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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BEFF, BEFT, v. To strike, to beat [bɛf(t)]Abd. 1788 J. Skinner Christmass Bawing in Caled. Mag. (Sept.) 504:
Daft Davy Don wi' a derf dawr'd [push] Beft o'er the grave Divine On's bum that day.
Abd. 1873 P. Buchan Guidman o' Inglismill 31:
Or, gin ye win as far's In'rugie Brig, The kelpie there may beff ye ticht and trig.
Abd. 1877 W. Alexander North. Rural Life in 18th Cent. xxii.:
By a special act of wickedness he is speedily “beft” over backward.
s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell Psalms lxxxix. 23:
An' I wull beft doun his faes afore his fece.

[Seems to occur only in pa.t. and pa.p. in O.Sc.; O.North. beafton, pl. See D.O.S.T. E.D.D. gives beft, v., to beat, and beftin, vbl.n., for Cum. dial.]

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"Beff v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/beff_v>

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