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Canny. World English Historical Dictionary

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Canny. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. Canny a. Sc. Also in north Eng. dial. conny. [A comparatively modern word: not found before 17th c. App. f. CAN v. in sense ‘to know how, be able,’ or the derived Sc. sb. CAN, ‘knowledge, skill’ + -Y: cf. Sw. kunnig. Canny, conny, thus originally was nearly = cunnand, cunning in its primary sense. But it has developed an extensive series of meanings, two or three of which are in common use in Eng. literature to denote qualities considered characteristically Scotch. It is also current in the North of England as far south as Lancashire and the Humber, but in senses more or less distinct from the Scotch.]

1   1.  Knowing, sagacious, judicious, prudent; wary, cautious. Sc. arch.

2 1637.  Rutherford, Lett., lxxxiii. (1862), I. 212. Men’s canny wisdom, who, in this storm, take the nearest shore and go to the lee and calm side of the Gospel. Ibid. (a. 1661), I. xi. (Jam.). I trust in God, to use the world, as a canny or cunning master doth a knave-servant;—he giveth him no handling or credit.

3 a. 1662.  Baillie, Lett. (1775), II. 138 (Jam.). The Parliament is wise to make, in a canny and a safe way, a wholesome purgation.

4 a. 1758.  Ramsay, Poems (1800), II. 256. Ye gales that … please the canny boatman.

5   b.  esp. Cautious in worldly matters, worldly-wise, shrewd, having a constant eye to the main chance. (A somewhat sneering application of the Scotch word by English writers to ‘a low prudence or roguish sagacity, which southern people are pleased to attribute to their northern kinsfolk’ (Chambers’ Jrnl.). Perh. from Scott’s use.

6 1816.  Scott, Antiq., xxxviii. ‘If ye’ll let me hear the question,’ said Edie, with the caution of a canny Scotchman, ‘I’ll tell you whether I’ll answer it or no.’

7 1852.  Miss Yonge, Cameos (1877), II. vii. 90. Starving out the English, as the canny Scotch had so often done.

8 1870.  Lowell, Study Wind., 145. It [the Hohenzollern] was an able and a canny house, a Scotch version of the word able, which implies thrift and an eye to the main chance.

9 1878.  Holbrook, Hyg. Brain, 53. As they say in canny Scotland.

10   † 2.  Cunning, artful, wily. Sc. Obs. or arch.

11 a. 1662.  Baillie, Lett. (1775), II. 67 (Jam.). Mr. Marshall … by canny conveyance, got a sub-committee nominate according to his mind.—Vines, Herle, &c. … seeing us excluded by Marshal’s cunning, would not join.

12 1794.  Ritson, Sc. Songs, I. 269 (Jam.). Well does the canny kimmer ken, They gar the scuds gae glibber down.

13   3.  Skilful, clever, ‘cunning’ (in the old sense). Canny wife: ‘wise woman,’ midwife (Fr. femme sage); hence canny moment: moment of childbirth. Sc. arch.

14 1768.  Ross, Helenore (1789), 15 (Jam.). [They] did with care the canny knack impart Unto their bairns.

15 1790.  Shirrefs, Poems, 266 (Jam.). A skilly wife, our parish howdy; Wha did her jobs sae freely canny.

16 1810.  Cromek, Rem. Nithsdale Song, App. 335 (Jam.). When the pangs of the mother seized his beloved wife, a servant was ordered to fetch the cannie wife who lived across the Nith.

17 1815.  Scott, Guy M., i. ‘Ye’ll be come in the cannie moment I’m thinking.’

18   † 4.  Supernaturally wise, endowed with occult or magical power. Sc. Obs.

19 1768.  Ross, Rock & wee pickle Tow (Jam.). She was ne’er ca’d chancy, but canny and slim.

20 1816.  Scott, Bl. Dwarf, iv. His popular epithet soon came to be Canny Elshie, or the Wise Wight of Mucklestane Moor.

21   † 5.  Lucky, fortunate, prosperous. Sc. Obs.

22 1715.  Pennecuik, Poems, 62 (Jam.). Farewel, old Calins, kannie all thy life.

23 1721.  Ramsay, Poet’s Wish, ii. Whaever by his canny fate, Is master of a good estate.

24   b.  Lucky or safe to meddle with; esp. with negative. Cf. UNCANNY. Sc.

