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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TAIT, n., v. Also taet(e) (I.Sc.), taitt, tate, teat, tete; tet(t); tit (ne.Sc.). Dims. taitie (Arg. 1902 R. Maclagan Evil Eye 176), taitnie (Cai. 1939), tittie. See also Taut, n. [tet]

I. n. 1. A small tuft, lock or bundle of any fibrous material, as hair, wool, flax-tow (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Mry. 1925; Uls. 1929; Sh., n.Sc., Slg., Ayr., Kcb. 1972). Comb. tate-lock, a small lock of hair, wool, etc., matted together (Lnk. 1825 Jam.).Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. iv . i.:
As fast as flaes skip to the tate o woo While slee tod-lowrie hauds.Sc. 1748 Session Papers, Stewart v. MacFarlane Proof 2:
A Tate of white Hair in the Middle of the Tail.Abd. 1759 Abd. Journal (8 May):
He also makes False Locks and Ladies Tates, equal to Nature.Sc. 1776 D. Herd Sc. Songs II. 116:
Simmer is coming on, And we'll get teats of woo.Sc. c.1800 Thomas Rymer in Child Ballads No. 37. A.ii.:
At ilka tett of her horse's mane Hung fifty silver bells and nine.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xxii.:
There's a chield can spin a muckle pirn out of a wee tait of tow!wm.Sc. 1837 Laird of Logan 129:
He had a gey tate of hair on his eebrow, his locks were thin about the haffets.s.Sc. 1847 H. S. Riddell Poems 144:
Wi' the taits o' gowden hair.Sh. 1915 Old-Lore Misc. VIII. i. 23:
“Roogues” of stones were piled, and on these were cast bones of fish and animals, peats, straw, sea-weed, flowers, feathers, even a “tet o oo”.

2. A tuft of grass, a small bundle or wisp of hay or corn (Sc. 1808 Jam.; I., n.Sc., Slg., Lnk., sm.Sc. 1972); specif. a bundle of bent grass tied up ready for sale (Ork. 1929 Marw.); a bundle or thick strand of threshed straw used in making baskets, matting, or chair-backs.Sc. 1778 Weekly Mag. (21 Jan.) 87:
Ayont some scougy know, Whar taits o' grass, instead o' frost, may grow.Ayr. 1782 Burns Death of Mailie 33–4:
An' tent them duly, e'en an' morn, Wi' teats o' hay an' ripps o' corn.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 181:
Scatter'd chick-weed, rais'd in taits, Grew here an' there.m.Sc. 1864 J. C. Shairp Kilmahoe 15:
With them taits o' fodder bear.Cai. 1907 County of Cai. (Horne) 73:
Gloy is bound up in little sheaves four or five inches in diameter. These are now called tates or knocks of gloy.Ork. 1912 Old-Lore Misc. V. iv. 162:
In the making of both flakies and caesies, taetes of straw were woven together by the bent bands.Abd. 1930 E. S. Rae Waff o' Win 54:
Wi' roddens reid an' tits o' corn.Abd. 1946 J. C. Milne Orra Loon 12:
A tett o' hay is a' the craitur's worth.

3. A small amount or portion of anything (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein). Gen.Sc.; rarely of liquids: a little. A (wee) tait, also adv. = somewhat.Sc. 1722 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 12:
Observing Jouk a wee Tate tipsy.Sc. 1824 R. Chambers Poet. Remains (1883) 21:
A wee tait o' colour comes back to his nose.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch iv.:
My blue jacket had retreated to a tait below the elbow.Bwk. 1862 J. G. Smith Old Churchyard 53:
Wee bits o' bread an' taits o' meal.Rnf. 1876 D. Gilmour Paisley Weavers 79:
“A tait o' saw” for a bairn's use.Knr. 1891 H. Haliburton Ochil Idylls 68:
O' winter's snaw there's but a tate remainin'.Gsw. 1904 H. Foulis Erchie xvi.:
A wee tete mair tea, Mr Macrae?Dmf. 1912 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo 25:
Fling a taet saut and pepper into't, for I like it tastey.Slg. 1929 W. D. Cocker Dandie 11:
Forbye, she had a wee tait siller, “That's aye a help,” thinks Rab the miller.Gsw. 1947 H. W. Pryde First Bk. McFlannels v.:
Ah'd jist like a wee tait o' thon boiled bacon.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xxx.:
'E aal kist's a tittie moch-etten.Gsw. 1987 Peter Mason C'mon Geeze Yer Patter! 34:
Ah ony take a wee toty tate a mulk in ma tea. I only take a small amount of milk in my tea. m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 65:
Thir Malebolges gar ye sweit a taet;
nestie, frae Circle Yin tae Circle Nine, wm.Sc. 1989 Anna Blair The Goose Girl of Eriska 143:
'Pottish, monk's poison and a wee tate gum to mak' a paste,' the tink had said. Sc. 1991 Forbes Macgregor in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 17:
His turn is ower; clowns, claps; plumes flicker;
He gets his pey, a taet o sucker.
O God, be witness to this wean,
The doon-borne circus-horse MacLean. Gsw. 1992 Jeff Torrington Swing Hammer Swing! (1993) 160:
'It's a wee tate somebody left last Ne'erday.' The 'sherry' turned out to be a close relative of the 'Jungle Juice' Glesca winos traditionally dement themselves with, something I'd expected from the pains he was taking to hide the bottle's label.

II. v. To pull or pluck out (fibres or the like), to tease out (wm.Sc. 1880 Jam.). Ppl.adj. taettet, of yarn; thin, fine-spun (Sh. 1972), also adv.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 190:
He taittit the hair oot o's hehd.Sh. 1916 J. Burgess Rasmie's Smaa Murr (Navember 30):
What some folk caas ‘tact' is jöst trickery spun taettet.