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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WIDDIEFU, n., adj. Also -fou, -foo, -fow, -fa, -full, wid(d)i-, widdy-, widde-; withifo, wuddiefu; woodifu, woddyfa. [′wɪdifu, ′wʌdɪfə]

I. n. One fit to fill a hangman's noose, a ‘gallows-bird', scoundrel (Sc. 1808 Jam., widdifow), now mostly in a weakened or semi-jocular sense: a scamp, rogue, a mischievous or harum-scarum person, a romp (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Abd. 1911 Weekly Jnl. (20 Jan.), widdifa); “a person of small stature and short temper” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 210, widdiefoo).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 369:
You are a Widdie full against hanging time. Spoken to tricky young Boys, whom they commonly call Widdie fulls.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 34:
Awa, awa, ye witless widdyfu'.Sc. 1822 Baron of Brackley in Child Ballads No. 203 A. xi.:
The'r but young hir'd widifus wi belted plaids.Abd. 1865 G. MacDonald Alec Forbes xx.:
I never saw sic widdiefows! . . . They had a tow across the Wast Wynd i' the snaw, an' doon I cam o' my niz.Bnff. 1887 W. M. Philip Covedale xvii.:
This is the only thing he can turn himsel' till noo, peer woodifu.Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 15:
The baillie loon, that widdiefu', Files sets me at the kye.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xix.:
Gweed preserve's, ye young wuddiefu, ye've run ur ye've birsen yersel.

Comb. ¶herd-widdiefow, a misunderstanding by Scott of the phr. hired widdiefu in The Baron of Brackley ballad quoted above (in other texts heard), which he associated with herd (of cattle), taking the expression to refer to cattle-reivers. So also in 1931 quot., adopted from Scott.Sc. 1829 Scott Rob Roy Intro.:
He expressed his confidence that the herd widdiefows could not have carried their booty far.Sc. 1931 I. Burnett The Ravens i. iv.:
What are you at, lying out here in the fern, and the herd-widdiefows driving your beasts?

II. adj., from the n. used attrib.: deserving to be hanged, rascally; mischievous; vexatious, troublesome; perverse, ill-natured (Sc. 1801 J. Leyden Complaynt 382, a widdifou wicht). Also transf. and fig. of objects.Sc. c.1720 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) IV. 295:
Tell the Widdi-fu young Louns, To notice the Back-graft, Man.Ayr. 1793 Burns Meg o' the Mill (Second Set) ii.:
The laird was a widdifu', bleerit knurl — She's left the guid fellow, and taen the churl!Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan I. x.:
Many a ane would loup at him, widdifu' bodie though he be.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 54:
I'm seur I'll never rest i' me grave, gin they lay me i' this withifo' land.Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Drunk Man 83:
Grugous thistle, to my een Your widdifow ramel evince, Sibness to snakes.