Kilted Etymologies:
I've seen several etymologies for "kilt" and the rest of our favorite accessories. So I got out the OED (Ok, I just loaded the webpage). Here are some etymologies and word histories that I found interesting:

KILT: the earliest given attestation to the word as a noun is given as c1730 from Edward Burt: "Those among them who travel on Foot..vary it [the Trowze] into the Quelt..a small Part of the Plaid is set in Folds and girt round the Waste to make of it a short Petticoat that reaches half Way down the Thigh." I like the spelling

So where did the noun come from? A verb "to kilt" meaning "to gird up, to tuck up round the body", as illustrated by Burns himself in 1792 "I'll kilt my coats aboon my knee, And follow my love thro' the water." This verb is classified as "apparently of Scandanavian origin" on account of Danish kilte meaning "to tuck up", ON kilting "skirt".

So what about HOSE:
hose comes from Old English and is apparently an old Germanic word for leg-coverings, so that today German Hoserefers to trousers, while Dutch hoos refers to stockings. It is recorded as hosa in Old High German and Old Norse. It is also reconstructed as hosôn in Old Teutonic. All Romance languages with a form of the word derived it from the Germanic form.

The earliest usage listed is from around 1100. The first sentence they have is from 1206: "that aelc nome a long sax [I assume they mean the long knife] & laeiden bi his sconke with inne his hose". Interesting to see the great change in language!

On to HAGGIS:
Haggis's composition is not its only mystery , so I will just quote the dictionary with a few abridgements. Basically, the derivation is unknown. "The analogy of most terms of cookery suggests a French source; but no corresponding French word of form has been found. The conjecture that it represents F. hachis hash has apparently no basis in fact...Whether the word is connected with hag (verb), evidence does not show.

Interestingly, the dictionary notes : "Now considered specially Scotch [sic!!!], but a popular dish in English cookery down to the beginning of the 18th c."

As for SPORRAN:
I doubt many would be surprised to know it's from Sc. Gaelic sporan meaning purse (see also Irish sparán meaning the same). What I found interesting is that the first attested usage in the English language is by Scott in Rob Roy (1818): "I advise no man to attempt opening this sporran till he has my secret."

Is this why the simple, draw-string style of sporran was dubbed the "Rob Roy sporran"? Or was it simply a marketing ploy? A little of both?

I could look up more, but I'm already afraid this is too long and most people will skip it!
Mark