Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tidy, Tydy, -i(e, adj. Also: tyde, tyddy, -ie, tithy, teadie, tid, te(i)d, tayd. [ME and e.m.E. tidi (c1250), tidy, tidde (both c1350), tydy (c1475); Tid(e n. Also in the later dial.] Of cattle. a. specif. Of cows: Producing a calf every year, hence, in calf and producing milk. Cf. Fer(r)ow cow n.(a) 1478 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 471.
Gudis quhilkis nov ar pasturyt … in the nether Galobery xxiiij ky tydy 1483–4 Acta Aud. *134/2.
ix tidy ky & ix thre ȝere auld[is] 1545 Eglinton Muniments GD 3/2358 in Sanderson Rural Soc. 22.
Fyfe tyde ky, ane ferrow kow and twa yield ky 1553 Pont Cunningham App. 178.
The ane half of the said ky tydy and the uther half forrow 1564 Colquhoun Chart. II 342.
Fyftie foure tydie ky, … thrie score ten ȝeild ky 1566 Marriage Contract in Argyll Mun. 11 Dec.
Thre scoir of merkis for … payment … of tocher geir … & in cais that the said mony be nocht payt … the gret kow ȝeild or tyde that hais borne calf for fouir merkis 1568 Waus Corr. 41.
Fowr forro ky … fowr tydy ky … four yeild ky 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. (MC) 10.
Ane kow gevin be him … to Jonet Baxtare, as tyde for the first calf and milk … and therfore is decernit to delyver to hir ane tyde kow and to satisfe hir for the proffett of calf and milk therof 1597 Reg. Privy C. V 398.
[Three] tydie ky 1638 Justiciary Cases I 288.
Fyve tydie ky with calff 1657 Boyd Fam. P. No. 235 (7 Dec.).
With thrie tydie ky ane newcall kow 1659 Rothesay Par. Rec. 14.
Ilk tydie kow shall pay of teind 6 s.(b) 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I 28b.
Foure tyddy ky 1676 Corshill Baron Ct. 133.
In selling to him ane yeer in place of ane tyddie cow(c) 1493 Acta Conc. I 300/1.
The mylk of thre tithy ky(d) a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 69.
A nuckle kow or a teadie kowe is a kowe that is yssen'd or gives milk everie year a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 68.
A nuckle kowe is a kow that is new calv'd and gives milk, a forrow kowe is a kow that gives milk but it is long since shoe calv'd, swa that shoe has a stirk a yeir old following her. A teadie kowe is [gap in MS](e) 1565 Kinnaird Farm Bk. 34, 35.
Ted ky … teid ky 1588 Kinnaird Farm Bk. 70.
Of ted ky xxxvij 1593 Kinnaird Farm Bk. 100b.
Tayd ky 1624 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I 122b.
Sex tid kyne tua outȝok oxin tua wark hors

b. Of oxen and bullocks as well as cows: In good condition, pleasing to the eye, fat. Chiefly in Doug. 1513 Doug. iii iv 23.
Oxin … Fat and tydy 1513 Doug. v ii 106.
Fyve twyntyrris brytnyt he as was the gys And alsmony swyne and tydy quyis 1513 Doug. ix x 89.
A ȝoung bullok … The best salbe full tydy, tryg, and wight 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 185.
Litill lammys Full tayt and tryg … Tydy ky lowys, veilys by thame rynnis 1522 Acta Conc. MS XXXIII 7b.
xxiiij^c ky and oxin tydy gudis price of the pece … xxx s. 1533 Bell. Livy I 22/20.
Tydy kye of maist plesand bewtie 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1980 (B).
Thre ky that was baith fatt and fair, Nane tydiar 1644 Shetland Witch Trial in Hibbert Shetland Islands (1822) 596.
Ane black cow … fat and tydie