Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
‡FEERIOUS, adj. ne.Sc. forms of Eng. furious. Also used adv. Sometimes with extended meaning = extraordinarily good, excellent, and adv. = exceedingly, very (Abd. 1825 Jam.; Bnff.2, Abd.2 1946).Abd. 1867 Mrs Allardyce Goodwife xiii.:
She'll read as clare's the Dominie, An's feerious at the spell.Abd. 1875 G. Macdonald Malcolm III. iii.:
It's nae sic a feerious gran' thing to be my lord's skipper.Abd. 1928 Word-Lore III. vi. 147:
“The vratch chauvt and wammlet,” she said, “sae feerious.”Bnff. 1939 J. M. Caie Hills and Sea 32:
Fechtin's, they say, nae a feerious trate.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 18:
Bit fyles yer birss begins to rise
An rummlins fae yer thrapple birl
Wi fearsome gurr an feerious dirl
Like thunner rivin simmer skies.
