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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DUMFOONER, -FOUNER, v. Also dumfounner, -fu(u)n(d)er, -foonder, dumb-, doomfooner. Gen.Sc. forms of Eng. dumbfounder, to nonplus, flabbergast, stun, confuse. Gen. found as ppl.adj. [dʌm′funər]Sc. 1983 John McDonald in Joy Hendry Chapman 37 44:
Dumfoonert craturs ruggin mang
whummelt biggins; the lave shauchlin,
shauchlin forrit bairns claucht tae breists,
shauchlin forrit greitin feart - the brock
o a hellish gemme.Sh. 1897 Shet. News (29 May):
I wis a kind o' dumfoondered ta see sae mony tings o' lambs livin' eftir a'.Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 242:
The thocht o't dumfoon'ers me.Abd. 1991 Douglas Kynoch in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 87:
Twas aye afore her lads, dumfoonert at it aa,
The prood an sonsie jaud wad daat on's maist ava.
The times my face has felt the smoorichs o her moo! Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 7:
Davie Donald wis fair dumfounert. His een glowered that hard at the wee boolie, they near drappit ooto his heid.
"Ye spakk!" skirled he, clean bumbazed.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 74:
The trees hae tongues,
birds gree, e'en the spuggies harmonise. We stand
dumfoonert afore oor ain unco creation,
the new onset o the Scottish nation. Fif. 1894 J. W. M'Laren Tibbie and Tam 127:
Benjie, dumfounner't, forgot whaur he was.Bwk. 1947 W. L. Ferguson Makar's Medley 36:
I loup't intil the gig and lookit, Dumbfoonert, on the deid mon's face.wm.Sc. 1868 Laird of Logan 421:
Besides this, I was so often dumfoonered with the vessel taking frae side to side.Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 143:
[They] maist dumfunert the feelings o' droll Will Dunbar.Gall. 1928 Gallov. Annual 45:
Back sped the weary curlers, yet nane daured venture on, But glowered an' gaped dumbfoon'ered, till up spak' a Morrison.

Hence dumfoonering, ppl.adj., confusing, bewildering.Sc. 1991 John McDonald in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 91:
close-mooths yeuky wi the unkent;
fain tae drap their gett -
a drucken stramash, or a steive corp.
Nou braks the incaain o a trumpet:
shenachy; warlock, wabbin frae's ain sowl
the dumfounerin sang.
Gangrel in a caller airtAyr. 1891 H. Johnston Kilmallie vii.:
It's juist as weel ye should ken what to expect beforehand — for a proposal is a most dumfoonering thing.