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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HOOCH, int., v., n. Also hoogh, houch (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein), hooh, hough; heugh; heuch; hoch; huch. Cf. Whoogh. [hux, çjux]

I. int. An exclamation of excitement or exhilaration, esp. the cry uttered by the male dancers during a Highland reel (Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders vi.). Gen.Sc.; a shout of applause, hurrah!Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 274:
“Hooch it's like a wadding,” shout the peasantry, when dancing, making their heels crack on other at the same time. Hooch is sure to inspire glee, while tribbling Bob Major, or cutting double quick time.wm.Sc. 1854 Laird of Logan 310:
There's nae clapping of hands, and whirling round, and crying “heuch, heuch!” when the dance warms, and the fiddler's arms are fleeing faster than a weaver's shuttle.Per. 1857 J. Stewart Sketches 21:
Quo' he, “Ha, ha! a deuran bla' [warm drink], Hooch! gars a body loup again”.Sc. 1859 Wilson's Tales of the Borders IV. 41:
Hoogh! hoogh! resounded through the barn.Abd. 1873 J. Ogg Willie Waly 29:
Hooch! reel, ye kitties, keep yer ribbons reelin'.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 218:
The dancers . . . crying “Houch!” “Reel!”Hdg. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 40:
Braw lads and lasses lap and skirled, . . . Cried, “heuch!” like warlocks driven Clean gyte this day.Sc. 1894 Stevenson St Ives ix.:
Hough! Will somebody give me a glass of my port wine?

II. v. 1. To cry hooch, to shout (Lnk. 1822 Clydesdale Wedding 4, hoch). Gen.Sc.; to whoop with mirth; to hoot, of an owl (Bwk. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 107). Also fig. Also ppl.adj. hooching.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 79:
How he duner'd, and hooh'd, and thumped, and raved.Sc. 1847 Scotsman (28 Aug.):
In a minute feet were frisking and heads bobbing in the Scottish reel — “hooghing” and cracking of thumbs keeping time to the movements of the feet.Bnff. 1869 W. Knight Auld Yule 104:
Oor canty laird was fu' o' life, And lap and hooch'd wi' glee.Ags. 1872 J. Kennedy Jock Craufurt 48:
An' hoo Jock danc'd, an' hoogh'd, an' reeled.e.Lth. 1885 J. Lumsden Rural Rhymes 256:
They danced, they snappit, an' heuched awa.Sh. 1886 J. Burgess Sk. and Tales 114:
Peggin' in laek wan o'clock, an' hoochin' da same as could be.wm.Sc. 1903 S. Macplowter Mrs McCraw 47:
An' there wis twa laddies in the compertment that wis aye hooching ilka time A askit the gaird, an' yin says tae the tither, “Man, there's an awfu' smell o' a deestellery here!”Ork. 1910 Old-Lore Misc. III. iv. 209:
I danced and better danced, and heuched and danced.Rxb. 1917 Kelso Chron. (10 Aug.) 2:
She did not hesitate to “cleek” through the Square with her sweetheart, and indulge in a hooching chorus to the ditty that he warbled or bawled forth.Lnk. 1951 G. Rae Howe o' Braefoot 50:
We had forty couples hoochin' an' dancin' here last nicht.Gsw. 1970 George MacDonald Fraser The General Danced at Dawn (1988) 81:
Strip the Willow at speed is lethal; there is much swinging round, and when fifteen stone of heughing humanity is whirled at you at close range you have to be wide awake to sidestep, scoop him in, and hurl him back again. Abd. 1980 David Toulmin Travels Without a Donkey 10:
They had waited and wearied so long in the cold they could no longer bear the inactivity, so they broke into stamping around in circles which, by the time the minister arrived had evolved into a mad hooching reel, ... wm.Sc. 1983 Christine Marion Fraser Children of Rhanna (1989) 152:
The skirl of the pipes set everyone hooching and they whirled gaily round the floor, stirring up the chalky dust from the floorboards. Ags. 1985 Raymond Vettese in Joy Hendry Chapman 40 13:
... the birlin
dirdum o verbs, skirlin adjectives,
joukin metaphors atween sets, hoochin
all-licensed fools wha joke tae licht
daurker ends and winna coorie doon yet ... m.Sc. 1986 Colin Mackay The Song of the Forest 215:
... Mungo and Finella, the oldest ones, danced round them, hooching, with their arms high. Ags. 1994 Courier 19 Mar :
There's people who couldn't do a Highland Fling or a Broon's reel to save themselves. Take them to a ceilidh, though, and they'll hooch and birl like there was no tomorrow.

2. To breathe forcibly upon an object to warm it or before polishing it (Abd., Ags. 1957).Lnk. 1844 J. Lemon St Mungo 31:
They huch them [hands], and rub them, and shake them wi' pain, Till the dinnelin' gaes aff them, and till her again.Bnff. 1922 E. S. Rae Glen Sketches 20:
Women with dusters were busy polishing door-knockers, and by dint of “hoochin” got a glorious shine.

III. n. 1. A shout, loud cry, esp. that uttered while dancing a reel, etc. (Dwn. 1894 W. G. Lyttle Betsy Gray 25; Sh. 1897 Shetland News (31 July)). Gen.Sc. Hence a dance (Per., Kcb., Dmf., Rxb. 1957) and phr. tae gae tae get a hooch, to go to a dance (Fif.¹⁷ 1953).Gsw. 1862 J. Gardner Jottiana 99:
An' noo a hooch! an' noo a cheer, Brak drearily upon Jock's ear.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xl.:
The chaps keepit fell weel in order; jist gien a bit “hooch”, an' a caper o' a dance ahin Samie.Fif. 1882 S. Tytler Sc. Marriages I. 192:
When he was brought to the point he did his duty gallantly, not withholding a single spring, shuffle or “hough!”Rxb. 1923 Kelso Chron. (16 Nov.) 2:
Listening to the vociferous shrieks and hoochs of those engaged in the single step or fox trot.Sc. 1954 H. A. Thurston Scot. Dances 47:
The eightsome was danced with highland steps, with men's arms raised in the air, with one-handed turning, with excited “hoochs” from the soloist.Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 90:
'Oh ye canna see in the new year without a hooch and a skirl,' grinned Jonah. Sc. 1998 Daily Record 4 Nov 8:
Ceilidhs, country dances, Mods, weddings, the White Heather Club and countless broadcasts wouldn't be worth a "hooch" without the squeeze-box, ... Sc. 2000 Herald 18 Aug 22:
... he uses traditional bagpipe music to underpin the courtly engagement of his three couples - one from each company - with nary a hooch or a kilt in sight.

2. A sudden expulsion of the breath, a puff, whiff.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) ix.:
At ilky hooch an whirr 'at the wind gae.Ags. 1894 J. Inglis Oor Ain Folk 159:
“I jist took the drappie masel',” but he hastened to add, . . “I gied her the hooch o't.”Bnff. 1937 E. S. Rae Light in the Window 37:
Hilly: I'll dae. Hooch. He blows out candle.