SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 249 Title : Tick Author(s): Anna Blair Copyright holder(s): Anna Blair Text Day was when Ma'dve died of shame To see the grocer put her name Wi' them that couldnae cash their way. To ask for tick, for time to pay. No, goin' a message, me or Shaun Had aye the money in wir haun' For bully-beef or cheapest tea Or makin's of a barley bree. For, a' her days, by darg or dint (though whiles gey near to bein' skint!) Of patchin', mendin', makin'-do Ma kept at bay the big Taboo, The credit, debt, goin' on the slate The things that fair humiliate The dire disgrace, the black affront And Grocer Campbell's surly grunt. But, come the Thirties and the dole What irks and burrs you had to thole! Pa's navy suit goin' into pawn Or else cut-doon to breeks for Shaun, Beg bones for soup that's boiled up twice't The bread for pieces thin-thin sliced, Or near goin' down on bended knees Into hock for a wee-bit cheese. But, what was infinitely worse, Slump ended wi' but blacker curse Men back to work at gadgets for The sick, sad boom...of making war. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 1 Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1998 Word count: 194 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 127 Forenames: Anna Surname: Blair Gender: Female Decade of birth: 1920 Educational attainment: College Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Teacher/author Place of birth: Giffnock Region of birth: Glasgow Birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Glasgow Region of residence: Glasgow Residence CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Business Father's place of birth: Glasgow Father's region of birth: Glasgow Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Business Mother's place of birth: Glasgow Mother's region of birth: Glasgow Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Visits to France, correspondence Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: