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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

OUTER, adj., v. Also outter-, ooter-; utter (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.), uter-. Sc. forms and usages. [′utər]

I. adj. 1. As in Eng., in derivs.: (1) oot(e)rin, outward, from without, phs. reduced form of outerhan(d), see Hand, I. 2.; (2) outerlin(g), the weakling of a brood of animals, fig. the black sheep of a family, a reprobate (Ork., w.Sc. 1887 Jam.); (3) ooterly, uterli, (i) outer, far out at sea (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1964); of the wind: blowing off-shore (Sh. 1964); (ii) from elsewhere, strange, in phr. outerly folk, strangers (Dmf. 1952); (4) ootermist, as superl.: (i) in the most outward position, furthest out; (ii) = Eng. uttermost (see etym. note).(2) Sc.(E) 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ i. xiii.:
An' thae wha cudna thole tempin becam outerlins an' fa'd awa.(3) Kcb. 1896 Crockett Grey Man xliv.:
An outerly wind might drive him to the coast of Ireland.Cai. 1940 John o' Groat Jnl. (26 Jan.):
An oame of frost . . . In old weather lore this rising vapour was a sure sign of an “ooterly” gale.(4) (i) Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 9:
I asked her fir a bag ta kerry da hen atil, bit shu said, “Man, tak her attween your haands, bit noteece it shu's aye lookin' i' your face da eft end ootermist.”

In Combs.: (1) outer-head, the piece of walling which supports the outer end of the axle of a mill-wheel; (2) Outer House, in Sc. Law: that part of the Court of Session in which cases of first instance are heard, so called from a.1579, being accommodated orig. in an outer part of the old Tolbooth of Edinburgh (see quots, and cf. Inner House s.v. Inner, I.).(1) Ags. 1795 Session Papers, Arbuthnott v. Scott (11 March) 267:
The water wall is the wall of the mill next to the wheel, and the outer-head is the building on the opposite side of the pot.(2) Sc. 1705 Analecta (Maidment 1837) II. 21:
My Lord Justice Clerk sat this day in the Outer-House, in order to his reception.Sc. 1779 H. Arnot Hist. Edb. 478:
In this court, there are a president and fourteen other judges. Each of the fourteen sits for a week alternately in the Outer House. The judge so sitting, is called the Lord Ordinary.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary ii.:
It's a weel-kenn'd plea — it's been four times in afore the Fifteen, and deil ony thing the wisest o' them could make o't, but just to send it out again to the outer-house.Sc. 1819 Lockhart Peter's Letters xxix.:
One enters by a low pair of folding-doors into what is called the Outer House, wherein all civil cases are tried, in the first instance, by individual Judges, or Lord Ordinaries, before being submitted to the ultimate decision either of the whole Bench, or of one of its great Divisions.Sc. 1958 Intro. Sc. Legal Hist. (Stair Soc.) 343:
The technical terms Inner House and Outer House are of great antiquity. Even before the establishment of the Court of Session there is a reference to the “Inner and Outer Tolbooth,” and in 1604, when the Court still met in the Tolbooth, an Act of Sederunt refers to the “Inner Hous” and the “Utter Hous”. After the Court occupied the Parliament House the “haill fifteen” or a quorum of them sat in an inner room, while the Judges detached for Outer House duties sat in alcoves of the Parliament Hall.

2. Outside, not from one's family or immediate circle.Abd. 1884 D. Grant Lays 61:
To ask for ooter help Wad argue want o' skeel.

3. Accustomed to living in the open air, hardy.Bnff. 1869 W. Knight Auld Yule 1:
While yonder drift wi' chokin' might, Wad garr'd the stievest outer wight Stand fair aghast.

4. = Eng. utter (Sc. 1764 Scots Mag. (April) 187). Superl. outtermost, uttermost. Also adv. utterly, extremely (Cai. 1971, outer owld).Sc. 1712 S.C. Misc. (1841) 204:
A proclamation is what we are urging for, which we resolve to presse for to the outtermost.e.Lth. 1896 J. Lumsden Battles Dunbar 3:
Sae then do ye! Upo' them fall — Ooter destruction mete the gang!

II. v. Of the wind: to blow in from the open sea, implying in many Sh. isles to back (Sh. 1964).