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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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.

BOWSIE, BOWZIE, Boosie, n.² Also boosey, boowuzzie. “The name of a huge, misshapen, hairy monster invoked by foolish mothers and nurses to frighten obstinate and troublesome children” (Sc. 1887 Jam.⁶; Kcb.⁹ 1935). [′bʌuzi, ′bu:zi]e.Lth. 1913 John Muir The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (1987) 9:
After being instructed by the servants in the nature, looks, and habits of the various black and white ghosts, boowuzzies, and witches we often speculated as to whether they could run fast, and tried to believe that we had a good chance to get away from most of them.Gall. 1930 (per Wgt.³):
“What ails ye, weans?” said Jess; and Acky answered, “We saw a bowsie, grannie.”

Comb.: bowzie-man, boosie-, “a bogie-man” (Ayr. 1914 T.S.D.C . I, bowzie-).Rnf.³ 1914:
My wife used to be threatened with the “boosie-man” by an old woman who had lived most of her life in Glasgow but had come originally from some place in the West of Scotland.Lnk. 1884 J. Nicholson Willie Waugh 164:
O fie! awa', ye Boosey Man! It's you we dinna fear.