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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.

VAUNTIE, adj., n. Also va(u)nty, vantie; †vandie; vannie. [′vǫnte, ′vɑnti]

I. adj. Of persons: proud, boastful, vain (Sc. 1808 Jam.); proud-looking, jaunty, ostentatious, showy (Knr. 1825 Jam., vandie; Dmf. 1928, vannie), pleased, elated (Slg. 1973). Occas. of things, esp. of dress. Rare and dial. in Eng. Now chiefly liter.Sc. 1724 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) I. 20:
Although my father was nae laird, 'Tis daffin to be vaunty.ne.Sc. 1768 in A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 6:
They're grown sae ugertfu' and vaunty.Ayr. 1790 Burns Tam o' Shanter 173–4:
In longitude tho' sorely scanty, It was her best, she was vauntie.Cai. 1829 J. Hay Poems 131:
But up she rose as quick as fire, And to't again as vaunty.Dmf. 1831 The Sun (27 June):
A fair daughter, of whom she is somewhat proud and vauntie.Kcd. 1844 W. Jamie Muse 50:
Indeed, Gudewife, ye're dear to me, Of you I am right vaunty.Per. a.1860 Mod. Sc. Poets (Edwards) XIII. 227:
Wi' bonnet sae vaunty, an' owerlay sae clean.Hdg. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 88:
We've got a judge and referee (Cried I, right vauntie!).Gall. 1900 R. J. Muir Mystery Muncraig iii.:
A window that my neighbour the grocer was very vaunty about.Sc. 1920 A. Gray Songs from Heine 18:
I see a vauntie glance come in your ee.Abd. 1927 E. S. Rae Hansel Fae Hame 57:
I felt right vauntie!em.Sc.(a) 1991 Kate Armstrong in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 111:
A chiel
thocht vaunty, screivit in the derk
Thon's no ma name; cry me Hentool,
Tongsyabas, a yaird o reid an blue. Abd. 1996 Sheena Middleton in Sandy Stronach New Wirds: An Anthology of Winning Poems and Stories from the Doric Writing Competitions of 1994 and 1995 30:
"Bit caa cannie, fur tho she's bonny, she's pouerfu an slee, the maist pouerfu witch on Deeside."
The kelpie tossed his heid vauntie-like. The quine luikit hairmless an sma boukit. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 13:
Its veins that yince ran cauld an caller,
Daffin an vauntie throu the glens,
Spew up in spleiterin cloods o reik
Tae bile an brust amang the bens.

II. n ‘A vain, vaunting, self-conceited fellow, a braggadocio' (Fif. 1825 Jam., vandie).