Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
FOUTIE, adj., n., v. Also fouty, footie(-y), futtie, -y, fut(h)ie. [′fu:ti]
I. adj. 1. Mean-spirited in general, base, despicable (Sc. 1808 Jam.); base, treacherous, underhand, given to cheating (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 247; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., 1942 Zai; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein); niggardly (Uls. 1931 North. Whig (11 Dec.) 13; Mry., Abd., Wgt. 1953). Also used adv. in phr. to play footy, to cheat in playing (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace xii. vi.:
He . . . beat out another fouty Rascal's Brains.Abd. 1777 R. Forbes in Sc. Poems 31:
Then to blame me Is futie an' mislear'd.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 248:
But now a futtie banker's clark . . . Will mak a flash, and tak the pen, And gab 'bout honourable men.Ags. 1841 Montrose Review (6 Aug.) 255:
You, ye blusterin', noisy bullie, To ca' me wandocht, weary poolie, . . . Ye futhie dwarf.Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 36:
The leein folk, the clashin' folk, The footy folk o' Foulden.
Hence foutiness, meanness, baseness (Sc. 1825 Jam.).
†2. Obscene, indecent (Lnk., Rxb. 1825 Jam.). Hence foutiness, obscenity (Cld. Ib.).Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Rhymes 42:
I ne'er cou'd trace a single beauty In any sang, profane or footie.Gsw. 1860 J. Young Poorhouse Lays 83:
An' nae worthless story, or vile foutie strain, On that lay or loom-stoops a fittin' could gain.Sc.(E) 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ iii. vi.:
Pit it doon till'm whan he mints heich-kiltit an' footie thochts.
†3. Poor, bad; “meaningless, worthless” (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 333, futty).Edb. 1788 J. Macaulay Poems 191:
[Poets] mak an unco clumsy fen' To paint your beauty; But a' wha reads may easy ken Their aim's but fouty.
II. n. A useless, worthless person (Bnff.5 1926). Sometimes facetiously, of a child (Abd.27 1930).
III. v. To cheat or act unfairly in a game (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
[O.Sc. has futie, despicable, c.1680. Of uncertain orig. The word has been in gen.Eng. dial. and colloq. use since the mid 18th cent. in the sense of “paltry, worthless, insignificant,” and N.E.D. considers this to be a variant of Eng. dial. foughty, musty, of wine, corn, food (1600–), but this hardly accords with the Sc. forms and usages. The word was prob. originally in coarse usage only and derived from the Fr. stem fout-, to lecher. Cf. O.Fr. fouter, perjured, wicked, and Fouter. The semantic developments in Fr. are somewhat similar.]
