Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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OCHT, n., pron., adj., adv. Also oucht (Sh. 1892 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 43, Ork. 1904 Dennison Orcad. Sk. 3), och (Gall. 1884 D. M'Whirter Ploughboy's Musings 63); owt (Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Penny Wheep 31; s.Sc. 1964). Sc. forms of Eng. aught, ought. [oxt; Ork., s.Sc. + ʌut]

I. n. 1. As in Eng., anything (Per., Ayr. 1915–23 Wilson; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen.Sc. Also in the form ochts (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.), and sometimes with neg. force = Nocht, nothing, as in 1962 quot.Cld. 1818 Scots Mag. (Aug.) 156:
I am vext I canna gie ye a drink of ocht but water, my bonnie bairn.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxvi.:
There's nae occasion for you to say ocht or flee.Lnk. 1880 Clydesdale Readings 66:
She made the bairds crake, an' the steeples jump like oucht.Wgt. 1880 G. Fraser Lowland Lore 158:
There's never ocht in his pouch binna when his han's int.e.Lth. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 239:
They didna ocht but lauch — in fun was a' their faith!Dmf. 1915 D. J. Beattie Oor Gate-en' 41:
We clam' the wa' an' got doon to fin' if there was owt in the holes.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 10:
Neext A speerd if A cood geet ochts ti eat.Cai. 1932 John o' Groat Jnl. (25 Nov.):
Ye're a gentleman an' winna say ocht about it.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 10:
The hale family wir geud honest folk, wha . . . never seekid owt fae ony body.s.Sc. 1962 Southern Annual 28:
Some grand cleckings of Deuks, Yirls, Loords, and nae end o' nabbery that were fit for ocht else.m.Sc. 1982 Douglas MacLagan in Hamish Brown Poems of the Scottish Hills 158:
But nae ane saw
Them, after a'
Do ocht ava'
Against the law,
Amang the Hielan' hills, man. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 46:
'Naethin,' Mitchel said. 'It is silent. I never saw him in life, but when I was a bairn he had Scotland chitterin on its knees, and folk fleggin ye wi tales o his army. But when I look noo I'm no feart. And he disna say ocht.'

Phrs.: (1) deil a o(u)cht, see Deil, n., II. 1. (8); (2) (nedder) aucht nor ocht, ought nor what, neither one thing nor another, nothing whatever. See Aucht; (3) no a(e) oucht, not a single thing (Sh. 1964); (4) ocht ta hell, id. (Id.); (5) ower ocht, adj., adv., beyond measure, immoderate(ly), extraordinar(il)y.(2) Kcd. 1819 J. Burness Plays 309:
These twa days he's done ought-nor-what.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb vi.:
Johnny kent nedder aucht nor ocht aboot it.(3) Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 249:
No ae oucht haed we bit twartree gaupins o' kleepie stanes.(5) Uls. 1879 W. G. Lyttle Readings 27:
He lauched ower ocht.

2. A person of some standing and importance, a “somebody”.Dmf. 1863 R. Quinn Heather Lintie 58:
Jock Aitken, Lowrie, and Jim Paton, Are ochts amang them.

II. pron. Ocht o' the twa, either of the two. Rare.Abd. 1921 Swatches o' Hamespun 26:
Eppie didna care a docken-blade for ocht o the twa o' them.

III. adj. Any. Comb. oucht kind, any kind of.Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems (1876) 182:
Nor past he ocht thing slichtly by.e.Lth. 1885 S. Mucklebackit Rural Rhymes 35, 57:
Against the rains, an' ocht mishap . . . O' oucht kind grain.Lnk. 1890 H. Muir Rutherglen 35, 53:
Nae mair guilty than ocht man we'll meet . . . To tell ocht haet else they were asket to say.

IV. adv. Somewhat, rather, in some way or degree.Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 60:
An' when fouk cam' That fuddle wad I thought ought lang.Lth. 1852 M. Oliphant Adam Graeme 219:
Are ye doing ought weel, Robbie?Lnl. 1890 A. M. Bisset Spring Blossoms 71:
Gin I keep her ocht ower lang.Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 12:
Tam was mair nor ocht camsteerie.