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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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.

HOO, adv. Also hou. I. and m.Sc. forms and usages of Eng. how. Hence hooever, -iver, however. See also Foo. [hu:]

1. Sc. forms of Eng. how, however.wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 35:
They'll boast an' brag aboot yi, they'll kiss an' tell
Wi' who, an' hoo minny times, an' hoo well!Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 24:
I can tell hoo sair-duin-by Scotland is,
yet he's richt: he's got whit he needs
and it's a gey sicht mair nor monie anither.m.Sc. 1996 John Murray Aspen 17:
Daith isnae
kennin hou ye mairked oor faimlie's dwyne
wi fadit cuttins gotten fae the Scotsman.em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 31:
An thus houiver great yer guilt,
Ye for his glory God will spare,em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 63:
' ... Even you wi yer odd sympathies, John, I think would find it no possible tae imagine hoo onybody could get pleisure oot o carnal relations wi a horse.'Dundee 2000 Ellie McDonald Pathfinder 8:
Ye cudnae tell hou auld the Mini wis,
its burnt out shell abandoned at the cribbie.

2. As in Eng. Phrs.: (1) how-(a)n-a-be(e), -bei (s.Sc.), whan-a'be, however, nevertheless, howbeit (Lth., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; ‡Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Cf. Foo, 1. Phrs. (2); (2) hoo's a' (wi' ye)?, how are you?; used as a gen. greeting (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 276; m.Sc., Uls. 1957); †(3) how soon, as soon as (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 135); (4) how that, in what manner, how. Gen.(exc. I. and ne.)Sc.; also redundantly, that how that, = that.(1) m.Lth. 1786 G. Robertson Har'st Rig (1801) lxiii.:
Whan-a'be, they but kemp the mair.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck vi.:
Dinna think, howanabee, that I care for outher you or it.Ags. 1823 A. Balfour Foundling I. vii.:
I fear I'll mak' a poor hand at the pleugh: how an' a' be, I'm willin' to lear.Sc. 1874 A. Hislop Sc. Anecdotes 302:
Howanawbee, there was ae chiel there — he couldna be content wi' a dish.(2) Sc. 1756 M. Calderwood Journey (M.C.) 201:
“How's a' wi' ye,” “Good e'en to ye,” “De'il tak ye,” was always his salutation in Scots, when he wanted to show his knowledge in that language.Ayr. a.1796 Burns We're a' Noddin iii.:
How's a' wi' you, kimmer? And how do you fare?Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xvii.:
How's a' wi' ye, Effie? — How d'ye find yoursell, hinny?Kcb. 1897 Crockett Lochinvar v.:
“Aye, man, an' hoo's a' wi' ye?” he said, as it is the custom for all Scots to say when they forgather with one another in any land under the sun.(3) Sc. 1707 Acts Parl. Scot. XI. 488:
How soon the foresaid sum of Three hundred and ninety eight thousand eighty five ten shillings mentioned in the above Fifteenth Article shall be paid in unto the Commissioners.Inv. 1716 Steuart Letter Bk. (S.H.S.) 32–3:
Twentie nine barells salmon and Grilses, which I [desire] you Dispose of to the best avail howsoon it arrives.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 12:
An' how soon as the jimp three raiths was gane.(4) Edb. 1801 J. Thomson Poems 133:
Sic things my gude-dam tauld to me, How that a switch o' rowan-tree, Gars a' the de'ils and witches fyke.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb viii.:
She said 't hoo 't she cudna help it.

3. Why (Sc. 1887 Jam.). Gen.(exc. ne.)Sc. Now obs. in Eng.Sc. 1771 Weekly Mag. (11 July) 36:
The word how is frequently employed instead of why; nothing being more common than to hear one person when challenging another for doing wrong, say How did you do this? instead of Why did you do it?Sc. 1889 J. Moir Wallace (S.T.S.) 395:
It is difficult to see how Harry always calls him a traitor.Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister vii.:
If you're no angry wi' me, . . . how will you no look at me?Sh. 1918 T. Manson Peat Comm. I. 130:
Bit hoo is du here wi aa dis folk?Sc. 1924 R. W. Campbell Spud Tamson out West vi.:
I want tae ken hoo he selt you the cattle.Arg.¹ 1930:
You're not to go out this afternoon. How? You're not to put on those boots. How?Gsw. 1947 Margaret Hamilton in Moira Burgess and Hamish Whyte Streets of Stone (1985) 52:
He lifted Peter Abercromby's hat from its peg in the lobby and birled it into the kitchen. 'Ye needny be keepin' that ony mair.' 'How?' wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 46:
Quick! Pull over that table and get under it.
How?
God help me, so that you can hide. em.Sc.(a) 1991 Kate Armstrong in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 113:
Hoo dae the dominies aye speak braw?
Whit bides wi me, noo that Ah'm auld an faw? Edb. 1993 Irvine Welsh Trainspotting (1994) 11:
How should ah go n see her? It's goat nowt tae dae wi me, ah sais defensively. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 88:
To the paramedic he said, 'Where are ye takin him?'
'The Royal. How, ye gaunae send him flooers?'

Phr.: how no?, how not?. Why not?Rnf. 1972 Bill Bryden Willie Rough 89:
WILLIE: The bastart'll no start me. PAT: How no? WILLIE: Orders. For wan man I've got a lot o folk hell of a feart.Gsw. 1987 Peter Mason C'mon Geeze Yer Patter! 58:
Aw, how no? Why not?m.Sc. 1989 James Meek McFarlane Boils the Sea 164:
'How not?' 'Cause it smells.'

4. What, by what name? (Rxb. 1957). Now arch. in Eng.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
How ca' ee 'im = What's his name?