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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PAUCHTIE, adj., adv. Also -y, paughty, -ie; pachty, -ie. [′pǫxte, ′pɑx-]

I. adj. 1. Supercilious, conceited, haughty, arrogant, insolent, saucy; self-important, consequential (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 229; Kcb. 1900; Abd. 1925; Kcb. 1965). Hence pauchtily, -ie, superciliously, in a conceited or impertinent manner, pauchtiness, arrogance, conceit, pomposity.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 214:
O mayst thou doat on some fair paughty Wench, That ne'er will lout thy lowan Drouth to quench.Sc. 1757 Smollett Reprisal ii. i.:
Champ. . . . You be one impertinent. Mael. What, what! that's a paughty word, sir.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 178:
Paughty damsels bred at courts.Ayr. 1786 Burns Dream xii.:
As ye disown yon paughty dog That bears the keys of Peter.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
A pauchty answer, a saucy reply.Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Poems 150:
He's but a paughty sullen guide.Sc. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xxvi.:
The disgust which the paughty Hieland varlet had always shown for my honest trade.m.Sc. 1838 A. Rodger Poems 313:
Yet see, we can rank wi' the best i' the town, Though our noddles we never too paughtily carried.Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 22:
In thae days there was na sae mony gecks, an' braws, an' pachty, disdainfu' bodies.Sc. 1864 M. Oliphant Katie Stewart ii.:
If we had had a king and queen o' our ain and no thae paughty Germans.m.Lth. 1897 P. H. Hunter J. Armiger's Revenge v.:
Ye can see by the way she hauds her heid that she's no'the ane to let hersel' gang cheap. She's a pauchty dame, yon!Abd. 1906 Banffshire Jnl. (26 June):
Pauchty, prood nor prim folk.Sc. 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ i. xx.:
The sickerness o' the ill-deedy springs frae paughtiness an' upsettin'.ne.Sc. 1928 J. Wilson Hamespun 22:
At markets he's a paughty wight, Owre a' ye'll hear him rairin!

2. Stout-hearted, spirited, gallant (Sc. 1808 Jam.); proud.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 210:
Paughty Scotsman scorn'd to beenge or yield.Fif. 1805 J. Fleming Poems 17:
To keep up Britain's paughty name.

II. adv. 1. Superciliously, in a proud and haughty manner.Sc. 1720 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 179:
Even Handy-crafts-men too turn'd saucy, Syne stroot fou paughty in the Alley.Sc. 1806 R. Jamieson Ballads I. 295:
And Bessie, nae doot o't, geckit, And lookit down pauchty eneuch.

¶2. Discreetly (Edb. 1843 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie (1875) Gl.). This is prob. erroneous.