Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HIT, pron. Also hid (Ork., Cai. 1957); hut; het; hedt (Ork. 1825 Jam.). See also It, pron. [Sc. hɪt; ɪ.Sc., Cai. + hɪd; Mry., Per., Lth., Arg. + hʌt]

1. It, gen. in emphatic position (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.). Gen.Sc. Hence hitsel, hidsel (Cai.⁷ 1949), itself.Edb. 1798 D. Crawford Poems 53:
The vera sight o' hit They douna dree.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 191:
The butcher swearing through his teeth for his knife, wi' hit in his mouth a' the while.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 1:
I wad try a tullye for hid gin I tought I could get hid bae fechtin' for hid.Abd. 1882 G. Macdonald Castle Warlock vii.:
It was easy to think he micht hae been ance at last ower sair owertaen to win hame. But that wisna hit.Fif. 1896 D. S. Meldrum Grey Mantle 246:
He's just his money. He cudna tak' hit wi' 'm, an' it couldna buiry 'm noo that he's left it.Sh. 1898 “Junda” Klingrahool 6:
Dey wir no a flooer bit hitsel ta be seen In aa da wide yard sae bare.Mry. 1898 J. Slater Seaside Idylls 42:
Punctuated each unsuccessful attempt with a shake of his head and the remark, “Na, that's nae hut.”Gsw. 1927 J. H. Bone The Crystal Set 16:
That's the valve, hit's the thing that does a' the wark. Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie in Neil R. MacCallum Lallans 51 (1998) 5:
"A'm kindowey i the same boat mesel. If hid wisno for ee thing mair than anither I wad come wae thee. ... " Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 9:
an wi a glower o pure smeddum
blooters hit richt
back intil
the thrawn, raivelt, maikless gemm

2. Used impers. in place of there. See It.Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 68:
Aet an' fou you, for hid's plenty more i' the press.

3. Applied pred. to the player in children's games whose task it is to catch, touch, etc. the others (Lth. 1825 Jam.). Gen.Sc., rare in ne. See It.Arg.¹ 1933:
“You're hut noo:” “No, I'm no hut: he's hut: I wuz hut last.”Edb. 1952 Edb. Ev. News (9 July):
An ordinary can . . . was kicked as far as a boyish foot could send it, and it had to be retrieved by the victim who was “het”.