Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1866-1996
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TOOSHT, n., v. Also ¶toosh (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.), toost. Dim. forms toos(h)tie, tooshtach, -tichie, ¶teestach (Bnff., Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C.); tooshlich(ie) (Bnff. 1972), tuschlich, tushloch. [tuʃt]
I. n. 1. A loose untidy bundle of rags, straw, or the like (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 194; ne.Sc. 1972); a small heap or cock of hay, grass, etc. (Id.); a small quantity of anything, esp. of a fibrous or granular nature. a bunch, tuft, wisp, truss, pinch (Gregor; Abd. 1897 Trans. Buchan Field Club IV. 81: Bnff., Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C., tooshtie, -tach. teestach; Mry., Bnff., Abd. 1972); transf. a diminutive person.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 75:
Ilky wee bit tuschlich o' a ruckie it he's thrashin'.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb vi.:
A' the toosht aboot oor toon'll mak' little odds.Abd. 1905 E.D.D.:
Gie's a tushloch o' yarn.Abd. 1924 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 55:
A "tooshlich" means a small quantity loosely contained, as "a wee tooshlichie o' sheelicks in a pyock."Bnff. 1929 Banffshire Jnl. (1 Oct.) 2:
Pickin' up a tooshlichie o' saut atween her thoom an' finger.Abd. 1946 J. C. Milne Orra Loon 6:
Little Jock Pom, a toosht o' a craitur.Bnff. 1956 Banffshire Jnl. (26 Feb.):
A roosty-reid fusker that stack oot o's face like tooshts o' teased towe.Abd. 1993:
Nae a toosht. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 13:
... a muckle chukken, mebbe ten times as big as Curra, wis lordin it ower the littlins happit wi nae mair than a tooshtie down.
2. Transf.: (1) a person, esp. a female, of untidy, dirty habits, a slattern (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 194; Bnff., Abd. 1972); (2) in a gen. pejorative sense: a nasty, unpleasant person (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.); also more reproachfully, of a child.Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C.:
Ye little tooshtach, ye!
3. A toss, a heave, a heavy dash. Cf. II. 1., but poss. confused with Doosht.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 194:
He ga' the bundle a toosht fae 'im.
II. v. 1. To rumple, handle carelessly, bundle or roll up in a careless hurried manner, freq. with about (Fif. c.1850 Peattie MS.: Ags. 1972).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 194:
She tooshit hir claes into the kist.
2. intr. To toss, roll or blow about, to be strewn about in a careless untidy manner; to dash hither and thither (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 194; Abd. 1972).Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxi.:
Lyin' tooshtin' aboot there till it's fooshtit.
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"Toosht n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/toosht>
