Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1745, 1826-1929, 1988
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QUITE, n. Also quyte, qwyte, queyt. Dim. quitie, qwytie. ne.Sc. forms of Eng. coat. See P.L.D. §126.3, and also Coat, Cwite. [kwəit]
1. As in Eng., a coat, a long jacket with tails, an overcoat, frock coat, etc. A muckle quyte, a greatcoat (Bnff., Abd. 1967); quill-pen quyte, "tails". See Quill, n., 3.Bnff. 1745 Origins '45 (S.H.S.) 160:
A country man . . . told them that the Enzie was all in a "vermine of Red Quites."Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 71:
Wi' riven breeks an' thread-bare queyt Hangin' in tatters.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 28:
His muckle quyte wiz a' in tatter-wallops, an' hingin' in weet clypachs aboot's legs.Abd. 1917 C. Murray Sough o' War 26:
We left the inn an' cuist oor quytes ahin the village crafts.Abd. 1929 Abd. Ev. Express (16 Feb.) 7:
I saw 'im wi's auld quitie buttaned up at the neck an' the tail o't wappin' in the wind.
Phr. and Combs.: (1) quyte-tails, the skirts of a coat or of a woman's dress. Hence phr. (i) to sit on someone's quyte-tail(s), to take advantage of one, exploit another's efforts (Abd.4 1930); (ii) on ane's ain quyte-tail(s), on one's own resources, independent(ly) (Abd. 1967); (2) the man wi' the black quite, a sea-taboo term for a clergyman (ne.Sc. 1874 W. Gregor Olden Time 64).
2. A woman's nether garment, a skirt, petticoat (Bnff., Abd. 1902 E.D.D.; ne.Sc. 1967). Also in Eng. dial.Bnff. 1844 T. Anderson Poems 33:
'Twas said that she littit ram's woo in't , an' made quytes to the dames o' it.Abd. 1867 A. Allardyce Goodwife 13:
Kilt up yer quites, gyang owr the ley.Abd. 1903 W. Watson Auld Lang Syne 102:
It'll be a qwytie for Elsie.Bnff. 1923 Banffshire Jnl. (19 June) 8:
Keep yer quites on, an' put on a mawsey gin ye can get een, an' ye'se dee.
3. A long, oilskin apron used by fish-gutters.Abd. 1988 Alistair Lawrie et al. eds Glimmer of Cold Brine 24:
Our gear was rubber boots and an oilskin quyte - a long apron with a bib that fastened at the waist and covered you completely from the waist down.
