Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1721-1930, 1995
[0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1]
DOILT, ppl.adj. Also doil'd, doyl'd, doylt, diled, -et, d(e)ylt, dyl'd, †dilde and irreg. doiltit (Rnf. 1813 J. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 75).
1. Dazed, confused; stupid, crazed (Sh.10 1949; Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems, Gl.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 182, doyl'd; Dmf. 1948 (per Abd.27); Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.). Also rarely in inf. which may be a back-formation.Sc. 1721 in Ramsay Poems 203:
Accept my third and last Essay . . . Bright Ramsay, . . . altho it may Seem doilt and donsie.Sc. 1814 Scott Waverley (1817) xxx.:
"Ye doil'd dotard," replied his gentle helpmate.Bnff. 1927 E. S. Rae Hansel fae Hame 15:
Ye're diled wi' din, your een are sair.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 30:
Skushlin ben the dutch-side, her milk flagon in han,
Dyl't-lookin an worth i the queets, ...Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 57:
He was a chield at kirk or fair Was ne'er dung doil'd wi' warl's care.Lnk. 1887 A. Wardrop Mid-Cauther Fair 10:
The maister was as dour an' doilt's the kye.Ayr. 1786 Burns Sc. Drink xv.:
Wae worth that Brandy, burnan trash! . . . Twins monie a poor, doylt, drunken hash O' half his days.Dmf. 1877 R. W. Thom Jock o' the Knowe 21:
Sat blawing in the dyl'd Laird's ear, That imp o' Satan, Rab McClaw.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 152:
Her pawkie joke, and sleekie wile, Lose hauf their power the head to dile, And haud the heart.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Poems (1852) 182:
[It] maks a body dilde and ditted.
2. Wearied, fatigued; "broken down with sorrow" (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff., dylt; Abd.27 1948), having a worried or ill-used expression (Abd.7 1925, dilet); "subdued in manner" (Mry.1 1925, deylt).Bnff. 1930 E. S. Rae Waff o' Win' 63:
But ma countra he'rt's sae weary, Dazed ma een and diled ma fret.Per. [1753] A. Nicol Poems (1766) 34:
Haith I'm doild, because 'tis so, That she is high and I am mean.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 40:
A warm and canny lean for weary banes O' lab'rers doil'd upo' the wintry leas.Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems 103:
Yet mony a puir, doilt, service body Will scrimp his stomach o' its crowdy.
3. Harassed with over-attention, over-petted (Abd.9 1940).Bnff.2 1928:
She's jist speylin' the loon; I niver saw sic a dile't bairn.
4. Used as a n. = a foolish old man. Rare.Sh. 1901 Sh. News (7 Sept.):
Doo needna be blate fir me, a auld married doilt.
