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.
Quotation dates: 1787-1823, 1894-1927, 1986
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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.
