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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WIDOE, n. Also wido (Gsw. 1949 Partridge Dict. Slang 1220), wideo. A term of abuse: a gangster, hooligan; a rascal. Gsw. Slang. [′wɑido]Gsw. 1935 A. McArthur and H. K. Long No Mean City vi.:
I'll pey they Plantation widoes for the smashing they gave ye.
Edb. 1991 Irvine Welsh in Hamish Whyte and Janice Galloway New Writing Scotland 9: Scream If You Want to Go Faster 149:
It's this boy's clathes that give him away and mark him out as wideo extraordinaire. He has obviously been residing in one of the Windsor group hotels: Saughton, Bar L, Perth, Peterhead ...
Edb. 1992:
Ya wee wideo!
Sc. 2003 Express 21 Jul 25:
Scottish slang insults, such as fannybaws and wideo, could be included in a new version of the English dictionary.

[Cf. Eng. slang wido, alert, shrewd, “smart”, wide, immoral, lax; well-informed, shrewd, wide boy, a crook, gangster.]

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