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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nese, Neis, n. Also: nes(s, neise, neiss, neys(e, nise, nyse, neas(e. [ME. neose (12th c.), nese (13th c.), nease (13th c.), (north.) neese (c 1400), nece (c 1440), (north.) nese (Cath. Angl.), thereafter appar. only Sc., and in the mod. dial. Sc. and north. Engl.: cf. MDu., MLG. nese, Da. næse, Sw. näsa. (Cf. also Nose.)]

1. The nose of a person or animal.The left neis, the left side of the nose, the left nostril.(1) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 391.
Waspis … at his nese flaw in & owte Ib. xxxi. 367.
Scho … dayng hyr-seif mouth & nesse [: wes] Ib. xxxiv. 22.
Nese c1420 Ratis R. 154.
The thrid wertew is smelinge Of nes c1420 Wynt. i. 724.
Nes 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 40 in Adv. MS. 25.4.15.
He sal tak him be the nese & leid him hame again til his service a1447 Bower Chron. (1759) II. 423.
Quha so pykkis at her, I sal pyk at his nese in faith c1475 Wall. xi. 170. 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 284 b. 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 477.
Ane blude stane … for the Quene for bleding of the nes 1600-1610 Melvill 228.
At last ane of our hors rashed on his nes upon a gevill of a hous(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 3598.
Neyssys twa wyth doubill chyn … it hade ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 302. c1475 Wall. ix. 144. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 166/2.
Men without hedis and sum without neissis 1500 Alloway Baron Ct. 31 May.
[Swine] at ar tedderit sall haif ane rigne in thar neis a1538 Abell 3 b.
Sum [monsters] hes na mouth bot be thare neis resawis the air & othir neidfull thingis 1531 Bell. Boece I. xli.
Ane rache, that sekis thair pray … be sent and smell of thair neis c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 78. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 206.
Neyse a1568 Bann. MS. 77a/49.
All joy in erd thow sall nocht compt ane peis Quhen that the ruiftre lyis vpoun thy neis 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 26.
Drawand at neis the decoctioun of the leauis of laure 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 262. 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. (M.C.) 5.
In thrawing of his neis 1590–1 Crim. Trials I. ii. 239.
And tuik of the jountis of thair fingaris, tais and neise 1591 Ib. 246.
[The Devil had] ane hie ribbit neise, falland doun scharp lyke the beik of ane halk Ib. 256.
Ane Ersch woman with ane fallin neise 16.. Hist. Kennedy 17.
His neise wes laich be ane straik of ane goiff-ball Ib.
The brig of ȝour neise 1602 Crim. Trials II. 388.
He … woundit him with the said rung … and brak the girsell of his neise a1628 Carmichael Prov. Nos. 823, 922, 1079. 1642 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II. 144.
Bleeding at the neis 1662 Crim. Trials III. 609.
And he presentlie fell to the ground wpon his neise and his mowth(c) 1558 Inverness Rec. I. 26.
The said Johne … cowt bayth my luggs and my nyse with the same sword 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 120.
He bled Elspet Mudie upoun the nise 1606 Crim. Trials II. 509.
Dilaitit for dismembring of Thomas Twiedie of his nise(d) 1600-1610 Melvill 69.
He ryves his buik, and dightes his nease with the leaves thairof 1629 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 6 Aug.
To the effusioun of his bluid at his mouth and neas(2) 1623 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I. 94.
His eldest merk … with … ane scart on the left neis

b. In various phrases and collocations, and in proverbs and proverbial sayings.To byt of one's neis (for spite or envy). To have one's wit in one's neis, to be hasty or precipitate in action. To se before one's neis, to be shrewd. A neis of wax, = e.m.E. ‘a nose of wax’ (1532–), something easily moulded to any desired form (in allusion to the wresting of Scripture). To stink in (into) one's neis, to be offensive to one; to smell weill in one's nease, to please one.(1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xiii. 16.
Sum with his fallow rownis him to pleis That wald for invy byt of his neis(2) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2535.
Thay ar haistie, thair wit is in thair neis(3) 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xl. 58.
For quhat become of fals Achitophell, For als far as he saw befoir his neis, The Scriptures schawis a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 812.
He can see ane inch before his neiss(4) 1580 Hay in Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 64/21.
It is nocht evident that of the Wourd ye mak ane neis of walx, thrawing it to quhat contrarietie or absurditie ye list 1581 Hamilton Ib. 78/1.
Fals applications of the Scripture quhilk thai thrau efter thair sensual iugement lyk a neis of valx(5) a1500 Henr. III. 174/62.
Sic sturtfull stering in to Godis neis it stinkis 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 185.
Of quham the fylth stynkis in Godis neys 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3549.
Thow art a tratour wylie tod That stinkis in the neis of God — 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. (1590) 8.
Itwill … conjoine thee with God and make all thine actions to smell weill in His nease

2. Appar., a projecting piece of land, a headland, promontory or ‘ness’. = Nes n. c 1283–1306 Misc. Hist. Soc. IV. 320.
Et le nese del Ren vbi aqua de Grife descendit in aquam de Clide 1497 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 61.
That ij kelis one the tovnis aventouris be brocht to the neys 1501 Acta Conc. III. 57.
[The] landis callit … the Freris Neis liand in the schirefdome of Berwic 1513 Doug. vi. viii. 58 (see Nes n. a.).