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Cutty-sark (witch)

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103: 92: 22: 209:, witches cannot cross running water. He makes it across the bridge to safety, but not before Nannie, the "Cutty-sark", has torn the tail from his horse. The poem ends ironically, with a mock warning to all men of the devilish consequences of thinking about scantily-clad females. 64:", after the garment she wore. In the poem, the erotic sight of her dancing in such a short clothing caused the protagonist Tam to cry out "Weel done, Cutty-sark", which subsequently became a well-known catchphrase. 204:
spectacle that he cannot contain himself and yells out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!" (line 189). The witches are now alerted to his presence and pursue him. Tam heads for the River Doon, because, according to
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The popularity of this poem was such that the phrase, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!", entered the English language via
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as an exclamation similar to "Bravo!". Literary allusions to the original Cutty-sark abound. For example, in
308: 288: 298: 53: 61: 293: 119:' dance. Among the dancing figures is a particularly beautiful young witch named Nannie (Scots 91: 303: 137: 131:(nightshirt) which fitted her as a child (a "lassie") but is now rather too short for her: 8: 78: 74: 206: 115:(first published in 1791), the drunken Tam, riding home on his horse, happens upon a 258: 265: 218: 213: 37: 282: 239: 120: 57: 45: 173: 227: 223: 153: 166: 21: 116: 69: 26: 226:
writes, "Laughing witches in red cutty sarks ride through the air on
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of Anna), "ae winsome wench and wawlie" (line 164). She is wearing a
95: 185: 179: 191: 41: 201: 259:"cutty(-ie) sark, a short chemise or undergarment" 158:Wad ever graced a dance of witches! (lines 171ff) 280: 101: 90: 20: 281: 150:That sark she coft for her wee Nannie 146:It was her best, and she was vauntie. 67:She gave her name to the tea clipper 252: 148:Ah! little kend thy reverend grannie 13: 14: 325: 142:That while a lassie she had worn, 98:illustrated the witch in the poem 84: 270:Dictionary of the Scots Language 144:In longitude tho' sorely scanty, 27:British clipper of the same name 81:is in turn named for the ship. 1: 245: 25:Cutty-sark figurehead on the 200:Tam is so enthralled by the 7: 233: 10: 330: 264:26 September 2007 at the 48:) is a nickname given to 314:English-language idioms 272:, accessed 21 May 2007 177:, "joyous, boasting"; 161: 106: 99: 79:brand of Scotch whisky 30: 156:('twas a' her riches) 133: 105: 94: 73:, which featured her 24: 136:Her cutty sark, o' 107: 100: 60:in his 1791 poem " 31: 309:Fictional witches 289:Scottish folklore 230:" (p. 695). 196: 321: 299:Scottish English 273: 256: 164: 329: 328: 324: 323: 322: 320: 319: 318: 279: 278: 277: 276: 266:Wayback Machine 257: 253: 248: 236: 160: 157: 151: 149: 147: 145: 143: 141: 109:In Burns' poem 89: 54:fictional witch 17: 12: 11: 5: 327: 317: 316: 311: 306: 301: 296: 294:Scots language 291: 275: 274: 250: 249: 247: 244: 243: 242: 235: 232: 134: 112:Tam o' Shanter 88: 86:Tam o' Shanter 83: 77:at the bow. A 62:Tam o' Shanter 36:(18th century 16:Poetic pursuer 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 326: 315: 312: 310: 307: 305: 302: 300: 297: 295: 292: 290: 287: 286: 284: 271: 267: 263: 260: 255: 251: 241: 238: 237: 231: 229: 225: 221: 220: 215: 210: 208: 203: 198: 194: 193: 188: 187: 182: 181: 176: 175: 170: 168: 159: 155: 139: 132: 130: 126: 122: 118: 114: 113: 104: 97: 93: 87: 82: 80: 76: 72: 71: 65: 63: 59: 55: 51: 47: 43: 39: 35: 28: 23: 19: 304:Robert Burns 254: 240:Cuttie-stool 228:broom sticks 217: 211: 199: 190: 189:, "bought"; 184: 178: 172: 165: 162: 135: 128: 124: 110: 108: 85: 68: 66: 58:Robert Burns 49: 46:undergarment 40:for a short 33: 32: 18: 224:James Joyce 56:created by 283:Categories 246:References 183:, "knew"; 154:pund Scots 75:figurehead 70:Cutty Sark 34:Cutty-sark 96:John Faed 262:Archived 234:See also 207:folklore 195:, "two". 169:, "girl" 152:Wi' twa 127:(linen) 121:pet-form 219:Ulysses 174:vauntie 138:Paisley 117:witches 42:chemise 202:erotic 167:lassie 50:Nannie 214:Scots 140:harn, 38:Scots 186:coft 180:kend 129:sark 125:harn 52:, a 192:twa 44:or 285:: 268:, 222:, 197:) 171:; 163:( 29:.

Index


British clipper of the same name
Scots
chemise
undergarment
fictional witch
Robert Burns
Tam o' Shanter
Cutty Sark
figurehead
brand of Scotch whisky

John Faed

Tam o' Shanter
witches
pet-form
Paisley
pund Scots
lassie
vauntie
kend
coft
twa
erotic
folklore
Scots
Ulysses
James Joyce
broom sticks

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