Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
FUILITCH, adj., v. Also fooli(t)ch, foolage, -ige; fulage. [m.Sc. ′følɪtʒ, -ɪdʒ; Abd. ′ful-]
‡I. adj. 1. Foolish, silly (Abd.27, Ags.19 1953). Hence fooligeness, n.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 190:
The wives, as rampant in their mettle, With idle foolitch neifs did ettle.Ayr. 1890 J. Service Notandums 104:
He rebuked himsel' sairly for his foolage conduct in makin' Nanny his fae.Sh. 1898 J. Burgess Tang 137:
This Mann is foolich enough.Tyr. 1929 “M. Mulcaghey” Ballymulcaghey 31:
We . . . stharted till talk about the fooligeness of wan bein' feared efther night.
2. Generous, open-handed, lavish (to the point of foolishness).Abd. 1923 H. Beaton Benachie 106:
I hae nathin tae be fulage wi'.
†II. v. To have abundance, to overflow with plenty (Abd.6 1913).
[O.Sc. folache, fulage, = adj. 1. from 1530. The word is mainly a [-ɪtʃ, -ɪdȝ] variant of Eng. -ish, as in deevilidge, dumpitch, s.v. Deevil, Dumpish. There may however be some influence from O.Fr. folage, foolish, and in meanings of the adj. 2. and v., the word may be rather a reduced form of O.Sc. fule-large, foolishly liberal, 1456.]
