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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GUIDWILL, n. Also gude-, gweed-, gueed, -wull. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. goodwill. [For phonetics, see Guid; ′wɪl.]

1. As in Eng. = heartiness, zeal. Hence guid-willed, adj., zealous (Sh. 1955).Sc. 1803 Scott Minstrelsy III. 360:
I aft do wark Gudewillit, quhan I please.Abd. 1875 G. Macdonald Malcolm xxiii.:
Ilk ane duin' its bonny pairt to mak a man a richt-hertit guid-willed sodger!

†2. = Consent, in phr. to speir the guidwull, see quot.Sc. 1874 A. Hislop Sc. Anecdotes (1888) 718:
“Speiring the guidwull.” This was when the intended son-in-law, accompanied by a friend, went to the residence of the girl's parents and . . . sought their consent to his union with their daughter.

†3. A gratuity (Abd. 1825 Jam., gueedwill); a perquisite; “the proportion of meal, ground at a mill, which is due to the under-miller” (Rxb. Ib.). Cf. Knaveship, Lock.

4. Derivs.: (1) guidwillie, -y, adj., (a) kindly, hearty, cordial, generous, open-handed (Bnff.⁷, Abd.⁷ 1925, gweed-wullie; ne.Sc., Fif., m.Lth., Bwk. 1955); (b) ready, willing; (2) geed-willied, id. (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.); (3) gudewillieness, n., kindliness.(1) (a) Ayr. 1788 Burns Auld Lang Syne v.:
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught For auld lang syne!Mearns 1822 G. Menzies Poems (1854) 197:
But Bessy, aye frank an' gude-willy, Explain'd a' the matter in brief.Abd. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood 47:
Like Maggie Findlater, terrible goodwillie to yer face an' despisin' the hale rick-ma-tick o' her fowk ahin their backs.Bnff. 1953 Banffshire Jnl. (8 Sept.):
Fine thrivin' ferms an' a gran' class o' richt freenly an' gweedwillie fowk.(b) Abd. 1839 A. Walker De'il at Baldarroch 14:
The goodman an' the gaudsman billy, To follow them war richt good willy.(3) Bnff. 1869 W. Knight Auld Yule 21:
Oh, leeze me on Gudewilli'ness, Wha wears the kindly beamin' face, And lightens up the mirkest place Wi' rays o' love.