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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PAST, prep., adv., adj. Sc. usages:

I. prep. 1. Except for, with the exception of, apart from, beyond. Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1849 M. Oliphant M. Maitland iii.:
It was a very quiet life we lived at Sunnyside, and past the lessons, and now and then a visit from the Manse family, I mind not anything that it is needful to notice.

2. Beyond the bounds or limits of. Obs. or arch. in Eng. In phrs.: (1) past a', unspeakable, incredible, beyond belief, intolerable (Sh., Cai. 1965); (2) past common, outstanding, pre-eminent, remarkable, exceptional; (3) past oneself, beside oneself, furiously angry (Sh., Bnff., Ags., Edb., Ayr., Dmf. 2000s); (4) past ordinar, = (2), used attrib. in quots. (Uls. 1965).(1) Abd. 1865 G. Macdonald Alec Forbes xx.:
But thae loons — they're jist past a'!(2) Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie lxx.:
It's my first dinner, and I would be affrontit gin it wasna past common.Sc. 1827 Carlyle German Romance II. 289:
He could not help wondering how all this had once appeared so strange and marvellous. He now saw nothing past common.(3)Gsw. 1985 Anna Blair Tea at Miss Cranston's 18:
Skirts were that short that my granny used to tut-tut at seeing wir knees. She'd've been right past hersel' if she'd seen us wi' wir frocks tucked into wir knickers turning wir wilkies in the school sheds.(4) Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail lxiv.:
A man o' past-ordinar sense. Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xii.:
The Doctor is a past ordinar young man.

In neg. expressions: (1) no to (be able to) see past (a person), to be obsessed with (someone's) virtues or merits, to favour to the exclusion of all others. Gen.Sc. (2) not to pit it (or some action) past (someone) (to), to believe (someone) quite capable of, not to absolve (one) from a disposition, etc., (to) . . . Cf. Pit, v.¹, B. 2. (11) (v). Gen.Sc.(2)Abd., Ags. 1975:
I wadna pit it past him tae hae setten fire tae the place himsel.

3. Before, in place of. Per. 1979 Betsy Whyte The Yellow on the Broom 150:
It was considered a very selfish thing for any member of a family to eat anything past another. Women would walk all day looking for food, but not one morsel would pass their lips, unless they knew that there was food at home for the rest of the family.

II. adv. On one side, out of the way; over, done with. Cf. usages of By, adv. Phrs.: to lay, pit, set, etc. past, to set aside for later use, put or tidy away (Sc. 1909 N.E.D.), to save (money), to put aside “for a rainy day” (Gen.Sc.); to remove from active life, through illness, age or the like (Sh. 1965), usu. in pass.; to pit or set past, to get (a meal) over expeditiously, to serve with dispatch (Abd. 1965). Hence pit-past, a hasty or makeshift meal, a quick snack. Gen. (exc. I.) Sc. Cf. pass-ower s.v. Pass, v., 1. (2) (ii), and Pit, v. Kcd. 1844 W. Jamie Muse 47:
Sae aff he flourished wi' the hat, . . . And laid it past just for a time.Sc. 1858 H. Stephens Farm Implements 630:
The harrows should be cleaned and painted when set past.Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 12:
When you have read that book put it carefully past.Fif. 1894 D. S. Meldrum Margrédel vii.:
Marjory was laid past from active service, and felt that her days were numbered.Edb. 1894 W. G. Stevenson Puddin' iii.:
I'm prood to think ye're layin' past siller.Sc. 1937 Private Letter:
The bundle was put past for Miss — who left us at the end of May.

III. adj. Following a date, month, week, etc. = last, preceding. Gen.Sc. Obs. in Eng.; having reached the specified year of one's age. Gen.Sc. Obs. in Eng.Sc. 1900 R. Masson Use of Eng. 43:
It has been standing this week past.Sc. 1939:
Nine past = nine on one's last birthday.Sc. 1965:
I haena seen him this year past.Edb. 1998 Gordon Legge Near Neighbours (1999) 96:
Our Paul was up the market one day, week past Saturday, right, and sees Mandy trekking through all the glaur, like.