Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HEEZE, v., n.¹ Also heis(e), heiz(e), heez, hi(e)se, he(e)se, hease, -ze; hyse, -ze, hize, heys(e); hayse (Slg. 1732 Trans. Slg. Nat. Hist. and Arch. Soc. (1924) 42), haise (Mry. 1852 A. Christie Mountain Strains 67). See also Heist, Hoise. [hi:z, haez]

I. v. 1. (1) To lift, raise up, hoist (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis, heis, heys; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl., hize; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., hise; Mry.¹ 1925, heeze; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Dmf. 1925 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 29, hease). Gen.Sc. Used fig. (gen. with up), to elevate, exalt, extol. Hence heyser, a clothes prop (Abd., Ags. 1900–56, Bnff. 1980s; Edb. 1990s).Inv. 1708 Inv. Session Rec. (Mitchell 1902) 5:
Resolved that there be a necessity for hyseing the Kirk bells, whereby the whole parioch might hear their sound the better.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 25:
Heez'd on a Board, O than! Rejoicing in the artfu' Height, How smirky look'd the little Wight!Slg. 1732 Trans. Slg. Nat. Hist. and Arch. Soc. (1924) 42:
John Hill convicted of hyseing of a jurnayman from off John M'Euen's seat.Ork. 1747 P. Ork. A.S. XII. 48:
Several broken pices of sash windows, a Tackle for heysing Corn into the Store house.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (1925) 28:
Cauld shaw the haughs, nae mair bedight Wi' simmer's claes, They heeze the heart o' dowy wight That thro' them gaes.Ayr. 1786 Burns Dream ix.:
Thae bonny Bairntime, Heav'n has lent, Still higher may they heeze Ye.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 49:
Talents like his, at sic a kittle time, Might grace a camp, an' hiese the carl's name.Gsw. 1827 A. Rodger P. Cornclips 178:
For drink can heeze a man sae high, As mak' his head 'maist touch the sky.s.Sc. 1847 H. S. Riddell Poems 216:
The braid autumn moon, Can heeze up our spirits, in power and in pride.Ags. 1869 R. Leighton Poems 305:
Bauld Boreas heis'd them on his shuither.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (5 Nov.):
I wid staand an' luik ta da boats hisin' der sails.Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae French 12:
An', a' assembl't, thus the Lion said, Heisin' his claws to coont the maitter owre.Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Sc. Sangs 7:
We lo'e the dear hameland, Sae heyse the flag an' lat it wag, An' teen the pipers' band.Ags. 1934 D. L. Duncan Hamespuns 59:
Lat vitamin folk rave an' rowt, Heeze up spaghetti or sauer-kraut.Ags. 1947 Forfar Dispatch (6 March):
She'll think naething o' paintin the heysers.Fif. 1998 Tom Hubbard Isolde's Luve-Daith 5:
You sang ti heeze the dauntit fae defeat,
I ettled fir ti mak the lipper hale. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 7:
Heize up ma yirdfast thochts, O God,
Lowse the tung in ma mooth o clay,
Tae tell, as shairly I am bund,
The dreid an glory o thy Day.

Hence fig. heisin, heezin', (a) ppl.adj., (i) boastful, prone to exaggeration; (ii) bloated, obese, blown up with fat; (b) vbl.n. heisin', (i) a helping hand, assistance, encouragement; (ii) a children's game (see quot.).(a) (i) Abd. (Boddam) 1954:
He's awfu hysin: — He is very boastful, a great braggart.(ii) Kcd. 1857 A. Taylor Lummie 3:
She was a muckle, heezin' soo, Wi' flabby cheeks and sulky broo.(b) (i) Abd. 1853 W. Cadenhead Flights 217:
Wi' sangs, and cracks, and kin'ly looks, Gie life for ance a heisin'!em.Sc. 1913 J. Black Gloamin' Glints 104:
Come, help we ane anither, Aye gie a freendly heezin'.(ii) Bnff.¹⁶ 1956:
There is a children's game called heysin. A rope is held low down at first, and the youngsters jump over it, first from one side, then from the other. When all are over, the rope is raised a little, and each child who fails to clear it falls out of the game. The winner is the one who clears the highest rope.

(2) To toss in the air, to scatter around; specif. to scatter (money) for children to scramble for as a wedding party is leaving. Cf. Heist, n. 2.Ags. 1949 A. K. Taylor From Gsw. Slum to Fleet Street 13:
All the kids in Angus roaring behind like young bulls, “Hize the Siller! Hize the Siller!” . . . it was his [bridegroom's] turn to “hize the siller.” He had his bawbees all ready.

(3) To carry, convey a person (to a place), to whisk, hurry or hustle (one) off (Knr. 1956).Rxb. 1815 J. Ruickbie Poems 26:
Fliskiwhisk, and Flegalone, Heeze me to the torrid zone.Sc. 1858 Sc. Haggis 78:
Aff they heezed her awa' to Glasgow.Lnk. 1895 W. Stewart Lilts and Larks 195:
Jeanie gat her faither hized awa' to a fair at a big distance ootowre the kintry.ne.Sc. 1957 Mearns Leader (18 Jan.):
The yells o' the loons hyzin' them on their road.