25 1718.  Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk, III. v. Word gae’d she was na kanny.

26 1829.  Scott, Demonol., v. 161. Which are not supposed to be themselves altogether canny.

27   6.  Careful, frugal, thrifty. (An archaic Sc. sense, which has been taken up in English to characterize a quality considered specially Scotch.)

28 1725.  Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., I. ii. Whate’er he wins, I’ll guide with canny care.

29 c. 1800.  Maxim, ‘Be canny with the sugar!’

30 1866.  Howells, Venet. Life, 267. The number … and cost of the dishes were carefully regulated by the canny Republic’s laws.

31 1872.  Spectator, 7 Sept., 1129. A business-like, thrifty, canny, constitutional government.

32   7.  Careful or cautious in motion or action; hence, quiet, gentle, ‘soft’ of speech; free from commotion, disturbance or noise. Said of persons or animals, in their action, speech or disposition; and also applied to things, as running water, the sea, wind, etc. (The usual sense in modern Scotch.)

33 1785.  Burns, Cotter’s Sat. Nt., iv. Some tentie rin A cannie errand to a neebor town. Ibid. (1786), Salut. Auld Mare, v. Hamely, tawie, quiet and cannie.

34 1814.  Scott, Wav., lx. ‘The plaids [Highlanders] were gay canny, and did not do so much mischief.’ Ibid. (1822), Pirate, v. ‘Speak her fair and canny.’

35 1820.  Glenfergus, II. 341 (Jam.). The canniest hand about a sick bed.

36 1861.  E. B. Ramsay, Remin., v. (ed. 18), 125. Mounted upon a Highland pony as being the canniest baste.

37 Mod. Sc.  A cannie laddie. Cannie Nannie, a species of wild bee not given to stinging.

38   b.  Of humor: Quiet, sly, ‘pawky.’ (Sc., and used by Eng. writers as characteristic of Scotch humor.)

39 1876.  Green, Short Hist., viii. § 2. 464. His canny humour lights up the political and theological controversies of the time.

40   8.  Quiet, easy, snug, comfortable, pleasant, cosy. Sc.

41 a. 1758.  Ramsay, Poems (1800), I. 44 (Jam.). Edge me into some canny post. Ibid., II. 227 (Jam.). A canny soft and flowery den.

42 1787.  Burns, Ep. James Smith, xviii. Cannie, in some cozie place, They close the day.

43 Mod.  She [a servant] has a gey cannie place.

44   9.  Agreeable to the eyes or perception, tidy, seemly, comely; good, worthy, ‘nice,’ very satisfactory. In the north of England (in some parts pronounced conny) a general epithet of approbation or satisfaction, as in ‘Canny Newcastle,’ ‘the Canny Town.’ In N. Lancashire, ‘of good size or amount.’ (Cf. the vulgar ‘a tidy bit of money,’ and the like.) Not a Scotch sense.

45 1802.  R. Anderson, Cumbrld. Ball., 40. Tom Linton was bworn till a brave canny fortune.

46 1821.  Mrs. Wheeler, Westmrld. Dial., 99. Saa yee awt else et wur conny while yee stayd?

47 1863.  in Robson, Bards of Tyne, 237. We wish to be cleanly an’ canny.

48 1870.  Lancash. Gloss. (E. D. S.), s.v., ‘Jim had supp’t a conny lot.’

49 1875.  Whitby Gloss., Conny, seemly: ‘she’s conny beeath te feeace an te follow.’

50 1877.  Holderness Gl., ‘A conny lahtle bayn’ [= bairn].

51   10.  Also used advb.; esp. in phr. to ca’ canny: to go cautiously, quietly, gently, carefully, warily.

52 a. 1796.  Burns, My Nannie O, vi. I maun guide it cannie, o.

53 1804.  Tarras, Poems, 82 (Jam.). The troddling burnie i’ the glen Glides cannie o’er its peebles sma’.

54 1814.  [Mrs. Johnstone], Saxon & Gael, III. 73 (Jam.). ‘Chaps like them suld ca’ canny.

55 1816.  Scott, Antiq., vii. ‘Canny now, lad—canny now—tak tent, and tak time.’

56 1823.  Galt, Entail, I. xxvii. 239 (Jam.). ‘But, Charlie and Bell, ca’ canny.’

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