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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

CHEET, CHEETIE, CHEETY, n. [′tʃit(i)]

1. A cat; a call to a cat. Gen.Sc. Watson in Rxb. W.-B. (1923) gives also chee-chee as a call-name for a cat.Ags. 1895 Arbroath Guide (26 Jan.) 3/6:
Marget gaed to the back door cryin, “Puss, Puss, Pussy; cheet, cheet, cheety.”Lnk. 1806 J. Black Falls of Clyde 169:
You've hurt poor baudrans wi' your lang wet clout. Cheet! Cheet! waesucks, I doubt poor thing she's dead.Kcb.¹⁰ 1939:
That's a nice wee cheetie you've got.

2. In comb. with bauth(e)rin, pussy (pussie) = a cat (Sc. 1911 S.D.D., cheetie-bautherin; Bnff. 1898 E.D.D., -bauthrin).  Known to Bnff.², Abd.², Ags.¹⁷, Fif.¹⁰, Arg.¹, Lnk.³, Kcb.¹ (1939); also cheetie-pussie-cattie.Sc. 1987 Hamish Whyte ed. The Scottish Cat 4:
There was a wee bit mousikie,
That lived in Gilberaty, O;
It couldna get a bite o cheese,
For cheetie-pussie-cattie, O.Fif.¹ 1930:
A woman might say to a cat being carried in a basket, to hearten it up, “Are ye there, cheetie-pussy? Ah'm always here, cheetie-pussy.”Edb. 1906–1911 Edb. School Rhymes in Rymour Club Misc. I. 191:
Wee cheetie pussie, O, Rinnin' thro' the hoosie, O; The parritch pat fell aff the fire, And burnt a' its feetie, O.w.Dmf. 1908 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo (1912) ii.:
Quate as cheetie pussy, I got doon off the stule.