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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TOOT, int., v.2 Also tout; toots, touts; tets, tits, t(y)uts and reduplic. forms toot(s)-toot(s), tuts-tuts. [tut(s); tʌts, tøts, tɪts]

I. int. An exclamation of disapproval or expostulation, fy! tut tut!, nonsense (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 139). Gen.Sc.Sc. 1705 Dialogue between Country-Man and Landwart School-Master 4:
Toot, Toot, never tell me such a Tale.
Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 150:
If they had tell'd me tuts, or prute-no, I laid them o'er my knee.
Sc. 1818 Lockhart Scott xlii.:
Scott drew in his nether lip, and rebuked the Captain with ‘Toots, Adam! toots, Adam!'
Lth. 1819 J. Thomson Poems 124:
Tout, ye may bather as ye will For me I winna tak it ill.
Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch vi.:
But tuts-tuts — hech how! my day has long since passed.
Abd. 1891 J. Ogg Glints 152:
Toot awa'! ye'll tine yer feeties, Sic a wav'ry little man!
Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 31:
Toot ay. Gin a budy be gaen doon the brae, ilky ane 'ill gie ye a gundy.
Gsw. 1898 D. Willox Poems 28:
Hits, tits, Meg! ye dinna ken whit yer talkin' aboot.
Kcb. 1900 R. H. Muir Mystery Muncraig iv.:
Tets, man! Dinna be sae red-headed about it.
Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters xxi.:
“Tyuts,” said the baker, “folk should be kind to folk.”
Ags. 1933 W. Muir Mrs Ritchie xxii.:
Tits, we'll manage fine.

II. v. To say toot(s), to express dissatisfaction or disapproval (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ork., Bnff., Ags., Per. 1972).Sc. 1820 in R. A. Smith Sc. Minstrel IV. 101:
O she did hoot, and toot, and flout, Cause I bade her sit down.
wm.Sc. 1832 Whistle-Binkie 9:
You may toots awa, but it's true sense.

[Cf. Eng. tut, id., gen. with more emphatic force, “a natural utterance” (N.E.D.), but the Sc. form may have developed from Hoot repeated by re-division of the syllables.]

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