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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

EXCAISE, n., v. Also exkase, excaese, excaize, ne.Sc. exkeese, exceese, excuise (Dmf. 1894 R. Reid Poems 261), †exqueese. Sc. forms of Eng. excuse (Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. of Burns, excaise; Abd.²¹ (exkeese), Ags.¹⁹, Fif.¹⁰, Knr.¹, Slg.³, m.Lth.¹, Bwk.³, Peb.² (exkase) 1950). See P.L.D. §§ 35, 37, 128. [ɛks′kez Sc., but ne.Sc. ɛks′kiz]Abd. a.1807 J. Skinner Amusements (1809) 27:
Now, after a', hae me exquees'd For wissing nae to be refees'd.ne.Sc. 1868 Laird of Logan 462:
“You'll need to tak' your dinner somewhere ony way, so you'll just stop.” “O na, Mr Beveridge, 'deed ye maun exceese me, for I'm no prepar't.”m.Lth. 1870 J. Lauder Warblings 58:
Chaps, exkase me, for I'm fou.Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 113:
Jist exkeese me for sayin' there's aneuch aboot me the nicht.Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 80:
Sae I got on my chacket shawl, an' quately oot I gaed. No that at a' I meant to flit, tho' that exkase I made.Abd. a.1880 W. Robbie Yonderton (1929) 110:
He wiz maybe t' be exkees't for vreetin' 't, for fin a body's presst for siller, they're sometimes force't t' dee things 'at, at ither times, they wid be asham't o'.Ags. 1892 A. Reid Howetoon 68:
I'm sayin', mester, gin ye'll kindly excaese me for askin', wad ye tell me whether that clock's stannin?Slk. 1892 W. M. Adamson B. Blether's Corresp. 82:
John excaized himsel' for wanderin' us.

Hence exceesable, excaisable, excusable (Abd.²¹, Ags.¹⁹, m.Lth.¹ 1950).Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xli.:
Nae doot fan fowk meets in wi' company moderate things is exceesable, but seerly it's gyaun owre the bows to foryet faur ye've been.