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.
UG, v., n.1 Also ugg, ugh (Mry. 1925); ucc; og-, ogg (Jak.); oug- (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Abd. 1917); aug-. [ʌg]
I. v. 1. tr. To disgust, nauseate, annoy, upset, exasperate (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 355; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Sh., ne.Sc. 1973). Obs. in Eng. exc. n.Eng. dial. Ppl.adjs. uggin, disgusting, loathsome, objectionable, annoying, vexatious (ne.Sc. 1973), uggit, upset, annoyed, disgusted, fed-up (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Sh., ne.Sc. 1973).Ags. 1820 A. Balfour Contemplation 263:
The ben-house, anes sae trig an' clean, Was now enough to ugg your een.Abd. 1838 Whistle-Binkie 118:
For I'm neither sae auld, auld, Nor am I sae gruesome or uggin.ne.Sc. 1893 W. Gregor Dunbar's Wks. (S.T.S.) III. 251:
I canna bide that wine — it's aneuch t' ugg a soo.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 13:
Yow yins that's keinda perjink menna be uggeet at iz for aa this.Abd. 1956 Bon-Accord (11 Oct.):
He wis uggit tae deid scutterin' an' clortin' wi' paraffine lamps.Abd. 1972:
It's richt uggin tae rin for a bus and the driver never lats on he sees you.
Derivs. ug(g)some, -sum, o(u)g-, aug-, disgusting, loathsome, repulsive, horrible (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 454; Kcb. 190; Ork., Abd., Kcd., Ags., Fif., Clc., Edb., Ayr. 1973), cloying, sickening. Also in n.Eng. dial.; of weather: threatening, stormy-looking (Ork. 1929 Marw.). Hence ugsomelike (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.), ugsomeness, adv. ugsumly.Sc. 1724 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 86:
Infernal be thair Hyre Quha dang us, and flang us Into this ugsum Myre.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 238:
Stuffin, wi' ugsome chews, his cheek.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xxi.:
An auld dog that trails its useless ugsome carcass into some bush.Sc. 1834 Blackwood's Mag. (Oct.) 564:
Some hideous witch-hag, to look on whose ugsomeness would be to die.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin iv.:
Mair ugesome to the taste, an' offensive to the smell.Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Sc. Verses 15:
That ougsome, ill-faur't name.s.Sc. 1901 Border Mag. (July 136:
A hairy, augsome crittur.Ayr. 1932:
It's gey guid: it's no sae ugsome as strawberry jam.Sc. 1951 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 410:
Hir cheeks war shilpit like a ghaist's. an she gowpit ugsumly.Ags. 1960 Forfar Dispatch (27 Oct.):
“Dinna be sae ogsome,” says she.Ags. 1987 Raymond Vettese in Joy Hendry Chapman 50-1 55:
Bella Hyne wis an ugsome wumman wi a crookit mou an' a grey moustache m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 76:
Auld Clootie's ugsome inseck gien a dunt
bi Smoorgoloch's maist deidlie pushen-bree, m.Sc. 1996 John Murray Aspen 11:
Thrawn, Ugsome, Vengefie an Wicked
the meenister's cat wis an X certificate cat Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 75:
Twis
a taigle o aspen an willow, a snorrel o nettle an ivy, a dubby, glaury
hole the like o fit anely a soor, dour warlock wad chuise tae bide in,
an ill-faured, ugsome, gyad-sake, scunnersome airt that even the
foolest, maist orra o puddocks wad steer awa frae; ...
2. intr. or absol. To be sickened or nauseated, to feel repulsion (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 203; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Kcb. 1931; Sh. 1973), lit. and fig. Obs. in Eng.; to vomit (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 454).Sc. 1704 J. Fraser Lawfulness & Duty of Separation (1744) 80:
Men scunner and ugg at their Meat, being conveyed to them thro such Vessels.Slg. 1818 W. Muir Poems 55:
A dirty clout or maister mug, Enough to mak' a body ug.Lnk. 1863 J. Hamilton Poems 297:
It's no the wife that curls her nose At cogs o' sowens or cadger's brose, An' uggs at lang-kail.Abd. 1921:
The goo o't gar't me ugg.
3. tr. To find offensive or repellent, dislike, feel disgust or horror at (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 355). Obs. exc. liter.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 219:
What his kind frighted Mother ugs, Is Musick to the Soger's Lugs.s.Sc. 1793 T. Scott Poems 367:
Thus ane aye seekin' what another ugs.Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 71:
She ever hammers on his lugs, Till her an' hame at last he uggs As the dire door o' hell!Sc. 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ. II. xii.:
What it naitirally aye ugs an' flees frae.
II. n. 1. Disgust, dislike, a sensation of nausea (ne.Sc., Ags. 1973). Freq. in phr. to take an ug at, to take a dislike to. Deriv. ugf(o)u, adj., sickening, disgusting. Also used adv., in a disgusted or scandalized manner.Bnff. a.1829 J. Sellar Poems (1844) 21:
Ye needna gang by me sae ugfu'.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 120, 203:
The ongang it they keepit wee ane anither wiz jist ugfou. . . . He took an ug at's meht.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick vii.:
Tammas hid teen a terrible ugg at 'e chiel.
2. An object of disgust, a person of disagreeable, disgusting manners (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 203; Bnff., Abd. 1973). Also in n.Eng. dial.
3. Vomited matter. Cf. I. 2.Dmf. 1797 Edb. Mag. (Dec.) 458:
See how he's speuing yont the muckle stool, It maks na' tho' he i' the burn was thrawn Whilk scouders a' the ucc frae aff his glewin' hool.
