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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HUP, int., v., n. Also hupp, houp; hipp, hibb (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Cf. Hap. int., v.³ [hʌp]

I. int. A call to a horse in harness: 1. to turn to the right or off side (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Cai. 1907 County Cai. (Horne) 75; Mry.¹ 1925; Rs. 1929; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein 70). Gen.(exc. ne.)Sc.; 2. to increase speed, gee up! (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Uls. 1953 Traynor; Ork., ne.Sc. 1957).1. Ags. 1822 Caled. Mag. & Review I. 399:
I heard the words or rather sounds of "Houp-tproo-wynd!" croaked repeatedly to the fourfooted servant.s.Sc. 1856 N. & Q. (Ser. 2) I. 395:
To go from you, Hup is used in the southern and haud aff in the northern counties; while in the towns haap and wynd are used.2. Sc. 1825 Aberdeen Censor 214:
“Ayont the brig wi' ye! hipp, Dobbin!” A tremendous noise of whip-cracking and castigation immediately followed at my horse's tail.Sc. 1859 J. Brown Rab and his Friends 18:
“Hupp!” and a stroke of the whip were given to Jess.Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters i.:
“Hup horse, hup then!” cried courageous Peter.Knr. 1905 H. Haliburton Excursions 8:
“Lift that bairn frae the horse's head,” cried Johnnie; “clk! clk! h'up, Danger!”wm.Sc. 1949 Scots Mag. (May) 132:
“He'll never get a load o' corn doon that brae withoot he's at the heid.” “Ay, he's haudin'. Hah! Hup, mon!”

Combs.: (1) hup aff, hupauv, go to the right! (‡Bch. 1919 T.S.D.C. III., hupauv; Uls.³ 1930; Cai., Lnk., sm.Sc. 1957); (2) hup back, come back, bearing right (Ayr.⁴ 1928; Cai., m.Lth., wm.Sc., Dmf. 1957): (3) wo-hup, slow down and bear right (Cai.. Edb., wm.Sc., Rxb. 1957).(1) Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iv.:
“Hup aaf.” Jock would cry to his team probably more from habit than for any other reason. “Wish, wish, wish aaf than.”

II. v. Of a horse in harness: to go to the right. Gen.(exc. ne.)Sc.; of the driver: to call to a horse to go to the right (Ib.), or to go forward at a quicker pace (ne.Sc. 1957).Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's W. xvii.:
Hupping and geeing to the cart.Edb. 1856 J. Ballantine Poems 114:
The wind it blew bleak, and John Tamson awoke, An' he hyted, he huppit — in vain, O!Kcb. c.1865 R. M'George Poems (1877) 115:
Then after that I'll win' an' hup.Sc. 1889 H. Stephens Bk. Farm I. 109:
It is ploughed by going round the feering . . . by always hupping the horses.ne.Sc. 1909 G. Greig Folk-Song iv. 1:
And, a' that I could hup and crack, They widna rise at yokin' time.

Phr.: 1. in a hup-hover, in a dilemma, undecided (Ork. 1929 Marw.); 2. neither to hup nor wynd, — gee, — hie (Cai., m.Lth.), to move neither to right nor left on command, to prove unmanageable (Lnk., sm.Sc., Rxb. 1957), to refuse to comply with another's wishes, to be obstinate.2. Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxiii.:
A feckless loon o' a Straven weaver . . . had catched twa dragoon naigs, and he could neither gar them hup nor wind, sae he took a gowd noble for them baith.Rnf. 1862 A. McGilvray Poems 176:
That tho' to jingling verse inclin'd, My muse will neither hup nor wind.Lnk.¹ 1930:
He wid naither hup nor gee for a' we telt him.

III. n. A call of hup. Bnff. 1901 Banffshire Jnl. (12 Feb.):
An' mony a hup, an' mony a ban, Got cairt an' horse an' lazy man.