Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
TOOT, v.1, n.1 Also tuit, tut(e). [tut; ?. †tøt]
I. v. †1. To jut out, project (n.Sc. 1808 Jam., tute). Hence comb. tut-mou'd, tuit-moot, having protruding lips. See mou, Mouth.Sc. 1706 Short Survey Married Life 13:
Whap-nebbed, Tut-mou'd, Paunch-lipped.ne.Sc. 1893 Dunbar's Poems (S.T.S.) III. 286:
Still in use in parts of the North as a word of contempt, as, ‘He's a tuit-moot smatchet'.
2. To keep a look-out, to watch closely. Only in combs. toot-net, a salmon net suspended in a river-estuary between a windlass on shore and a boat anchored in the river, which is hauled as soon as a watcher in the boat sees a fish strike the net, also, more fully, hang-and-toot net, toot-and-haul net, id.; toot(s)man, the watcher who observed the movements of fish in the river. Cf. Sicht, n., 4.Fif. 1795 Stat. Acc.1 IX. 222:
These fishings are carried on by means of yairs or scaffolds with poke-nets, and in summer with sweep and toot nets. The last are set in the water, and never drawn till the watchman, or tootsman, as he is called here, observes the fish to have got within the net.Fif. 1840 J. M. Leighton Hist. Fife II. 82:
The toot-man is seated to watch the net.Fif. 1845 Stat. Acc.2 IX. 605:
The tut-net, with three or four men to a boat.Per. 1899 Session Cases (1898–9) 651:
The toot and haull net, used in the estuary of the Tay, is fastened at one end to the shore and after being shot out into the stream, is attached near its outer end to an anchor in the river bed.Ags. 1910 J. Malcolm Monifieth 267:
On the right is seen a salmon cobble with “hang and toot” net. . . . So called as the net was hung from the boat and attached to windlass on shore; when salmon were in the net the boatman shouted “haul”, and from this signal came the word “toot.”
†3. With out: to come to light, become known, be discovered (Fif. c.1850 Peattie MS.).
II. n. A jutting out, a projection (n.Sc. 1808 Jam., tute); specif. the rump of a fowl, the “parson's nose” (Ork. 1929 Marw., Ork. 1972).
[Mid.Eng. tote, to protrude, also tute, to peep, look out, tote, a look out, toute, the buttocks, O.E. tōtian, *tūt-, to stick out. Cf. also Eng. tout, a spy, scout. O.Sc. has tute-mowit, c.1500.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Toot v.1, n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/toot_v1_n1>
