Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BROSIE, BROSY, Brosey, Bruisy, adj. [′bro:zi Sc.; ′brø:zi Rxb.]
1. Bedaubed with brose, brose-fed (Abd.2, Ags.1, Fif.10, Lnk.3 1936).Gall. 1832 Capt. Denniston (ed.) Battle of Craignilder 55:
Borgue hounded out her brosy bairns, And Twyname spued her Tailors.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 27–28:
The cotter's cur . . . Out o'er the parritch-pingle takes a sten, Laying the brosy weans upo' the floor Wi' donsy heght.
2. Stout, blown up through taking too much food or drink (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 16; Fif.10 1936); “soft, inactive” (Lnk. 1825 Jam.2); healthy, substantial. Sometimes used substantively. Gen.Sc.Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 73:
Their mither, Mary Mowatt, wisna weel-faured, She wis as braid an as brosie as a feedin stirk, wi fair hair as roch's the streyns o a frayin towe.Ags. [1826] R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes (1870) 278:
Brosie Forfar . . . Brosie implies the plethoric appearance arising from excess of meat and drink.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 48:
He's rackle-handed
and I feel still his brosie glasp hauddin ticht
my bairnlie fingers.m.Sc. 1979 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 79:
Whaun the MacPuddock wis telt that Eck wis a guid sweemer, he decreet that his punishment should be tae act as bodygaird tae his dochter, Ag MacPuddock, whauniver she wis in the watter. (A mair brosie puddock gairdit her on land).Fif. [1826] R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes (1870) 260:
Brosy taids o' Niviston.Kcb.2 1925:
A muckle fat brosie.
3. Coarse or clumsy in appearance, speech or manners (Bnff.2, w.Lth. 1936 (per Edb.1)).Abd. 1931 D. Campbell Uncle Andie 4:
Awa' an' stap yer brosy heid anaith the cheese-stane, Dooglie.Ayr. 1900 “G. Douglas” House with Green Shutters (1901) ii.:
The Provost . . . was a man of brosey speech, large-mouthed and fat of utterance.
Hence brosilie, adv., “in an inactive manner” (Lnk. 1825 Jam.2).
4. Combs.: (1) brosie airst, “fat, heavy and inactive” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 16; Bnff.2 1936); (2) brosy-faced, bruisy-, “applied to the face when very fat and flaccid” (Sc. 1825 Jam.2; Abd.19 1936; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., bruisy-); (3) brosie-hehdit, adj., “very stupid, accompanied with the notion of fatness and inactivity” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 17; Bnff.2, Ags.2 1936); (4) brosey-mou'd, stupid, slow of speech.(2) Sc. 1823 E. Logan St Johnstoun I. xii.:
“An I didna see her, I wad hae a gude chance to hear her,” said he, casting a look of sly intelligence at a square-built brosyfaced girl who accompanied him.(4) Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales I. 41:
A brosey-mou'd beast.
