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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HEED, v. Also in erron. anglicised spelling †head. To take notice of, pay attention to, mind, care. Also with aboot, for, tae. Gen. with neg., e.g. in phr. never heed, don't bother, never mind. Gen.Sc. Now chiefly liter. in Eng. Ppl.adj. heedin, careful, attentive, vigilant.Wgt. 1725 Session Bk. Glasserton MS. (5 Sept.):
She said to him it wold bring sin and shame upon them what they were doing, to which he answered, Never head that.Sc. 1823 J. G. Lockhart Reg. Dalton III. viii. iii.:
You and Ellen maun learn to keep better hours wi' your walks — but never heed, never heed — come your ways down again directly.Lnk. 1827 J. Watt Poems ii.:
The Police chaps are nae that heedin', Or 'gainst sic tricks they'd been proceedin'.Abd. 1836 J. Grant Tales (1869) 57:
He stude quiet, and never heedit, till I gaed to pit on the halter.m.Lth. 1858 Dark Night 215:
I see ye're no heedin' about bein' seen [i.e. caring to be seen].Edb. 1884 R. F. Hardy Glenairlie xii.:
Sirs me! whae wad heed for this wersh kin' o' brose?Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 148:
I think I'm no muckle heeded in this hoose.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick iv.:
Ye think ye'll be upsides wi' your Auntie Bell, an' that's a' ye're heedin aboot.Gsw. 1902 J. J. Bell Wee Macgreegor i.:
Never heed, Macgreegor! Ye'll be a man afore yer mither.Kcd. 1934 L. G. Gibbon Grey Granite 257:
They left all that to heed to itself.Arg. 1952 N. Mitchison Lobsters on the Agenda iii.:
“He preached against it,” said Fred. “Me, I'm from Balana, I wasna heeding. But the rest were.”