Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
WEESH, int., v. Also wis(s)h; weysh (Kcd. 1813 G. Robertson Agric. Kcd. 424), wyshe (Kcd. 1825 Jam.); weest; vish (Ags. 1822 Caled. Mag. I. 399); queesh; wheesh (Inv. 1905 E.D.D.; Ork. 1943). [wi:ʃ]
I. int. A call to a horse in harness to turn to the right (Abd. 1825 Jam.; Sc. 1855 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. (1869) II. 723; I., n.Sc., Ags., Per. 1973). Sometimes with aff (Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iv., wish aff). Also in e.Ang. dial. and in form woosh.Ags. 1810 Farmer's Mag. XI. 513:
To make the horse to go to the right. ‘Queesh' pronounced strong.Kcd. 1857 Stonehaven Jnl. (14 May) 4:
Commaather! weesh! there, there, ye jad! He keepit cryin'.Abd. 1902 Abd. Wkly. Free Press (1 Nov.):
Fin ye're workin' a horse an' wint it t' gyang i' the richt han', say ‘Weest'.Kcd. 1934 Gibbon & MacDiarmid Sc. Scene 118:
She'd cry Wissh! like a man and turn a fair drill.Abd. 1954 Huntly Express (19 Nov.):
That tractor his nae sense ava'. Disna even ken weesh an' hie.
II. v. To call weesh to horse as in ploughing.Kcb. 1932 L. G. Gibbon Sunset Song 194:
She carried out the basket to Ewan wisshing up the face of the rig.
