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.
Quotation dates: 1829-1835, 1890-1924
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GUTSIE, adj., n. Also guts(e)y. [′gʌtse]
I. adj. 1. Greedy for food, gluttonous (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Gen.Sc.Sc. 1829 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1863) II. 201:
There's nae denying that maist o' them's gutsy. But the married evangelical leddies are waur than the young anes.Per. 1835 J. Monteath Dunblane Trad. 27:
Thae gutsy English mak' just middens o' their wames.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xxx.:
Ye muckle gutsey hash, here's a Scots boot to your English hurdies.Kcb. 1911 G. M. Gordon Clay Biggin' 41:
The gutsy auld body had owereaten hersel'.Ayr. 1912 G. Cunningham Verse 184:
Ye greedy, gutsy-lukin' sicht.Ags. 1921 V. Jacob Bonnie Joann 5:
To gutsy doo or thievin' craw Ye mebbe represent the law.Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 19:
Och, deil birst the gutsey kytes o' them!
Hence (1) gutsily, adv., gluttonously (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1900 E.D.D.); (2) gutsiness, n., greediness, gluttony (Ib.; ne.Sc., m.Lth., Bwk. 1955).
2. Fig. Of a building: roomy, commodious (Abd., Ags., Fif., Ayr. 1955), a humorous extension of 1.Ayr. 1890 J. Service Notandums 24:
Gie me a guid square gutsy hoose, wi' a wysse-like but and a ben.Ags. 1894 J. Inglis Oor Ain Folk 66:
Eh, man, this is a braw laigh gutsy hoose.
II. n. A glutton (Ork. 1955).
[Guts + adj. suff. -Ie.]
