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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rus(e, Ruis, n.¹ Also: ruys, ruiss(e, rwise, ruce; reuse. [ME and obs. e.m.E. ros (Orm), roos (Cursor M.), also rous (Manning), ON hrós.]Common in the phr. to mak … ruse (of a person, his doings, etc.), also const. clause object.

1. Boastfulness; boasting; bragging; an instance of this, a boast or brag.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 10462.
But ony thinking of velany, … Of lytill ruse, wicht and hardy a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 98.
Bot thow mend hym that mys … Thow sall rew in thi ruse c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 431.
Quhat berne … forgeit is maist forcely to furnyse a bancat In Venus chalmir valȝeandly withoutin vane ruse 1513 Doug. ix iii 134.
All syk vayn ruys I feir as thing of nocht 1535 Stewart 57233.
With vther men wald thow commendit be Leif vant and ruse a1538 Abell 2*a.
Adulteraris rus deceptyf is(2) 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 50.
Sum makkis a tvme ruys 1535 Stewart 5172.
Ȝe mak ruis far mair nor ȝe haif caus Ib. 51635.
Ane freir … of hurdome ay makand vant and ruse 1560–1 St. A. Kirk S. 69.
James Alexander oppynlie … mayd his rus that [etc.] 1570 Sempill Sat. P. xii 17.
I dar weill mak this ruse: Rang nocht his maik sen buryit was the Bruse a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 310/43.
At lenth thairof ȝe sall mak litill ruse 1558-66 Knox I 242.
Few maid ruse at thare returnyng 1596 Dalr. II 242/18.
Johne Moydert … maid meikle ruse that he him selfe was the cheif of Makdonelis kynd a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1159.
Man of thy manhede mak thow na ruse

b. Cause for boasting; ? glory. ?a1400 Inscription in Jamieson s.v. Ruse.
At Bannockburn I serv'd the Bruce, Of quhilk the Inglis had na rus

2. Praise; commendation.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xli 114.
Quhat man it wes … that Agnes the ruse of mad 1460 Hay Alex. 5360.
For reuse he maid of Alexander the king c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. v 11 marg.
We mak our rwise off him that he is ouris, and we his 1535 Stewart 57700.
I heir ȝow produce Sic … vant of manlines and ruce Of ȝour natioun so worthelie hes previt … And litill rus ȝe mak of ws agane 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2960 (Ch.).
His successours maks litill ruisse … Of his devotioun 1600-1610 Melvill 264.
Jan Gomes … maid grait rus of Scotland to his king 1631 Red Bk. Menteith II 136.
It may be he sal not mak greit ruse of it quhen he hes gotten it c1700 Pennecuik Poems 393.
When I sell I will make ruiss Of that whilk is not worth a plack(2) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1241.
All erdly riches and ruse is noght in thair garde