Skire Thursday Sc. and north. dial. ? Obs.
Forms: α. 5 Skire, 5–6 Skyre, 6 Skir, 7 Sky(i)r, Skier, Sky. β. 5 Skyrys, 6 Skyris, Skiris, 9 Skiers, Scarce; 7 Skis, Skies. See also Thursday.
[ad. ON. Sk{iacu}ri-Þórsdagr (Norw. Skirtorsdag), f. sk{iacu}r skire a. Cf. also skere a. 4.]
The day next before Good Friday; Maundy Thursday; = Sheer Thursday.
| α c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 2277 So..walde he passe To Skyre thuresday, þan walde he his fete waschyn and clensyd be. 1474 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 72 Almous on Skire Thurisday. 1562 Invent. R. Wardrobe (1815) 156 Item, fourty drying claithis of all sortes—Deliverit xii..on skir-furisday at the wesching of the pure folkis fete. 1621 Sc. Acts, Jas. VI (1816) IV. 642 Thrie ȝeirlie faires, Viz. the first..vpoun skyirthurisdaye, the secund..at Lambes. 1670 Churchw. Acc. Pittington, etc. (Surtees) 228 For wine att the Communion upon..Sky Thursday. |
| β 1489 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 108 On Skyrys Thursday, giffin for the Kingis almus clathis, xvij merkis. 1630 in Brand Hist. Newcastle (1789) II. 343 note, Skis-Thursday being our Lady-Day in Lent. 1677 Churchw. Acc. Pittington, etc. (Surtees) 241 For bread and wine att the Communions of Palme Sunday, Skies Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Day, and the Sunday after. |
b. Sc. Used as the name of local fairs or markets held on this day.
In quot. 1864 the date is correct by Old Style.
| 1825 Jamieson Suppl. s.v. Skeir, Scarce-Thursday, the name of a fair held at Melrose on the Thursday before Easter. 1864 Glasgow Her. 15 Apr., ‘Skiers’ Thursday.—This important concluding market was held yesterday. |