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.
TOVE, v.1, n.1 Also toave; toove; †tuive; and freq. or emphatic forms ¶tovie, touize. [to:v]
I. v. 1. tr. To emit (smoke or flames), of a fire, etc. (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Bwk., Rxb. 1972); intr. of smoke: to issue in a cloud, to billow out, to rise in the air (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1942 Zai); also with at, to smoke, puff (a pipe, etc.) (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1972); of a fire: to burn or blaze up (Watson), hence adj. tovy, increasing in smoke and flame (Ib.), steaming, .fig. emitting warmth and comfort (Fif., Lth., Slk. 1825 Jam.).Rxb. 1805 A. Scott Poems 35:
The luntain cutty toving prime.Slk. 1824 Hogg Shep. Cal. (1874) xii.:
The auld Tod toving out tobacco-reek like a moorburn.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie iii.:
Gudewife, see if ye can mak us a wee drap tovy warm stuff.Fif. 1883 W. D. Latto Bodkin Papers 34:
Tovin' awa at a cigar.Kcb. 1897 A. J. Armstrong Robbie Rankine 3:
He was tooving awa' at his cutty.Sc. 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ iii. xlix.:
The lowe toves-na withoot reek.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 22:
The reek toavd up throwe the lum.
2. Transf.: to rise into the air, in gen., to spiral upwards, to soar; to move at speed, hurry along, puff on (Bwk. 1972).Slk. 1814 Hogg Queen's Wake 84–5:
That burd . . . tovit to the aire again.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 245:
The drone of the bumbee toving to the air wi' its lade o' hinney.
3. intr. To issue in a dense mass, to swarm or stream out.Rxb. 1871 H. S. Riddell Poet. Wks. I. 218:
They tove abroad by hill and glen.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 22:
The peip bursteet, an the waeter toavd oot leike a fluid. The mill-yins war toavin oot for the mael-oor.Bwk. 1951:
The folk's tovin up frae the shore.Slk. 1985 Walter Elliot Clash-ma-clavers 5:
"Look
owre an ye'll see, as plain as kin be
The deid
risin oot o their graves".
They toved oot the lot,
what a gliff that they got ...
4. tr. and intr.: to (cause to) swell or rise, as dough or yeast, to puff up (Rxb. 1825 Jam., ‡1923 Watson W.-B., tuive). Ppl.adj. tovin, swelling (Cld. 1880 Jam.).Cld. 1880 Jam.:
The heat toved it till it burst.
5. Fig., also with up: to puff up with flattery, to praise in a fulsome way, to raise one's expectations or self-esteem (Rnf. c.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) T.145, tovi up); to brag, boast (Cld. 1880 Jam.). Hence touie, tovie, boastful, esp. in drink, flown with liquor (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 451; Uls. 1990s), babbling, talking incoherently (Cld. 1880 Jam.).Ayr. 1821 MS. in Jam.2:
I am doons sweir to let my pen fa' without tovizing you a wee for the auld farrant letter whilk ye sent me.Kcb.4 1900:
He's tovie wi' drink the nicht, sayin' he cud thrash ony man i' the clachan.
II. n. 1. A smoke of a pipe, esp. one accompanied by a chat (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Kcb. 1897 A. J. Armstrong Robbie Rankine 8:
Geordie was puin' oot his tobacco box to licht up for a good-nicht toove.
2. A boaster, a braggart (Uls. 1920 J. Logan Uls. in X-Rays 76, 1931 Northern Whig (5 Dee.) 13). Cf. I. 5.
[Appar. an aphetic form of Stove, v., q.v., phs. by wrong division of he's, etc. stovin. There may have been some confusion under I. 5. with Tosie.]
