Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DOSS, v.³ Also freq. dossie, dossy, and †doce. [dɔs(ɪ̢)]

1. Gen. with doon: to toss down, to pay down (money) (Abd.¹⁹ 1940). Also fig. Also used as n. = a payment in cash. Also to toss a coin to decide a matter, esp. in children's usage (wm.Sc. 1952 Mod. Lang. Review (Jan.) 59).Sc. 1826 Scots Mag. (April) 416:
Ye maun just dossie down your twa shillings like the lave.Mry. 1830 Lintie o' Moray (1887) 44:
And 'tis na richt we should forget The donors o' sic glorious treat; For mind, ye, Sirs! it did doun dossie Frae Borough's-toun beside the Lossie.Mry.⁵ 1928:
Dossy ye doon the siller.Bnff.² 1936:
Sandy dossie't doon a fite shillin' on the table, cryin', “Fa's gaain' t' be the first t' breethir't.Abd. 1737 W. Meston Poems (1767) 106:
Resolv'd to make him count and reckon, . . . And doce down, for his fair fiddling, His frauds, and vicious intermeddling.Abd. 1913 D. Scott Hum. Sc. Stories 84:
He couldn't see the fun of going home and cracking with your wife and dossing your wauges into her lap.Abd. 1925 Last Leaves (ed. Greig and Keith) Note 266:
[Some gave her croons] an' other dossie doons.Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' lii.:
Rob and I sall dossy down Your dinner-lawin.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 28:
Weel does he lo'e the lawen coin Whan dossied down, For whisky gills.

2. To throw oneself (down), to sit down heavily (Bnff.² 1940).Abd. 1788 J. Skinner Christmass Bawing xxxiii. in Caled. Mag. 505:
The pensy lads dosst down on stanes, Whopt out their snishin-millies.