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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FUD, n.¹, v. Also †fudd, †fude. [fʌd]

I. n. 1. The human posteriors, the buttocks (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; Lnk. 1943; Dmf., Rxb. 1953). Dim. fuddy. Comb.: †the Fud Court, the Kirk Session, as the court for dealing with cases of fornication. Cf. the usage in buttock-hire, -mail, s.v. Buttock.Sc. c.1715 Jacobite Minstr. (1829) 56:
We'll wauk their hydes and fyle their fuds, And bring the Stuarts back again.Abd. 1748 R. Forbes Ajax 8:
An' frae the weir he did back hape, An' turn'd to us his fud.Ayr. 1786 Burns Jolly Beggars Recit. 8:
They toom'd their pocks, an' pawn'd their duds, They scarcely left to coor their fuds.Lnk. 1816 G. Muir Cld. Minstrelsy 44:
Ance ilka month I do resort To hear what's done in the Fud Court.m.Lth. 1822 A. Rodger Poems & Songs (1897) 151:
To your hunkers — lick his fud — Sawney, now the King's come.

Phrs.: †to fright, put a fear into, one's fud, to frighten thoroughly, to terrify.Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace 266:
News of Wallace came with such a Thud As quickly put a Fear unto their Fud.Sc. 1827 Scott Journal (1890) II. 86:
We talked about the upset price of the copyrights of Waverley, etc. . . . It is to be hoped that this high upset price [£5500] will “Fright the fuds Of the pock-puds.” [A quotation from The Chevalier's Muster-Roll, 1715.]

2. The tail of an animal, esp. of a hare or rabbit, the scut (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 214, fudd; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; ne.Sc., Ags., Fif., Peb., Ayr., Dmf., Rxb. 1953). Dim. fuddie. Phr. to cock one's fud, lit., also fig. = to perk up, to give oneself airs. Also, in fisherman's taboo usage, the rabbit (‡Fif. 1975, fuddie).Ayr. 1787 Burns T. Samson's Elegy vii.:
Ye maukins, cock your fud fu' braw Withouten dread.Sc. 1815 G. W. T. Omond Arniston Memoirs (1887) 306:
The hare went away with her fud cocked.Sc. 1833 M. Scott Tom Cringle's Log xvii.:
Do you [a duck] cock your fud at me, you tiny thief, you?Hdg. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 149:
Alang the plantin' sides they bicker, An' funk up their white fuddies quicker.Kcb. 1897 T. Murray Frae the Heather 110:
Tho' noo fu' crouse ye cock yer fud, And frae me ower the craigs ye scud.ne.Sc. 1929 Scots Mag. (Dec.) 196:
The hail thing vanish't like a puff o' smoke Or a rabbit's fud on the run.Fif. 1946 J. C. Forgan Maistly 'Muchty 26:
Ye rabbits cock your furry fuds, And stamp the grund wi' soondin' thuds.Sc. 1949 Scottish Field (Jan.) 18:
A hare crossing a hummock [of snow] usually makes a scliff with its fud.m.Sc. 1990 Douglas Lipton in Hamish Whyte and Janice Galloway New Writing Scotland 8: The Day I Met the Queen Mother 59:
Rabbit
Whit's the yin maist important
legacy o' the Norman Conquest
north o' the Border?
AH AM
- Rabbit the Bruce. ... Buzzard
- Shut yir geggie.
An' here's yin fur yir fud. Edb. 1997:
Pollinate yer courgettes by ticklin them wi a rabbit's fud.

Hence ‡fuddie, -y, adj., short-tailed; short, thick, stumpy, of persons or things (Ork. 1929 Marw.); also used subst. for a hare (Bnff., Abd. 1825 Jam.) or as a nickname. In combs. fuddie-hen, a hen without a tail (Ags. 1825 Jam.), fudie-skirt, a short coat or vest (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., foodie-, 1900 E.D.D.).Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 128:
Flocks o' fairies, blue and green, As light as fuddies.Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Sc. Verses 36:
Nae wild deer thro' forest glade bounded mair free, Nor short fuddy maukin' alang the green lea.Edb. 1910 Scotsman (3 Sept.):
The butler, a very important official, had the curious name of “Cude,” and his more humble colleague the porter [of George Heriot's Hospital] was known as “Fuddy.”Ork. 1929 Marw.:
It was just a peerie fuddy bit o' banno.

3. The female pubes or pudendum (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Gen.Sc.Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 24:
Ye could hae seen in curious cases, Their bits o' fuds.

†4. A queue, the hair tied behind in a bun (Lth. 1825 Jam.).

†5. The bottom or butt-end of anything; in dim. fuddy and comb. kill-fuddie, specif. of a corn-kiln (Abd. 1825 Jam.). See Kill, n.¹

†6. From the v.: the act of walking briskly or nimbly; a person of small stature and nimble step (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 54). Dim. fuddick (Ib.; ‡Sh.¹¹ 1953).

‡II. v., tr. To whisk or jerk the tail; intr. to frisk, to scud, to walk briskly or with a short quick step; “spoken of persons of small stature, and often with the notion of pride, or bad temper” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 54; Abd.²⁷ 1930). Hence †fuding, frisky, sportive (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.).Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 99:
Owre Skeoch-hill the twa did fud And made na stop.Lnk. 1808 J. Black Falls of Clyde 116:
Now down yon glen I think I see some sheep, Fuddin' their tails, and running up the steep.Abd. 1825 Jam.:
“He fuds very fast.” “Saw ye the bawd, man, fuddin throwe the funs?”Bch. 1832 W. Scott Poems 121:
She'll fudd about as dainty like As ony futtret in a dyke.Peb. 1832 R. D. C. Brown Carlop Green 28:
For, as he moved, his coat-tails jerked Light ever and anon, Like fudding sheep's, dog's, or red-start's.Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Sc. Verses 78:
Puir maukie! noo ye'll fear nae mair . . . Nor fudd like stoor amang the stibble.