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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1768-1930, 1989-2004

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ADAE, ADO, Adeu, Adü, Adee, v., n. Sc. forms of ado. (See also Adow, n., and Adow, v.) [ə′dø: I.Sc., sn.Sc., em.Sc.(a) + e:, sm.Sc. + e:, s.Sc. + e:; ə′de: m.Sc., s.Sc. + ø:; ə′di: mn.Sc., nn.Sc.]

1. v. Inf., used as complement of predicate, esp. after certain nouns and pronouns.

(1) Of work: To do. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 27:
I have nothing ado — nothing to do.Abd.(D) 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xlvi.:
The thing that's deen the day winna be adee the morn.Abd.(D) 1928 Abd. Wkly. J. 23 Aug. 6/4:
We'll aye get a jobbie adee.Lnk. a.1782 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 62:
And do ye think I have naething a-do, but come here every other day hoiting after you?Ayr. 1792 Burns Hey Ca' Thro':
Hey, ca' thro', ca' thro', For we hae mickle ado!

(2) Used after naething, little, what, and other expressions of indef. amount depending always on the verb to have: the combined expression meaning have no, little, etc., dealings, concern, connexion, right to meddle with. Gen.Sc.Abd.(D) 1929 Mains and Hilly, Abd. Wkly. J. 3 Jan. 6/4:
I widna hae naething adee wi' ye gin ye cudna sup sowans.Lnk. 1902 A. Wardrop R. Tamson's Hamely Sketches 29:
What has that adae wi' hoo oor sex cam' alang?Rxb.(D) 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 9:
What hev ee adae? (= what business is it of yours?)

(3) With the same words, but after the v. be: the matter with. Gen.Sc.Bnff. 1989:
Fit's adee wi him? Abd.(D) 1894 G. Greig Mains's Wooin' (1909) 6:
Fat's adee wi' the Dominie?Kcd. 2004:
Fit's adee wi you that yer face is trippin ye?Per. 1990 Betsy Whyte Red Rowans and Wild Honey (1991) 175:
He took off up and over the rocks like a mountain goat shouting, 'What's wrong wi' ye? I never said anything wrong! What's a dae wi' ye, silly lassie?' Edb. 2004:
Whit's adae wi ye? Ye're no yersel the day.

(4) In the same construction as in (3), but absol. = a-doing, going on. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1991 T. S. Law in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 35:
the man no kennin whit tae say,
the wumman feart whit was adae,
an stuid as suddentlie fair-baetAgs.(D) 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) x.:
She cam' rinnin' to speer what was ado.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 39:
What's adae? N.B. — From phrases like little ado, muckle ado, eneuch ado, mair ado, etc., the verb gradually became a noun and the substantive an adj. Sometimes ado may be regarded either as v. or as n.Sc. 1870 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 393:
There's muckle ado when muirland folk ride — Boots, and spurs, and a' to provide.

2. n.

(1) Fuss, stir. Gen.Sc.Abd.(D) 1928 W. Robbie Mains of Yonderton 18:
Od, aw min' 'at there wis a terrable adee amo' the faimly aifter their faader's deeth.Rxb.(D) 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 9:
Ee're maikin owre muckle adae aboot eet.

(2) Trouble, difficulty. Often in plur. in phr. to hae his (her, etc.) ain adaes. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1818 S. Ferrier Marriage (1826) I. xxxv. 382:
Weel a wat, yere wife maun hae her ain adoos to manage ye.Sc. 1929 M. P. Roy Tarry, Scots Mag. Oct. p. 8:
I've had ma ain adae wi' them upbye.Mry.(D) 1873 J. Brown (ed.) Round Table Club 375:
Ye ken we had oor ain adee wi' that gaun tae Hillheid through the snaw.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 43:
An' wi' sair pingling [I] wan at last awa', Crap hame, wi' meikle adi [= adee].Gall.(D) 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 68:
A dersay she whiles had her ain ado's wi him.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 39:
She has 'er ain adaes, wi' a no-weel man.

(3) Ceremony; pl. doings, displays.wm.Sc. 1835 J. D. Carrick Laird of Logan I. 271:
It was quite different with my wife, that hadna seen ony sic grand adoes.

(4) Occupation.Ayr. 1834 J. Galt Lit. Life III. 89:
Being a man of several adoes, I could not spend time in idle talk.

3. Phrase: To make ado, to make it appear that, make pretence of.Sh.(D) 1886 J. J. H. Burgess Sh. Sketches and Poems 108:
1 wantit ta mak' adü 'at I didna ken onything aboot it.Sh.4 1930.Ork.(D) 1880 Dennison Orc. Sk. Bk. 7:
He wus lyan' the neest day aff o' Burro Heid, makan' adeu o' fishan'.

[Ado is found in O.Sc. as early as Barbour. In Mod.St.Eng. it is only a n., with the meanings fuss and difficulty. The prefix a is what is left of the prep. at, and is of Scand. origin. Through lack of stress at was reduced to [ət], and t was absorbed by d in the following word. At is still, though rarely, used as a prep. = to with inf. in n.Eng. dialect. See E.D.D.]

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