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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ONDING, n., v. Also ondin'. [′ondɪŋ]

I. n. 1. A heavy, continuous fall of rain or snow, a downpour (Abd. 1836 J. Grant Tales (1869) 129; Mry. 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. 95; ne.Sc., em.Sc. (a), Ayr., Wgt., s.Sc. 1964). ¶Also attrib. with snaw (Dmf. 1902 A. E. Maxwell Lilts 56). Cf. ding-on s.v. Ding, II. 2.Abd. 1774 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' xix.:
Rain we'll hae, Or on-ding o' some kind at least.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
Onding's better than black weet, i.e., Snow is to be preferred to rain.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian viii.:
“Look out, Jock; what kind o' night is't?” “On-ding o' snaw, father.”Ags. 1889 Barrie W. in Thrums xv.:
If the on-ding still continued, clods of earth toppled from the garden dyke into the ditch.Kcb. 1899 Crockett Kit Kennedy l.:
Snaw, an onding o' snaw.Lnk. 1919 G. Rae Clyde and Tweed 47:
Life canna aye be yae onding o' snaw.Abd. 1958 Abd. Ev. Express (2 Aug.):
The “on-ding” of last week-end and the floods that followed.m.Sc. 1979 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 79:
There had been some gey ondings o rain in the weeks afore, and the Cluchar Watter wis aa swallt, wi dubby, orra floodwatters. Ags. 1990s:
A fell onding o renn: a heavy shower. em.Sc.(a) 1991 Kate Armstrong in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 110:
Frae muckle warld tae muckle warld, bairnie tae mither,
spicket tae seiver, onding tae quernstane, Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 22:
Aye the onding, aye the clorty dubs.
I' the howe o Ythan wik efter weary wik
The stooks steed tasht an water-loggit. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 3:
... an kent them as friens an neebors throw blin-drift, birsslin het an the on-ding o drookin thunnerplowts, frae bairn tae halflin, tae bodach an back again.

2. Fig. An assault, attack, onset, outburst, of noise, talk, etc.Kcb. 1893 Crockett Raiders iv.:
The on-ding of their ill tongues.Edb. 1916 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's xvi. 14:
The anger o' a king is like the on-ding o' daith itsel.Edb. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 7:
At streek o' day, ae canty Spring, Tam wauken'd to the birds' onding.Gall. 1932 A. McCormick Galloway 77:
As he cam' forrit he cried, “What's a' that dreadfu' ondin' in the lum?”Sc. 1999 J. Derrick McClure in Moira Burgess and Donny O'Rourke New Writing Scotland 17: Friends and Kangaroos 79:
Ye gied a gurly onding
an the stoun o mony a pynin,
wormit tae my spreit
an glory's skaithfu shinin.

II. v. 1. To rain or snow heavily (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 228). Vbl.n., ppl.adj. ondingin(g).Sc. 1825 Jam.:
There'll be a heap o' ondingin.Abd. 1869 G. Gall MS. Diary (11 Jan.):
Very cold and thick: I am sure we will have ondinging.Abd. 1893 G. Macdonald Heather & Snow xxii.:
Throu the ondingin flauchter o' the snaw.Lnk. 1919 G. Rae Clyde and Tweed Dedic.:
Yestreen, when wild ondingin' O' snaw swept up Tweedsmuir.

2. Fig. As vbl.n., = n., 2.Mry. 1828 J. Ruddiman Tales 68:
The cauld glaff of that ondinging [of a sermon] has not left my inward parts to this blessed hour.Lnk. 1923 G. Rae 'Mang Lowland Hills 58:
Fruid folks are bien, they kenna' the toons ondingin'.