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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MISS, v., n. Pa.p. missed; mist (Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 15). The verb when combined with a following it is occas. found in the form mist (Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Shop Bill 34; Bnff. 1917 E. S. Rae Private J. McPherson 27). Sc. usages:

I. v. 1. With inf., occas. with but: to fail (to do or accomplish something) (Sh., Ags., Per., Ayr., Kcb., Uls. 1963). Arch. or dial. in Eng.Bnff. 1705 J. Grant Education Sc. Nobleman 7:
In my humble opinion this cannot miss to improve his judgement.Sc. 1724 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) I. 21:
Ye wadna miss to get a clout; I ken he disna fear ye.Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 214:
They didna miss To gie to ilka dainty dame A sappy kiss.Gall. 1796 J. Lauderdale Poems 10:
Four pounds a head, a year auld steer, How can he miss but thrive.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxxiv.:
Here is a black jack full of ale, and good it must be, if there be good in the country. for the whigs never miss to find it out.Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xxvi.:
She's a kind gentle creatur, and canna miss but to die o' a broken heart.

2. intr. To fail to happen (ne. and em.Sc. (a), s.Sc., Uls. 1963). Obs. in Eng.Abd. 1765 W. Forbes Dominie Deposed 38:
You'll stand, I fear upon your shankies, And maybe slaver in the brankies; It could not miss.

3. Of crops: to fail to germinate or grow (Sc. 1903 E.D.D.); of a breeding animal: to fail to conceive (Sc. 1856 N. and Q. (Ser. 2) I. 416). Gen.Sc. Dial. or techn. in Eng.

4. To fail to obtain a footing. Phr. to miss a fit, to trip, stumble (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.). Gen.Sc.Abd. 1774 Aberdeen Jnl. (10 Jan.):
He unluckily missed a foot, fell down stairs, and fractured his skull.Ayr. 1786 Burns Halloween xxvi.:
[She] mist a fit, an' in the pool . . . Out-oure the lugs she plumpit.Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Tales 81:
But shou'd he deign the dance to wheel up. Or miss a foot, an' cock his keel up.Dmf. 1831 R. Shennan Tales 78:
Near the linn he miss'd a fit and tumbl'd in.Ags. 1887 A. D. Willock Rosetty Ends 127:
Ane o' them missed his fit owre a grozer bush.Sh. 1900 Shetland News (6 Oct.):
He miss'd his fit an' sled doon ower da girse apon his left hench.

5. To avoid, to escape. (Sh., ne.Sc., Ags., Per. 1963); to pass over, skip, as in reading (Ork., Abd., Ags., Per. 1975). Only dial. in Eng.Per. 1835 R. Nicoll Poems 63:
A drubbin' to miss, he sair sickness did sham.Abd. 1863 G. MacDonald D. Elginbrod 8:
"Il Penseroso, for instance?" "Is that hoo ye ca't? I ken't weel by the sicht, but hardly by the soun'. I aye missed the name o't, an' took to the thing itsel'."

6. To escape the notice of. Gen.Sc.Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
There's not much misses you.

7. Refl. in phr. to miss anesel, to miss something good or entertaining by one's absence. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1963:
Ye fairly misst yersel at the Concert yestreen.Dmf. 1994 Hugh McMillan Horridge 38:
Dear Joe,
Sorry you couldn't be here,
you really missed yourself.
Krupskaya brought a quiche
but the fun really started when Bukharin
told the joke about the dyslexic deviant functionalists ... Sc. 1994 Herald (22 Dec.)  10:
While the six professionals guide the panto (and us) through the merry rapids of plot and punchline, the effervescent youth team gives the show a special edge of happy excitement that spills over into the audience. See Paisley? See panto? Pure magic. Don't miss yersel.

8. Of the tide: to slacken or decrease, in ppl.adj., vbl.n. missin(g), not quite full, slackening, decreasing (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928)), not as high as expected (Sh. 1963), a slackening or decreasing of the tide (Jak.).

9. In vbl.n. missin, = II. 1. Obs. in Eng.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Miller v.:
Our wife . . . will hae a sair missin' o' her wee bantam Jockie.

II. n. 1. A loss, want, a cause for regret or mourning (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Gen.Sc. Dial. or colloq. in Eng.Abd. 1875 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 88:
He wud hae nae gryte miss for a' the time.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (29 Jan.):
Miss da boy! less his miss canna be made up ta me.Abd. 1922 Weekly Free Press (7 Jan.) 3:
They'll ken a miss o' hiz fin they come t' pey up th' bills.Lth. 1925 C. P. Slater Marget Pow 12:
The loss of their Mamaw has been a fearfu' miss to the young ladies.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 15:
Hei's a sair miss — he is much missed.

2. Harm, damage, injury, offence, fault, trespass. Obs. in Eng.Edb. 1724 A. Pennecuik Rome's Legacy 8:
Tremble lest I should tell Mis-John my Misses; Proclaim in Noon-day what I've done in Dark.Per. c.1750 Harp Per. (Ford 1893) 63:
The devil take the miss is That every officer was not slain.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 97:
Ye ken yoursell best where ye tint the end, Sae ye maun foremost gae the miss to mend.Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 32–3:
“I slipt aff, and left them to their crack.” “Nae miss o' that: for as I ween, They'll nae be angry they are left alane.”Sc. 1827 W. Motherwell Minstrelsy 379:
For all this would not mend the miss, That ye would do to me.