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 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TAUT, n., v. Also tawt (Sc. 1887 Jam. Suppl.); taat (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 216, 1914 Angus Gl.), tat (Sc. 1887 Jam., Suppl.; Uls. 1953 Traynor). [tǫ:t; tɑ:t]

I. n. 1. A tangled matted tuft or lock of wool, hair, etc. (Sc. 1887 Jam., Suppl.; Uls. 1953 Traynor; Sh., Cai., Slg., Ayr., sm.Sc. 1972); freq. in pl. Comb. tatlock, id., a trailing ragged part of the hem of a worn skirt, the matted tufts of wool at a sheep's tail (Kcb.⁴ 1900). Cf. tatelock s.v. Tait. Hence adj. tautie, ta(u)ty, tawtie, -y, tatty, taatie, of hair, wool, etc.: shaggy, matted, tangled, unkempt (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1953 Traynor; m. and s.Sc. 1972); of persons or animals: having a rough, shaggy head or coat (Sc. 1825 Jam., a tatty dog); fig. of persons; cross-grained, crabbed (Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 183). Combs. tautie-heidit, -hippit.Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 88:
If down their back there be a rand Of tauty hair.Bwk. 1801 “Bwk. Sandie” Poems 106:
Tautie-hippit hogs nibblin' the heather.Lnk. 1808 J. Black Falls of Clyde 116:
Ye'll beat the minister, ye tatty dog!Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy xxxiv.:
His tatty pow, that ne'er had a better covering than his ain shaggy hassock of hair.Dmf. 1831 Carlyle Early Life (Froude 1882) II. 219:
He is a long, thin, tawtie-headed man.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales (1837) II. 335:
What were you then but a tatty smith?Dmf. 1873 A. C. Gibson Folk-Speech Cmb. 118:
A reekit mutch an' chaft-locks tawtie.Arg. 1930:
She wad be a bonnie enough lass if she wuzna sae tawtie-headed.

2. In pl.: thick worsted yarn for making rugs (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 216, 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1972).

II. v. 1. tr. and intr. To mat, tangle, to make matted or tangled (Sc. 1887 Jam. Suppl.; Ayr. 1957). Hence. ppl.adj. tautit, -ed, tat(t)it, -ed, tawted, -it, of hair, wool etc.: matted, entangled, rough, shaggy, unkempt (Sc. 1808 Jam.; I.Sc., Cai., Ags., wm.Sc. 1972).Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 1:
With tatted Wigs, foul Shoes, and uncock'd Hats.Sc. 1751 R. Mackenzie John Brown 75:
Oh, the lad wi' the tattit head.Ayr. 1783 Burns Poor Mailie's Elegy vi.:
She was nae get o' moorlan tips Wi' tauted ket, an' hairy hips.Dmf. 1820 Blackwood's Mag. (Dec.) 321:
A Sanquhar rug, as coarse and tawted as the end o' a Carsefairn tup.Fif. 1853 J. Pringle Poems 120:
He dirtied a' your braw new frock, An' tautit a' your hair.Bnff. 1857 Banffshire Jnl. (10 Feb.) 7:
To soothe his wee bit sorrows, or kame his tautit hair.Sc. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods (1914) 51:
On draigled hizzie, tautit wean An' drucken lads.m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 51:
Back twenty year. A tautit wean, I heard my granny's voice complain.

2. To tease wool (Sc. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 313). Cf. Tait, v.

3. To make rugs with thick rough worsted yarn, esp. in ppl.adj. tautit (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., Sh. 1972), comb. tawted-rug, a thick woollen counterpane.Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 195:
To taat bed rugs with wool dyed in blue lit.Sh. 1953 Manson's Almanac 122:
The taated rug that did duty for bed-clothes.