Green’s Dictionary of Slang

sawney adj.

foolish.

a.1680		Rochester ‘In Defense of Satire’ in Works of Rochester (1721) 62: Thinks himself a Beau-Garçon, / Goggles his Eyes, writes Letters up and down, / And with his sawney Love plagues all the Town.
1850		(con. 1843) Melville White-Jacket (1990) 11: Mark him, as he advances along the files of old ocean-warriors; mark his debased attitude, his deprecating gestures, his Sawney stare, like a Scotchman in London.
1873		R. Broughton Nancy III 118: The bronze of his face is a little paled by emotion, but there is no sawny sentiment in his tone, none of the lover’s whine.
1887		Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Oct. 6/4: Potts Point and Toorak will be interested to hear that their sawney friend – ‘Prince Albert Victor, the eldest son of the Prince of Wales models himself on Ouida’s heroes’.
1893		H. Lawson ‘Stragglers’ in Roderick (1972) 92: A sandy, sawney-looking Bourke native takes great interest in this wreck.
1900		Marvel 8 Dec. 2: Thought I would forget it, did you, coming up to me with that sawny grin!
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 29 May 3/3: There was a young girl called Lorney, / Who made all the boys look sawny.
1924		Lawrence & Skinner Boy in Bush 90: Crikey! Stop up another night! It ’ud make ye sawney.
1936		(con. 1830s–60s) ‘Miles Franklin’ All That Swagger 132: Surely you’d never help things on with that sawny bean-pole?
1943		R. Llewellyn None But the Lonely Heart 96: I might have knowed you have something bleeding sawney to say, you old twerp, you.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 285: Young Dan was with him. Eighteen he was now. A bit sawny but a nice kid.
1953		I. Hamilton Till Human Voices Wake Us 125: A sawney fellow from the country [...] a simple sort of country boy.
1985		B. Robinson Aussie Bull 16: Make sure you’ve got the right ‘sawny’ expression on your face.
1998		R. Puxley Fresh Rabbit 79: The sawney type who ‘wears his best hat to paint the ceiling’.