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 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

YOWFF, n., v., adv. Also yowf, youff, and Sh. dim. forms yoofie, yuffie, yjufi, euphie. [jʌuf; Sh. n. ′juf(i)]

I. n. 1. A smart swinging blow, a swipe, thump (Lth. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bnff., Abd. 1974); a smack, a box on the ears (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 224, yuffie, 1866 Edm. Gl., euphie, Sh. 1974).Sc. 1711 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 12:
Death wi' his Rung rax'd her a Yowff.Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 53:
Swith! take the dowie slut a yowff.Gsw. 1869 E. Johnston Poems 176:
My heart played dowf 'gainst my ribs wi' a yowf.

2. A thrashing, severe beating (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., yoofie, 1914 Angus Gl., yjufi, Sh. 1974).

II. v. tr. 1. To knock, strike, swipe, buffet (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Vbl.n. youffin, -an, a beating, thrashing (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 213).Abd. 1739 Caled. Mag. (1788) 498:
They yowph'd the Ba' frae dike to dike.

Comb. youffing-stone, a stone on which participants of a riding of the marches ceremony are bumped as an emphatic reminder of where the boundary stones are situated. See Doup, v.¹, II. 1.Abd. 1858 J. B. Pratt Buchan 6:
A boundary-stone is also termed the Youffing-stone, from a practice familiar to those who have ever been present at “the riding of the marches.”

2. Transf. To swipe food, to swallow in large gulps or mouthfuls, to gobble up (Abd. 1974).Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick vii.:
'E yowfft doon 'e skirlie ur Tammas thocht 'at 'e'd seerly tint 'e boddom o' his wime.

III. adv. With a heavy fall or thud (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 213).