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.
GUID E'EN, n.phr. Also gude-, geud-, †good-even. A form of salutation = good evening (Bnff.7 1927; Ags., Ayr., †Uls. 1955). Still common in Eng. dial. in forms god(d)e(e)n, good (d)e(e)n.Ayr. 1787 Burns Death & Dr Hornbook viii.:
“Guid-een,” quo' I; “Friend! hae ye been mawin, When ither folk are busy sawin?”Lnk. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 97:
“Geud e'en,” quo' Hab, “what news frae hell?”Sc. 1820 Scott Abbot xii.:
The . . . foreboding tone in which her niece had spoken her good-even.Dmf. 1823 J. Kennedy Poems 20:
But hark! the clock proclaim'd it late, They paid their shot, and bade guide'en.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders i.:
“Guid e'en to ye, fisherman,” cried the man who had first spoken.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood i.:
A braw guid e'en to ye, Mr Sempill, sir.wm.Sc. 1986 Robert McLellan in Joy Hendry Chapman 43-4 26:
Guid ein, Janet.
Phr.: (to be) fair gude-e'en and fair gude-day, (to be on) formal terms of civility; see Fair, adj., adv., III. 16.Sc. 1814 C. I. Johnston Saxon & Gael I. vi.:
Fair gude'en and fair gude day is a' I want o' him.
