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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.

BY-GAUN, -GYAAN, BYE-GAEN, -GANGEEN, n. comb. Also by gaen, by-going. Bygoing, passing. Gen.Sc. [′bɑɪ-′gah.ən, -′gjɑən, -′geɪn, -′gɑŋin] Sc. 1987 Scotsman 3 Jan :
...the Breton Onion Johnny who dies in Turriff before Christmas after selling ingans in the North-east for 40 years and making countless friendships in the by-going.Sc. 1994 Scotsman 27 Jan :
... he strode about wrapped in his cloak of shepherd tartan, and telling worldly truths to those who would listen in the by-going.Sc. 1998 Herald 29 Jun 12:
I welcomed Ron Ferguson's critical reference to Flower of Scotland as a "cringe-making" pseudo-anthem (June 12). So I also welcome the main theme of his piece on "that ditty again" (June 26) though I think that, in the by-going, he is too hard on Andy Stewart and his unpretentious repertoire which gave so much genuine pleasure, derived more from genuine sentiments than from sentimentality.ne.Sc. 2003 Press and Journal 22 Sep 12:
Pick up es paper ony day an ye read o yet anither charity prottick raisin siller for a favourite caase an fowk getting gran saitisfaction an fun in the bygaun.ne.Sc. 2004 Press and Journal 30 Aug 12:
I tell ye I cam skytin doon that hill at a fair bicker, clutchin at trees in the bygaun.Abd. (Deeside) c.1782 (per B. Innes):
The sly cutty took a tit o's fuskers i' the by-gyaan. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 71:
See-through tents micht be a guid idea - ye cud enjoy the beach wioot freezin tae daith in the by-gaun.Ags. 1990s:
In the bygaen: in passing.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin viii.:
I then streekit mysel' oot a' my length on the riggin' as flat as a flounder, lest per-adventure, his Reverence micht get a vizzie o' me i' the bye-gaen an' command me to dismount.Fif.¹⁰ 1938:
Weel, see an' gie's a roar i' the by-gaun.Edb. 2003:
If yer gaun doon the road onywey ye can deliver these cairds in the by gaun.Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 1:
An ilka herd hed a bleithe word i the byegangeen.