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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HUID, n., v. Also hud(e); heud, and in sense I. heuld, huild (Ork.); heed, heid (n.Sc.), in sense I. 4. (1); dims. hu(i)die, hoodie, hødi; hødek, huddik, huddack in sense I. 4. (3) (Sh.); derivs. huidan, heudin, huddin, hødin, hooden, -in; hiddin, hidden, hithin; heedin (n.Sc.), esp. in sense I. 4. (1). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. hood. [I., m. and s.Sc. hød, hyd; Ork. + høld: n.Sc. hid]

I. n. 1. As in Eng., a covering for the head; specif. in dim. a sunbonnet worn by field-workers (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., huidie; Ork., Ags. 1957). Also fig. in phr. to put the huidie on, to cap, to top (Ib.).Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 111:
The women attired in striped petticoats, white “hubbies” (shirt blouses) and “hoodies” (cotton sun-bonnets) and with bare feet, raked and gossiped.

Hence hoodie, (a) a hired mourner, a mute, “this designation seems to have originated from their wearing hoods” (Edb. 1825 Jam.), phs. also by association with Huidie, the hooded crow, q.v.; (b) by a sim. extension of meaning, a nun of a black-robed order (Ayr. 1929).

2. One of a pair of sheaves of corn placed on the top of a stook (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1957), or corn stack (Rxb. 1957), to shelter it from the weather; gen. used attrib. in comb. hood-sheaf, -sheave, id. (Sc. 1825 Jam.), also fig. = the final touch, the “lid,” the last word or straw, a parting drink (see Ags. 1857 quot.) (Fif. 1957), and as a v. = to protect with a hoodsheaf. Cf. II. 2. and heid-sheaf s.v. Heid, n., 4. Combs.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 96:
One forms the stook wi' nice-directing eye, Another following after, crowns with hoods.Per. 1799 J. Robertson Agric. Per. 159:
The two hood sheaves are . . . laid on in opposite directions, as a covering.Ayr. 1830 Brit. Husbandry (Burke 1840) III. i. 43:
In this precarious climate, oats ought always to be hoodsheaved too.Dmf. 1830 W. Bennet Traits Sc. Life II. 211:
Its [a plaid's] skirts spreading over the shoulders, in the form of a hood sheaf upon a stook of corn.Knr. 1832 L. Barclay Poems 31:
O' a' that has been said to-day, This night the hood-sheaf on to lay.Ags. 1857 A. Douglas Ferryden 51:
The “hood-sheaf” is now called ben to keep out the rain.Sc. 1869 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. 505:
The general custom in late districts is to put two sheaves, butt to butt, on the top of each shock. In early districts these hood-sheaves are frequently dispensed with; for although they keep out rain, they also keep out wind, and prevent the other sheaves from drying so quickly as they otherwise would.

3. Fig. in Orkney only: the dead of night, quasi the “crowning point” of the night (Ork. 1929 Marw., huild, heuld, Ork. 1957). Deriv. pl. huidans. The forms with -l- appear to be due to confusion with heuld, pa.t. of Haud, q.v.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 104:
What's ta'en thee here apo' the heuld?Ork. 1909 Old-Lore Misc. II. i. 30:
Dey cam an tuik him awa tae Sianwick on de huidans o the night tae help a whyoo wae her first caff.Ork. 1931 J. Leask Peculiar People 33:
I made ap me mind I wad cut me trot api da heud o' da night whan dey waar a' sleepin' soon'.Ork. 1999 Orcadian 4 Nov 19:
... various ideas of what I might write about have come to mind-often when I might wake up on the "heuld" of the night, or even round about the crack of dawn. ... The word "heuld" which I use above "the heuld o' the night" is described as midnight by John Firth. I always myself thought the word to mean much later at night.

Combs.: heuld cog, -drink, -horn, the parting drink (or its container) offered to guests at a wedding feast when dispersing about midnight. Cf. hoodsheaf, id., s.v. 2.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 63:
Some time after the guests retired to bed, the lady of the house made a round of the bed-rooms, offering every guest a drink of warm spirituous liquor. This was called the “heuld drink,” which was presented in a small horn vessel, called the “heuld horn.” This vessel was smaller than the common drinking horn used at table, and held rather more than an ordinary tumbler.Ork. 1885 Peace's Ork. Almanac 129:
The next custom is the “heuld horn,” among the common people called the “heuld cog,” or sometimes the “bed drink.”

