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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

GOOLD, n. Also gould, ¶guild. Sc. forms of Eng. gold (Rs. c.1912; Rxb. 1942 Zai 50; ‡Cai. 1954). Also used attrib. and adj. [gu:ld]Sc. 1783 Hist. Old Robin Gray 46:
Sure gould is a cursed Thing, of Love it is tne Bane.Sc. 1829 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1863) II. 276:
May your goold watch keep tick-tickin throughout the night.Rs. 1854 H. Miller Schools (1858) xvii.:
It was gold he [tinker] said, or, as he pronounced the word, “guild,” which had been found in an old cairn.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xlvi.:
His nain maister says he wudna pairt wi' 'im for goold.Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) App. 372:
Wee bits o' goold, like midge's lug, For days they frae the quartz-san' dug.Knr. 1925 “H. Haliburton” Horace 100:
An' wi' his character in goold Engraven on the back o't.Cai. 1928 John o' Groat Jnl. (10 Feb.):
Losh, boy, jist look at 'is gould-gilt tickad an' gould letterin'.s.Sc. 1933 Border Mag. (Sept.) 143:
An Ishmael maid was she, Wi' goold ring ear-draps braw.

Hence goolden, golden.Ayr. 1826 Galt Lairds xxxi.:
And there's that goolden image o' Nebuchadnedzor.Kcb. 1861 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. i. 30:
Raphael sings an' Gabriel strikes his goolden harp.s.Sc. 1935 Border Mag. (Sept.) 134:
When the willow's weepin' goolden rain An' the elm's a goolden feather.

Combs. & Phr.: 1. goold granny, the golden or tortoise-shell ladybird (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); cf. Gooldie, n., 2.; 2. goold guesses, charades (Ib.); 3. goold i' gowpens, ample or abundant wealth (Ib.; Rxb. 1954); 4. goold(s)pink, the goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis (Sc. 1885 Swainson Brit. Birds 58; Bwk. 1889 G. Muirhead Birds Bwk. I. 148; Uls.² 1929, gooldpink); cf. Gooldie, n., 1.; 5. gooldspring, id. (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Dwn. 1909 North. Whig); cf. Gowdspink, gowdspring.