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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.

Nice, Nys(e, a. Also: nyce, nyice, nyis, naice, (nies). [ME. (c 1290) and e.m.E. nice, nise, etc., OF. nice (12th c.) ignorant, silly, naive.]

1. Of persons: Foolish, silly; simple, naive; misguided, ill-advised. 1456 Hay I. 181/22.
The senescall suld nocht have bene sa nyce na sa symple that he suld traist [etc.] Ib. 297/12.
It is nocht spedefull till a realme to have a symple king na a nyce c1475 Wall. viii. 1420.
Fyrst with ȝour gold … Ȝhe wald ws blynd, sen Scottis ar so nys a1500 Rauf C. 428. a1500 Quare Jel. 533.
O nyce foole, thine owin harme for to schewe c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxix. 35.
Quha that dois deidis of petie … Is haldin a fule and that full nyce Id. lxiii. 65. 1513 Doug. v. xiv. 41. 1535 Stewart 54407.
I rew full soir that he wes than so nyis, This gude Ramsay befoir that wes so wyis Ib. 56721.
Weill ma ȝe wit tha ar nocht sa wnwyis Agane sa mony for to be so nyis And tha sa few 1567 G. Ball. 151.
Man was sa wylde and nyce, And rageing in all vyce a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. xv. 7. 1617 Bruces of Airth 51.
Many a nyse wyfe and a back doore Oft maketh a riche man poore

b. ? Wanton, loose of conduct; lascivious. 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 100.
Quhat, is this lufe, nys luffaris, at ȝe meyn Or [etc.] a1568 Bann. MS. 256 a/20.
Will scho glaik & go nyis I leif hir to play hir

2. Of actions, situations, etc.: Foolish, absurd, preposterous. a1500 Colk. Sow Proh. 55.
Lat se quhat cais ȝe think most nyce Wisdome vmquhile holdis the nycest wys a1500 Lanc. 127.
Lat be thi nys dispare c1490 Porteous Noblenes 180/5.
Ydilnes is fule nyce carlich vnprovidit c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxv. 41.
My dreme it wes so nyce Fra everie wicht I hid it as a vyce Id. xlv. 22.
In luve to keip allegance it war als nys an ordinance As [etc.] Id. xlvi. 65. 1535 Stewart 13849.
And that I think mest nyis To lerne folie quhen tyme is to grow wys a1568 Bann. MS. 77 b/66.
This fals warld full of dissaitis nyce Felȝeand away quhilk neuir wes fundin trew c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 739.
[Quha did] reheirs ane certane nyse sermonis … [Of me con]trair

3. Of persons and their conduct. a. Disdainful, haughty. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 395.
Of helynes thai pas mesour, Nys, proud and wanglorious Ib. 418.
With woid wordis ful of vanite And nys bourdis but honestee c1460 Thewis Gud Women 21.
Nocht nys, proud na ourdeligat a1500 Henr. Fab. 591 (H).

b. Shy, timid; reserved, distant or stand-offish; coy. a1500 Lanc. 1944.
The … wice Wich makith o king within hyme self so nyce That al thar flattry and ther gilt he knowith … and ȝhit he hyme with-drowith Them to repref Ib. 1956.
As beith not to schamful nore to nyce … But … reprewith as afferis 15.. Christis Kirk 17 (M).
Thay war so nyce quhen men tham nicht Thay squeild lyk ony gaitis a1568 Scott xxii. 8.
I fynd ȝow ay so nyce a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 417 (L).
Our heych, our law, our rasche, our nyce c1590 Fowler I. 228/10.
Baithe deafe and nyce to ansuer mak disdaynes 1599 Maxwell Mem. II. 9.
I ame sorie that ye uas so nyce uith the Lorde Murley, for he is my olde freinde 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 448.
Who dow bide Christ's love to be nice? 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 160.
I drew near to her but she shunned my company and, when I insisted, she became angry and very nyce

c. (To be) nice (of or concerning something, to do something), to be reluctant or disdainful. To mak (it) nice, to display reluctance, reserve or coyness (to do something, etc.).(1) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 801.
O I vnding, of all helping so naice 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xvi.
If men be so nyce of their owne … dwelling that … they were constrained to bury abroad [etc.] — a1568 Scott iv. 91.
The nycest to ressave Vpoun the nynis will nip it 1679 J. Barclay Descr. Cath. Ch. 34.
He was not nice to go, and I resolved to bear him company(2) c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii. 827.
Raab and Ruth … War licht iadeis, thocht ȝe it mak sa nice 1558-66 Knox I. 41.
It came at last to my lord him seif who, macking it veray nyce for a lytill space, gave in the end ane plain confessioun Ib. II. 379.
The bischope … maid it nyse to entyre befoir the Erle of Argyle a1568 Bann. MS. 279 a/45.
& ȝit howbeit that men mak it sa nyce, God will gud wemenis fame defend 1587-99 Hume 73/174.
If their be hast, but hyre they make it nice a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlii. 17.
Wald ȝe be made of, ȝe man mak it nyce 1603 Philotus cxl.
Mak nyce and gar the larbair lowne Beleue ȝe be a mayd 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xi.
Althogh they seeme to make nyce in praying for dead 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 205.

4. Of dress: Extravagant. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 220.
Venus … cled in ane nyce array c1500-c1512 Dunb. xiv. 9.
So nyce array a1568 Bann. MS. 52 a/101.
Ay prowd in busking and garmond nyis

5. Strange, remarkable, extraordinary, astonishing.Common only in Douglas. 1513 Doug. i. i. 52.
Juno inflambit, musing on thir casis nyce Ib. viii. 2.
Quhill as the manfull Troian Eneas To se thir nyce figuris thocht wonder was Ib. x. vii. 117.
The low … Blesand and crakand with a nyce reuery Ib. xi. Prol. 190.
To wyn the feild, and nevir preif thy mycht, That war nyce thyng! Ib. vii. i. 147, vi. 94. 1535 Stewart 40691.
Thair come ane man the quhilk schew to the King Of nyce newis in the tyme wes done c1568 Lauder Minor P. iv. 20.
I think this change is wonderus strange & nyce!

6. Involving precision or attention to detail, carefully judged; intricate. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2722 (Bann.).
O man of law! lat be thy sutelte, With nys iympis and frawdis interkat 1513 Doug. iii. Prol. 14.
Nyce laborynth, quhar Mynotawr the bull Was kepte Ib. iv. 138.
Our falloschip excers palestral play … Nakyt wreslyng and struglyng at nyce punte Ib. v. iv. h. of ch.
Quhou the schippys stryvys on the see Of thar nyce rays Ib. xii. Prol. 238.
The styrlyng changis diuers stevynnys nys 1580 Hume Promine 109.

b. Of an instrument: ? Carefully adjusted, precisely poised. 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 19.
To Daved Lowgnes vyff after the coumpes wos nies 20 li. 16 s.

7. Unallocated instances of doubtful sense.a1500 Henr. III. 152/72. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 177.
Nyse nagus 1513 Doug. ii. vii. 67.
And tha traist coistis nyce [L. litora fida] 1535 Stewart 29325.
[To] caus tha pepill of nature sa nyce To trow in Christ and for to leif thair vyce 1560 Rolland Seven S. 752.
Nyce is the nychtingale The Empreour gaue hir credence hale And neuer word trew