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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MOUSER, mowser, n. A moustache. Gen.Sc. [′mʌuzər]Mry. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 19:
Rab dichtit his mouser wi' his han'.
Abd. 1932 D. Campbell Bamboozled 27:
That'll gaur him bite his mouser.
Per. 1979 Betsy Whyte The Yellow on the Broom 3:
'What are you doing here, and what do you want?' a huge man with a red mouser, and face to match, shouted.
m.Lth. 1991:
Ye mind, Arthur, the butcher, big dark-haired fella wi a wee mouser o a moustache.
Abd. 1991 Aberdeen Evening Express 22 Oct :
"Sayin' Prince Charles wis like Hitler. I mean, can you mind ever seein' Prince Charles wi' a stupid wee mouser."
Gsw. 1994 Herald (19 Jul) 16:
It appears that Americans think chaps with mousers are faggots.
Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 42:
I wis gey weariet bidin there, I can tell ye. I powkit aboot ma desk, an caad the styew frae the blackboord cloot, an drew a pictur o Miss McTavish on the boord wi a mowser that suited her rale weel.

[Appar. an extended usage of Eng. mouser, a cat, hence a cat's whiskers, jocularly transferred to human beings. The word is modern, as the Eng. pronunciation shows. There may be some influence from moustache.]

18952

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