Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1815-1821, 1881-1894, 1978-2000
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BUY, v. As in St.Eng. buy. Also beh (Dundee). Pa.t., pa.p. bocht, boucht (Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915-26 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Sh. 1952 Robertson & Graham Sh. Dial. 32; I., n., m.Sc. 1975), bowcht (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S., Rxb. 1942 Zai); bowt (Ork. 1936 Scots Mag. (Dec.) 224, 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 10; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai); boat [bɔxt; Ork., s.Sc. bʌu(x)t; ne. coast and s.Sc. buxt ; bot] Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 95:
'He's got a good wage. How much did ye spend on that hoose ye bocht, boy?'Abd. 1821 T. L. Morrison Murmurings frae Ury 14:
I've been upon the placie noo for fifteen years an' mair, An' weel I min' the day ye boucht me up in Lowrin Fair.Abd. 1981 Christina Forbes Middleton The Dance in the Village 36:
I saved up ma money an' bocht a new frock
In the bonniest shade o' blue. Abd. 1985 Robbie Kydd in Alexander Scott New Writing Scotland 3 42:
'Ye bocht that,' he asks.m.Sc. 1994 Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay Forever Yours, Marie-Lou 13:
MARIE-LOUISE They wur oot ae the smoothy kind, Leopold, so ...
LEOPOLD (Hitting the table with his fist) Yuv boat crunchy again! em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 19:
"Aw ye that tae Auld Hornie swure,
Gleg for yer erles when he wud fee;
Hou weill it sers ye nou tae fin
Ye're bocht for aw eternity. ... " Dundee 1990 Sheila Stephen in Joy Hendry Chapman 60 52:
" ... Ye ken the type - probly bides in Brochty Ferry an' behs her claze in Markies." Ina shook her head.Fif. 1894 J. W. M'Laren Tibbie and Tam 27:
This reminds me that bocht wit's the best, if no ower dear.
Comb.: bought hoose; Also bo't hoose, boat hoose, bought house. A house which one lives in and owns.Gsw. 1978 Edith Little When Sixpence was a Fortune 26:
"Oor Margaret," she stated "has got on great, her man's doin' weel, an' they've got a bo't hoose." This was translated by Maggie's relations in England as "Margaret's daughter lives in a boat house...."Gsw. 1988 Michael Munro The Patter Another Blast 9:
bought A bought house is the local term for one that is privately owned rather than rented: 'Aye, movin doon south wis the best thing they ever done - they stay in a bought hoose noo, ye know.'Rnf. 1993 History on Your Doorstep, The Reminiscences of the Ferguslie Elderly Forum 14:
My first house, it was a bought house, and it was only £200 for a room and kitchen.Sc. 2000 Herald 29 Feb 17:
North Ayrshire Council has agreed to rename a street in a private housing development (that's boat hooses, by the way) in Ardrossan.
Phrs. (1) to buy a broom, to take out a warrant; (2) to buy intae a hoose, to cater for a household; (3) to buy aboot (oneself), to give offence so as to invite retaliation (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.).(1) Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. (1817) xxviii.:
The people got rusty about it . . . and they had bought so many brooms.(2) Lnk. 1881 A. Wardrop J. Mathison's Courtship, etc. 26:
What div they [husbands] ken aboot buying intae a hoose?
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"Buy v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/buy>