4. Freq. in deriv. huidin, a point of juncture, a fastening, joint, hinge (Cai.³ 1931, heedin, heudin). Specif. (1) of a flail: the leather hinge joining the two parts (Lth., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl., hooden; Sc. 1911 S.D.D. Add.; Abd. 1919 T.S.D.C. III., heid; Uls.³ 1930; I.Sc. 1957). Also in n.Eng. dial.; the eye, gen. made of a piece of bent ashwood, through which the souple is attached to the handstaff (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 78, hithin, 1919 T.S.D.C. III., hiddin); (2) the loop at the end of a whip handle to which the lash is attached (Bnff.⁴ 1925); (3) a knot used to join two parts of a fishing line (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928), hødi(n), 1914 Angus Gl., huddik). Sometimes used for a knot joining a cow's tether (Jak.); (4) in pl.: the places where the sides of a boat meet the stem and stern posts and are secured to them (Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 152, 1929 Marw.; Sh., Cai. 1957). Also in naut. Eng.; (5) the place where the couples of a roof meet at the ridge (Sh.¹⁰ 1957).(1) Cai. 1916 John o' Groat Jnl. (7 April):
The flail was formed of two parts, the “handstaff” and “souple.” They were joined together by a leather “heed” and “points.”Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS.:
He hadna threshen twa fleers fan's supple fell oot owre's back; the hidden had broken.(3) Mry. 1914 Trans. Bnff. Field Club 24:
To fasten on the hook first the hoordon [sic] fastened a strud of twisted twine to the baak.(4) Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 52:
Sheu was a' lous' i the heudin's, an' as swack i the lumpie sea as a auld paet kazie.

II. v. 1. In ppl.adj. hooded, hoodet, huddit, of birds: having head-colouring or skin-formation suggestive of a hood (Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Tales 49, of a hen). In combs.: (1) hoodit-craw, the hooded crow, Corvus cornix; the carrion crow, Corvus corone (Rxb. 1801 J. Leyden Complaynt 344, huddit craw; Sc. 1825 Jam.). Gen.Sc.; the black-headed gull, Larus ridibundus (I.Sc. 1866 Edm. Gl.; e.Lth. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 209; Ork. 1957). See also huidie craw, id., s.v. Huidie; (2) hooded mew, the black-headed gull, Larus ridibundus (Ork., e.Lth. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 209). Cf. (1). The evidence for e.Lth. in (1) and (2) is somewhat doubtful.(1) Sc. 1707 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 470:
To ro^t wilson for shooting huddit crows. . .Per. 1771 T. Pennant Tour 1769 80:
Royston Crows, called here Hooded Crows, and in Erse, Feanagh, are very common, and reside here [near Loch Tay] the whole year.Ork. 1805 G. Barry Hist. Ork. 303:
The Pewit Gull here called the hooded-crow, is frequently seen in spring, and sometimes in summer.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxiv.:
There was de'il a bedral but the hooded craw.Ags. 1918 V. Jacob More Songs 26:
It's no the gull, but the hoodit craw that wanders When the lang, lang nichts begin.

2. To top a stook of corn with two protective sheaves (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 252). Vbl.n. hooding, huddin', a sheaf so used (Uls. 1924 North. Whig (5 Jan.), Uls. 1957), hooden, hudden, in comb. hooden sheaf, id. (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.), also fig. = the crowning point, the climax. See also I. 2.Rnf. 1773 Sc. Farmer I. 492:
A stook, in the west country fashion, consisteth either of the ten sheaves, eight of which are set upon the ground, and may be called standards, two are served for their covering, and are called hoodings.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck xiii.:
One half of that crop at least was shorn during the night, all standing in tight shocks, rowed and hooded.Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 340:
Fin the stooks waur weel huddit they could defy rain for a lang time.Per. 1881 D. MacAra Crieff 244:
The climax — or, in country parlance, the “hooding-sheaf” — of profanation.Kcb.¹ 1928:
In Kirkcudbrightshire till 60 years ago stooks were formed of twelve sheaves, ten set on end and two placed on the top and were called “hooded stooks.”

3. To nod with drowsiness (Ork. 1929 Marw.). Cf. n., 3.