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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FY, int. Also fye, fey, fie. Sc. usages:

†1. An exclamation to incite one to hurry; make haste! (Upper Lnk. 1825 Jam.).Sc. a.1685 Blythsome Wedding in J. Watson Choice Coll. (1706) i. 8:
Fy let us all to the Briddel For there will be Lilting there.Sc. 1724 Ramsay T. T. Misc. (1876) I. 82:
O fy gar ride, and fy gar rin, And haste ye find these traitors again.m.Lth. 1788 J. Macaulay Poems 184:
Or haste ye, Jenny, hey fy, rin, Come down to Jock.Ayr. 1833 J. Kennedy Geordie Chalmers 81:
Haste ye — fey haste ye, my ledy.Rnf. 1888 J. Nicholson Tibbie's Garland 192:
An' fie, mak' haste, an' let him oot to his wark again.

Hence †phrs. and combs.: (1) fy-gae-by, used ludicrously for diarrhœa (Sc. 1808 Jam.); (2) fye-gae-ride, expressive of great haste, flurry, urgency; (3) fye-gae-rin, id. Both are adaptations from The Gaberlunzie Man as in 1724 quot. above; (4) fy-gae-to, a fluster, disturbance, ado (Rxb. 1825 Jam.). Freq. in Hogg; (5) fye-haste, a great hurry, used ludicrously (Upper Cld. 1825 Jam.).(2), (3) Ayr. 1830 Galt Southennan 66:
I trow it was then fye-gae-rin and fye-gae-ride.(4) Slk. 1822 Hogg Perils of Man II. 145:
Is a' safe? Is the coutribat ower? Sic a fie-gae-to as yon I saw never.

2. Used with emphatic force, most freq. with ay or na, indeed, certainly, assuredly (ne.Sc., Ags. 1953).Abd. 1854 Justiciary Reports (1855) 425:
She asked if he could come this length. Robert said, “Oh fie, no! I dinna think but he's dead.”Ags. 1894 J. F. Mills Jamie Donaldson 7:
“You wouldn't be taxed with so many subjects as the rising generation are?” “Ou fy! There was nae geography teached in a' the pairish schules at that time.”Abd. 1918 C. Murray Sough o' War 41:
That's Johnnie, he's a littlan jist, for a' he leuks sae big. Fy na, he isna twenty yet.Bch. 1932 Abd. Univ. Review (March) 104:
I' the present war ye wid be employ't in agricultural duties. Oh, fie ay.