Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DOUCHT, Dought. n. Also docht, dught, ¶douch. [dɔxt]
1. Power, strength, ability. Now obs. exc. in derivs.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales ii.:
Whin I wis i' my day o' douch.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems, etc. 159:
The freckest whiles hae own't her [Fate's] dought.Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 71:
Gin spike an mattock wantna dught to dig, Ere lang thou lies as flat's a harrow'd rig.
Hence (1) do(u)chtie, -y, dughtie, = Eng. doughty (Sc. 1818 Sawers Dict. Sc. Lang.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 174, dochtie); also used ironically: “saucy, malapert . . . q[uasi] affecting the airs of an illustrious person” (Sc. 1808 Jam.); (2) dochtless, dought-, powerless, worthless (Fif.17 1950).(1) Sc. 1825 Jam.2:
“That's a dughtie dird indeed”; especially if one, after promising much, performs little.Abd. 1845 P. Still Cottar's Sunday 174:
O wae betide the dochty tricks O' ilka sly curmudgeon.m.Sc. 1870 J. Nicholson Idylls 93:
What douchty deeds were dune that day.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 17:
Door an dochty . . . war rankeet Naeter's Wardens o the Mairches.(2) Sc. 1887 Jam.6:
A dochtless dawtie gets a beggar's dower.Lnk. 1808 W. Watson Poems 41:
Now I maun haud sae for a-wee My doughtless Muse is gauntin'.Ayr. 1868 in Laird of Logan, Add. 497:
A herd, in the parish of Beith, complained “that other herds got a dortour like a dortour, but I get a dochtless dortour.”
†2. A deed, an exploit (Fif. 1825 Jam.2, dought).
†3. A stroke, a blow (Bch. Ib.).
[The adj. douchty, doughty, dochtie, dughty, etc., appears in O.Sc. from 1375, from O.E. dohtig, later variant of dyhtig. The n., which is a back-formation from the adj., is not found in O.Sc.]
