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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.

BUMBAZE, BOMBAZE, BOMBAISE, v. Also bumbase. To perplex, bewilder, stupefy; almost invariably used as ppl.adj. Given by N.E.D. as chiefly Sc. Gen.Sc. [bʌm′be:z, ′bʌmbe:z, bɔm′-]Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace 266:
The Siege thus rais'd in Hurry and great Fray, The bumbaz'd Suthron scamp'red all away.Sh.(D) 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 33:
Pit aff dy dug, man, an' staand nae langer laek ane bumbazed.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas, etc. 90:
Love is a fashious thing, how it bombazes A' the daft gouks wha it gets in its power.Abd. 1991 David Ogston in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 118:
Some ither day, faan I get helpit
Fae a hearse, they'll be bumbased
At sic a smooth performance.
'He's deen't afore,' they'll say.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 7:
Davie Donald wis fair dumfounert. His een glowered that hard at the wee boolie, they near drappit ooto his heid.
"Ye spakk!" skirled he, clean bumbazed. Syne, seein Molly McKenzie frae Primary Six luikin agley at him, he fuspered insteid. "Ye spakk," quo he, in a sma voice.Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 4:
syne hauf-sees owre
ah'll whummle ye
cowp yir harns
ramfoozil an bumbaze
gaschil yir rhetoric
an drehve ye
up the waa.m.Sc. 1991 Tom Scott in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 41:
Nae use to hide yoursel frae her fell dingin
That, as gin it tae wes wingan,
Raxes ye and kaas doun aa defences:
Bumbazed I thole near rivit o my senses.em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 70:
' ... Oh, and here's a thing: she has her voice back. Suddenly she's able tae speak, and awbody's bumbazed. ... 'Gsw. 1994 Alasdair Gray A History Maker xiii:
So I bequeath A History Maker to the open intelligence, having added to the end notes explaining what those who ken little of the past may find bumbazing. Rxb. 1826 A. Scott Poems 59:
Down Windy-Bank I took what I could hie, Bombaz'd, distract'd, wi' their dolorous cry.

Hence bombaisement, bumbazement, confounding.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 13:
An haein owercam the bumbazement caused by infinite space, he didna dauchle. Wi ae lowp, he brukk ben this hedge anna, an fand hissel in a gairden rale like the ain he'd cam frae.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 41:
Reid een gleanin
bushels o bumbazement frae his past, frae the mockrife faces
lauchin aroon him.Edb. 1917 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's o' Solomon iii. 16:
Shame itsel 'll be the bombaisement o' fules.