Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BODSY, Bodsie, adj. Dapper. Correctly to be construed as a n., a little dapper or neat, brisk person (Abd. 1975). See -Sie, suff., 1.[′bʌdzi] Abd. 1793 Byron in Moore's Byron (1830) I. i.; Abd.22 1935:
I was sent, at five years old or earlier, to a school kept by a Mr Bowers, who was called “Bodsy Bowers,” by reason of his dapperness.
Comb.: needle-noddle bodsie, “futile, insignificant person” (Sc. 1935 R. Angus in Sc. Notes and Q. (Feb.) 30).
[Perhaps from Bod, n.2, q.v., and hypocoristic suff. -sie (-sy) as in Betsy, Babsy, etc.]
