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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ODIOUS, adj., adv. Also odias. Used in Sc. as an intensive. Cf. Awfu', colloq. “terrible.”

I. adj. Very big, great, excessive, intense, out of the ordinary (Kcd. 1825 Jam.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Uls. 1953 Traynor; Sh. 1964); strange, wonderful; erroneous (Angus).Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 589:
Da rumple o' da steag wiz waadg'd up till a grett mukkle odias whyte stean . . . a odia [sic] floamie o' barkit skean benon apo da boddim.Wgt. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 128:
The Co of the Grennan in Kirkmaiden . . . used to be reckoned an odious bit for Fairies.Sh. 1892 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 244:
Fae I wis a knee height I'm aye hed a odious laekin' fir da lasses.Sh. 1933 J. Nicholson Hentilagets 15:
Da odious licht fadds slowly fae da sky.Sh. 1948 New Shetlander (Jan.–Feb.) 11:
Me nain weariness pat a odious sleep ipo me.

Hence odiously, in an extraordinary manner or degree, very much.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 47:
Lord bliss de fir da sid o' tea, fir it's revived me odiously.

II. adv. Very, exceedingly (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.; Sh., Uls. 1964).Wgt. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 129:
Im'nt I maist odious splendid?Sh. 1898 W. F. Clark Northern Gleams 90:
He haed been in Lerrouk mony a time, an' laekid da place odious weel.Kcb. 1911 G. M. Gordon Clay Biggin' 51:
An odious fine couple they are tae . . . juist horrid kind folk an' real gentry a' ower.Sh.¹³ 1957:
Shö wis most odious bonnie.