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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

FUIL, n., adj., v. Also fule; fül, föl (Sh.); feul (Ork.); fael (Uls.); ¶foel (Sc. 1759 F. Douglas Rural Love 17). I., m. and s.Sc. forms and usages of Eng. fool. For n.Sc. forms see Feel, n.², adj.² [føl, fyl, fɪl]

I. n. As in Eng. Deriv. adj. and n., ful(e)ish(ness). See also Fuilitch.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xliii.:
Mony a wise man sits in a fule's seat, and mony a fule in a wise man's, especially in families o' distinction.Sc. 1859 M. Oliphant Adam Graeme iii. iii.:
There's nae fuils like auld fuils.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona i.:
A fule and his siller's shune parted.s.Sc. 1926 “H. M'Diarmid” Penny Wheep 69:
Maist folk are thowless fules wha downa stir, Crouse sumphs that hate nane 'bies wha'd wauken them.Ork. 1952 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days (1984) 78:
" ... Thoo chissed me till I wur forced tae tak' thee. Boy boy, I wur a feul right enough." wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 53:
Richt, Ah'm a fule tae masel', it is ma nature -
He'll deprive me o' ma last crust o' breid an' butter
An pit me whaur Ah picked him, up, the gutter. Dundee 1988 Ellie McDonald in Joy Hendry Chapman 54 29:
An whit's it worth
tae staun fornenst the tide -
like as no, me an King Canute
taen as fules thegither.

Dim. foolie (a player in) a children's game with two chief players, Namer and Foolie. Foolie has to collect a side from Namer's followers by making certain correct guesses of the fanciful names given to each player by Namer, whereupon the two sides have a tug-of-war (Inv. 1894 A. Gomme Games I. 132). Cf. Bannockies ( Bannock) 4. Ib.: Foolie, foolie, come to your schoolie, Your bannocks are burnin' an' ready for turnin'.

Phr.: fools and bairns shouldnae see things half done, Judgements should not be made on something until completed.Sc. 1989 Scotsman 10 Jul 9:
"Fools and bairns shouldn't see things half done" could equally be the comment (in suitably broad Scots) of Ian Begg whose Scandic Crown Hotel it is that is making this startling debut on the architectural scene.Sc. 1989 Scotsman 30 Sept 7:
...contains the first instalment of Muriel Spark's autobiography which she read at a festival in the Canongate Kirk a year or so ago. In truth I found it slight, somewhat jerky and bitty. But fools and bairns shouldn't see a thing half done.Edb. 1993:
Fools and bairns shouldnae see a thing half done.Dmf. 2003:
Fuils an bairns shouldnae see half-din wirk.

II. adj. Foolish; silly, half-witted (I. and m.Sc. 1953). Obs. in Eng. since 16th cent.Sc. 1732 P. Walker Six Saints (ed. Fleming 1901) II. 18:
[They] would make no use of ale nor tobacco, and other fool things.Mry. 1754 Elgin Kirk-Session Rec. (ed. Cramond 1897) 336:
Fool Mage's child given to John Innes, common executioner, his wife to be nursed.Sc. 1814 Scott Waverley xxx.:
Whisht, gudewife; is this a time, or is this a day, to be singing your rantin fule sangs in?Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xvii.:
Wasting baith at heck and manger, wi' bardie leddies and whirligig fool-fellows at yon gait.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
Fule-thing . . . often used of silly, giddy, or coquettish females. Thus it is applied to one who has refused good offers of marriage.Bnff. 1844 T. Anderson Poems 30:
These weddin's happen'd about Yule, When fouks are mair than ord'nar fule.Gsw. 1863 J. Young Ingle Nook 102:
Ah, Mattie, it's fule Rabbie's bairns, That shackle me wi' slav'ry's airns.Sh. 1882 Gentleman's Mag. 370:
An' he wid come upo' dem; an' some wiz fül enough to ride him.Fif. 1897 “S. Tytler” Lady Jean's Son iv.:
As for Jenny and her fule cracks, I never let on to her they're worth the heeding.Hdg. 1903 J. Lumsden Toorle 127:
What ony fule-coof could hae sworn, A' woo'd and married and a'!Ork. 1904 Dennison Sketches 3:
Weel, the feul trows o' the Nort'-en lost a' that veelant flock o' whalls.Sh. 1950 New Shetlander No. 20, 12:
Weel, got du dee bawcha, du fuil moanimint, as I sall sae da laek?

Derivs.: 1. feulie, -y, id. (‡Ork.⁵ 1953); 2. fule-like, id. (m.Sc. 1953); †3. fülias[-ious], crazy, phs. influenced by Furious.1. Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 317:
Twa feuly ald Orkna billies tullzied aboot a peerie uddie bit o' a plantacreu.Ork. 1929 Ib. IX. ii. 78:
Hid baled lang, an' hid waas amis apin 'im teu for bean sae feulie.2. Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 645:
But unfortunately they generally throw away much of their revenue, . . . in making fool-like parades, through towns, drinking on the street, etc.Dmf. 1846 R. W. Thom Dominie's Charge I. 108:
It's fule like no to toom the stoup ane strove to fill.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xxxii.:
But it was droll to see hoo fule-like he lookit.Uls. 1898 A. McIlroy Meetin'-Hoose Green xiii.:
It lucks fael-like, on my pert, takin' on wi' new-fang'll'd notions.3. Sh. 1879 Shet. Times (24 May):
It's a' dis fash doo's büne gaen troo, 'at's made dy mind sae waek, an' gin doo gees wy ta it it'll mak' dee fülias.