Cutty-sark (witch) Cutty-sark (witch) "Cutty sark" is 18th-century Scots for "short chemise" or "short undergarment". Hyphenated, Cutty-sark was a nickname given to the witch Nannie Dee, a fictional character created by Robert Burns in his "Tam o' Shanter", after the garment she wore. The figurehead of the tea clipper "Cutty Sark" is named after the character and a brand of Scotch whisky is named in turn for the ship. "Cutty" or "cuttie" (the diminutive form of "cuttit", from Early Middle English "cutte", "kutte", "cute" "ugly") is "short" or "stumpy". "Sark" or "serk" (from Old English "serc"; Old Norse "serk") is a "shift",
Cutty Sark "The Tweed" for more than he paid for both. "The Tweed" was then lengthened and operated as a fast sailing vessel, but was considered too big for the tea runs. Willis also commissioned two all-iron clippers with designs based upon "The Tweed", "Hallowe'en" and "Blackadder". Linton was taken to view "The Tweed" in dry dock. Willis considered that "The Tweed"s bow shape was responsible for its notable performance, and this form seems to have been adopted for "Cutty Sark". Linton, however, felt that the stern was too barrel shaped and so gave "Cutty Sark" a squarer stern with less tumblehome.