Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BOSIE, BOSEY, BOSY, BOZY, BOZIE, n. and v. Double dim. form bosikie (Lnk. 1884 J. Nicholson Willie Waugh 164). [′bo:zi]

1. n. The bosom. Gen.Sc. Comb. bosie-ba', id. Cf. beddie-ba, s.v. Ba', v.¹ Also transf. a cuddle, in baby talk (Abd. 1952, gie's a bosie). Also fig.Sc. 1842 J. Ballantine in Whistle-Binkie (3rd Series) 54:
Wi' a shower o' snaw, Flaiket owre her bozy.Sc. 1993 Derrick McClure in A. L. Kennedy and Hamish Whyte New Writing Scotland 11: The Ghost of Liberace 60:
warm in memory's waps, siccar in fancy's bosey, Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 357:
Syn' round you baith my nives to crook, Close to my bosy.Abd. 1986:
I'll gie ye a bosie Abd. 1992 Press and Journal (9 May) 4:
"Ye've been mairriet this past thirty year. Ye canna expect the first flusha youth. It canna be bosies a' the time." "I'd settle for bosies noo and again," said Sandy sadly. "Jist an occasional bosie wid dae me fine. ... Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 15:
An ma Da says my Ma's a Bad Parent cos she's aye oot on the randan. I dinna ken fit the randan is, bit I ay get sweeties an a bosie fin she cams hame. Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 47:
The rickle o granite steps, an the blaik, spear-tappit iron railins leadin tae ilkie hoose in yon dreich, Victorian airt, war happit wi snaw an ice - a geelin claddin far aa souns smored an the treetles o watter faain frae spoots an icicles vanished inno the bosie o a wraith o a drift. Ags. 1894 A. Reid Sangs o' the Heatherland 41:
Bairnie, cuddlin' in my bosie, Bonnie bairnie, sweet an' rosie.Fif. 1867 Mrs J. Morton C. Gray 39:
To cuddle in his bosie-ba'. Ayr. publ. 1892 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage, etc., and Poems 340:
I fan' her dear wee bosey then Was melting into mine.

2. v. To take to one's bosom.Bnff.(D) 1933 M. Symon Deveron Days 36:
It cried, “Ye jaud, ye fuged the school,” It speired, “Fa bosied Bell?”Abd.(D) 1920 G. P. Dunbar Guff o' Peat Reek 25:
An' at antrin times she'd bozie him, An' tak' him on her knee.