Cutty-sark (witch)

Cutty-sark (18th century Scots for a short chemise or undergarment[1]) is a nickname given to Nannie,[citation needed] a fictional witch created by Robert Burns in his 1791 poem "Tam o' Shanter", 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.

Among the dancing figures is a particularly beautiful young witch named Nannie (Scots pet-form of Anna), "ae winsome wench and wawlie" (line 164).

little kend thy reverend grannie That sark she coft for her wee Nannie Wi' twa pund Scots ('twas a' her riches) Wad ever graced a dance of witches!

For example, in Ulysses, James Joyce writes, "Laughing witches in red cutty sarks ride through the air on broom sticks" (p. 695).