Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
UPCOME, n., v. Also up-cum.
I. n. 1. A climb, ascent, way up.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 204:
We geed doon the rocks t' the beach; bit the upcome we hid wizna fun.
2. Outward appearance, esp. as a prognostic of the future, a promising aspect (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Proverbial phr. if all be good that is upcome, if all is as good as it looks, first in Hume of Godscroft's Hist. House of Douglas (1644) 235, and quoted therefrom by Scott (Sc. 1819 Scott Leg. Montrose iv.).Ags. 1819 A. Balfour Campbell I. iii.:
He promises fair according to his upcome.Sc. 1823 Scott Q. Durward vii.:
You should be a right man-at-arms, if all be good that is upcome.
3. A comment, saying, turn of phrase (n.Sc. 1973).Abd. 1898 J. R. Imray Sandy Todd v.:
I'm sometimes gey an sair bamboozled wi' some o' their upcomes.Abd. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood xiv.:
She's some terrible up-comes.Abd. 1940 C. Gavin Hostile Shore i.:
He never let you off with a sharp upcome, but gave as good as he got.Abd. 1963 People's Jnl. (12 Jan.) 16:
It brings back auld up-cums o' my dear auld granda's.
4. The final or decisive point, the result, outcome (Sh., Per. 1973).Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Letter iii.:
My portrait is, . . . scandalously caricatured. I fail or quail in spirit at the upcome!
II. v. Only in vbl.n. upcomin(g), (1) the action of coming up, ascent (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 204).Sc. 1746 E. Erskine Sermons (1755) 391:
The Up-coming of the Breaker is with much awful Majesty.Per. 1757 J. Christie Witchcraft in Kenmore 16:
They went to watch her upcoming.
(2) one's upbringing, development from childhood to adulthood (Sh. 1973).Sc. 1862 Carlyle Frederick xiii. ix.:
In his young time he had a hard upcoming.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (5 Nov.):
I' my upcomin' dey wirna sa mony ootgaets ta win a penny as dey ir noo.
