
c. 1725. Old Song, ‘Retoure my dear dell’ [New Canting Dictionary]. On REDSHANKS and tibs thou shalt every day dine.
4. (old cant).—A duck or drake.—HARMAN and B. E.
