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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FAUSE, adj., n., v. Also fa(a)s(e), ¶fausse. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. false. See P.L.D. § 78. Hence †faucity, falsity (Sc. 1806 R. Jamieson Pop. Ballads II. 238), fausehood, fauselie (-ly), fauseness.

I. adj.

Sc. form of Eng. false. Sc. 1721 Allan Ramsay The Works of Allan Ramsay Vol. I (1944-5) 18:
She ne'er gae in a Lawin fause,
Nor Stoups a Froath aboon the Hause,Ayr. 1791 Robert Burns Poems and Songs (1969) 457:
And my fause Luver staw my roseEdb. 1994 Douglas McKenzie in James Roberston A Tongue in Yer Heid 12:
"Cunt!" His fause teeth flew oot his mooth an clattered against the wa.Dundee 2000 Matthew Fitt But n Ben A-Go-Go 60:
Paolo's heid stotted against the windae. His elba sliddered aff the vinyl bink an he rowed unner the fause redwidd table.ne.Sc. 2003 Press and Journal 22 Sep 12:
An fit aboot the decline o the sales o the Big Issue? Thirty sellers fin oot that their income's doon bi a third efter the hoo-haa o the fause beggars on the streets.ne.Sc. 2003 Press and Journal 6 Oct 12:
Pit on a fause accent an the business billies will seen see throwe ye, bit jist use yer ain naitural tongue an ere's nae problem wi the birlin North-east wirdies. Be honest wi yersel an ye'll warsle throwe nae bother.

Sc. usages:

1. Addicted to insincere flattery, cajoling (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., faas; Sh.¹⁰ 1950).

2. In combs.: (a) false band, an imperfect bond in a drystone dyke; (b) fause craws' nest, a witches' broom or dense tuft of twigs on tree branches attacked by fungus; (c) fause-face, (i) a mask. Gen.Sc.; (ii) Make-up. (d) fause-hoose, a conical structure of wooden props built inside a corn stack to facilitate drying (Kcd. 1813 G. Robertson Agric. Kcd. 265; Bnff.², Abd.², Ags.¹⁷, Fif.¹³, Arg.¹, Lnk.¹¹, Kcb.¹⁰, Dmf. 1945). Cf. Boss, n.(a) Dmf. 1812 R. Singer Agric. Dmf. 150:
The builder [of Galloway dykes] may hasten his work so as not to found it well, nor pack it sufficiently, to put in what are called false bands, and neither to dress nor to place the stones with sufficient care.(b) Crm. 1854 H. Miller Schools iii.:
Vegetable monstrosities of the commoner kind, such as “fause craws' nests,” and flattened twigs of pine.(c) (i) Sc. 1821 Blackwood's Mag. (Dec.) 692:
Young men and boys . . . in antic habiliments and masks (called fause-faces).Slg. 1827 W. Hone Everyday Book II. 18:
The grand affair among the boys in the town [Falkirk] is to provide themselves with fausse faces or masks; and those with crooked horns and beards are in greatest demand. A high paper cap, with one of their great-grandfather's antique coats, then equips them as a guisard — they thus go about the shops seeking their hogmenay.Hdg. 1896 J. Lumsden Battle of Dunbar 46:
Fause-faces on, and sarks they don Abune their coats an' breeks.(ii)Sc. 1997 Herald 5 Apr 16:
Not all women take the view of the Aberdeen landlady who chanced upon my wife putting on her make-up in a bed & breakfast which was adorned with fearsome texts from the Old Testament. "Is that you pittin' on your fause face, then?" she remarked with disdain. In Aberdeen perhaps, hatchet-faced harridans might glare, but in France and Italy a woman would think twice before going out without her make-up.Edb. 2005:
Ah'll pit ma fause face oan afore Ah goe tae the pictures.(d) Ayr. 1786 Burns Halloween vi.:
Her tap-pickle maist was lost When kiutlin in the fause-house Wi' him that night.Gall. 1924 Scots Mag. (Nov.) 100:
Squeekin' like rats frae a fause hoose.

†II. n. = Fause-face. See I. 2. (c) above.Fif. 1898 “S. Tytler” Mrs Carmichael's Goddesses vii.:
Faith! she was right, only I should have had a fause to keep off remonstrating friends.

III. v. To flatter insincerely (Sh.¹¹ 1953). Sometimes with up. Of a dog, to fawn.Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 63:
Da same as tunder wis his growl, He widna faase aboot a sowl.Sh.¹² 1950:
He was faasin him up.