2. tr. To dance, perform (a dance) in a lively manner; intr. to dance, to romp, to banter, to make merry (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 86, hyse; Mry. 1925; ne.Sc. 1956).Slg. 1806 G. Galloway Nelson 16:
Nane can heeze the highland fling Like merry light Miss Drummond.Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 63:
Dweeble kin', sair tash't an' daidlet, wi' bit little scouth te heeze, Moosie watna o' its freedom, fleyd at a' the great mineer.Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Sc. Sangs 15:
Royet rascals rise fae gloamin, Rantin ear an' late, Hooin, hysin while they're roamin.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 13:
There wis a boorach o wee chukkens heezin aboot in the thick girse here anna.

3. tr. To raise, increase; intr. to rise, to heave, mount up. Also fig. Cai. 1774 Weekly Mag. (13 Oct.) 79:
This stops nothing of our rents; . . . they're heezing ilka day. . . . They needna fash mair wi' heezing rents.Cai. 1887 B. Watten Stratharran 105:
My father's [rent] heazed frae nine to saxteen pounds.Lnk. 1888 J. Nicholson Tibbie's Garland 188:
Till I begin to hotch an' heeze.Hdg. 1905 J. Lumsden Croonings 188:
They're business bred, nae doubt, and rates Could eithly heeze.Fif. 1994 William Hershaw in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 47:
Wullie fund hissel heezin up aff his hunkers fae the settee. He walked ower ti the windae like a man in a dwalm. Abd. 2000 Sheena Blackhall The Singing Bird 9:
Like mochs aroon a caunle-flame, the mirlin mem'ries heeze:

4. To travel fast, hasten, hurry (Per., Knr. 1956, Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 248.). Cf. 1. (3).Lnk. 1870 J. Nicholson Idylls 20:
How grim loom the mountains as onward we heeze.Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 202:
He was hysin hame: he was making for home.Mry.² 1920:
She's aye late. It'll be a wonder if we dinna see her hysin' doon the road when we're gaun.

5. To swarm (with), to abound, to teem, to be laden in profusion (Abd., Knr. 1956).ne.Sc. 1953 Mearns Leader (25 Sept.):
The braes were jist heezin' wi' brammle busses hingin' tae the grun' wi' a gran' crap o' scrumshious, juicy berries.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 87:
The bit wis heezin wi fush - a trappit lochan o them.

II. n. 1. (1) A heave, hitch up, hoist, a sudden elevation (Ags. 1808 Jam.; Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 168; Uls. 1924 W. Lutton Montiaghisms 25; I.Sc., Abd., Ags., Per., Slk. 1956). See also Heezie.Mearns 1844 W. Jamie Muse 102:
He quickly gied the bags a hease, The chanter round did gently fease.Ags. 1898 A. H. Rea Divot Dyke 64:
Time cam' owre sune for Jeems to rise; He had to ask Tam for a hize, “I doot I'm fou, I canna stand.”

Fig.: (2) An impetus, a quick start, a move on. Cf. v. 4.; a promotion, an advancement.Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick III. iii.:
Thae night troopers 'ill be on us in a gliff, gin we dinna get a heeze aff.Arg. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xxxvii.:
He's sittin' on his dowp yet, waitin' a dispensation o' Providence that'll gie him a heeze somewhere else.

(3) An aid, encouragement, a helping hand (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Abd. 1956); a gross piece of flattery, a puff (Uls. 1924 W. Lutton Montiaghisms 25). Also heeze up.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 164:
Then freshest Fish shall on the Brander Bleez, And lend the bisy Browster-wife a Heez.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 47:
At this the lassie's courage got a heeze, She thinks her wiss is now come till a creize.Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (1925) 17:
Braid Claith lends fock an unco heese, Makes mony kail-worms butter-flies.Rxb. 1826 A. Scott Poems 172:
My pen and humble lyre Ne'er ow'd a heeze up to unhallow'd fire.Abd. 1882 W. Forsyth Selections 10:
This han' has geen her mony a heise, Has saved her head, an' sooth'd her griefs.Slg. 1932 W. D. Cocker Poems 23:
“The Sustentation Fund,” thinks Pate, “Needs a bit heeze at ony rate.”

(4) A boast, vaunt (Abd. 1825 Jam., s.v. Hoise), “a fine achievement, a signal success or performance” (Ork. 1929 Marw.). Also erron. sing. form by back formation, hey (Ib.). Cf. v., 1. (1) Hence fig. (a) (i).

2. The act of swinging (Lth. 1808 Jam.); a child's swing (Lth. 1825 Jam.).Sc. 1818 S. E. Ferrier Marriage II. ix.:
We're just takin' a heize on the yett.

3. A romp, a piece of clowning or obstreperous fun; a practical joke, a “rise”, banter, a teasing (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff., hyse; ne.Sc. 1956); bustle, uproar (Abd. 1825 Jam., s.v. Hoise). Phr. to hae a hyse wi, to sport with, to have good-humoured raillery or fun with (Abd. 1956).Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xviii.:
There was a set o' roch-like breets up aboot the poopit, an' ane in't haudin' a terrible hyse.Abd. c.1900 A. Macgregor MS.:
He thought he would take a “hyse” out of Robbie Broon.Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 47:
Nae mair 'e like a hize o' fun, Nae mair ye tummel o' the grun Nor tak yer tail.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iv.:
Elshiner Annerson having supped and being well filled was ready for a “hyse.”Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 42:
An wis aye on the haik for a hyse or a claik
Wi the chiels at the pub in the Howe.

4. A large amount, a crowd, a swarm (Abd., Mearns⁶ 1956); the best or greater part of anything (Ib.). Cf. v. 5.