Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BUMBEE, n. The bumble-bee, humble-bee. Gen.Sc. [′bʌm′bi]Sc. 1718 Ramsay Chr. Kirke iii. xix. in Poems (1721):
The Wives and Gytlings a' span'd out O'er Middings, and o'er Dykes, Wi' mony an unco Skirl and Shout, Like Bumbees frae their Bykes.m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 90:
... he sprachles lik a bumbee thro the air
an gets a chairge o leidshot in his dowp.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 91:
Eagles dinna spread their feathers Huntin for bum-bees.Gsw. 1987 Peter Mason C'mon Geeze Yer Patter! 85:
There's a bum-bee's nest at the fitty oor gairden. There's a bumble bee's nest at the bottom of our garden.Uls. c.1920 J. Logan Ulster in the X-rays (2nd ed.) vii.:
Yin wee lad . . . went happin' aboot through the hoose like a bum-bee, wi' a wee black bag in his haun.
Phr.: as plain as bumbees, very clearly.Arg. 1917 A. W. Blue Quay Head Tryst 116:
Juist apply the five main points an' oot comes the whole scheme o' the thoosan' years as plain as bumbees.
Combs.: (1) bumbee-byke, “a nest of humble bees” (Sc. 1825 Jam.2; Bnff.2 1937); see also Byke; (2) bumbee wark, “nonsense” (Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.).
[Bum, v.1, 1, + bee. The first appearance of bumbee (but in sense of bum-bailiff) is 1653 in Urquhart's Rabelais II. xi.: The Swissers, who had assembled themselves to the full number of the bumbees, and myrmidons. Not given in D.O.S.T., but bumbart, with the same meaning, is given.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Bumbee n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/bumbee>
