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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

COOF, CUIF, Couff, Cufe, Kuf, n.1 [kuf Sc., m.Sc. and s.Sc. + kyf and kɪf (late), Ags. + køf; kyf Sh.]

1. A fool, simpleton, dull-witted fellow (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., küf). Gen.Sc. Also dim. cuiffie. Sc. 1724–27 Ramsay T. T. Misc. (1733) I. 27:
Let coofs their cash be clinking.
Sc. 2002 Scotland on Sunday 15 Sep 18:
When Robert Burns wrote 'A Man's A Man For A' That', he could have had Mike Watson in mind as the "birkie ca'd a lord." Lord Watson of Invergowrie, our tourism, culture and sport minister, has shown himself to be a "cuif" - in Burns' lexicon, a fool or ninny - in his actions over the proposals to reform Glasgow's acute hospital services.
Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 27:
Sic thochts mak cuiffies o us aa,
an naitrel virr gangs blae
wi thochts wad gar ye grue.
w.Dmf. 1908 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo (1912) 143:
This is no' Barjarg, ye silly cuif.

2. A useless, incompetent fellow; a spiritless, “feckless” person (Abd.9, Ags.1, Fif.10, Arg.1 1937; Ayr. 1882 R. Drennan in C. Mackay Poetry and Humour of Sc. Lang. 53).Sc. 1874 A. Hislop Sc. Anecdotes 246:
Compared wi' him, what are those handless and heartless coofs that carry on the gipsy trade noo?
Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 14:
yet I maun rise abuin the lair o wanrufe
or slutter in't, wae-gowpin, a slottery coof.
Gsw. 1859 J. Young in Recent Sc. Poets (ed. A. G. Murdoch 1881) ii. 200:
An easy-osy thieveless coof, as soul-less as a rock — O! for a twalmonth's sodgerin' for my big Jock!

3. A lout, a rustic (Fif.1 1937); “a clownish fellow” (Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.).Sc. 1822 A. Cunningham Trad. Tales II. 190–191:
I never saw such soulless coofs.
m.Sc. 1870 J. Nicholson Idylls o' Hame 26:
An' cock up his neb wi' the lave at the schules. . . . The tae half are coofs, if no even-doun fules.

4. A man who meddles with woman's work or affairs (Rxb. 1825 Jam.2; 1923 Watson W.-B., obs., coof, cufe).

5. A coward (Ags.1 1937).Abd.(D) 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 32:
Then aften I swore at the cloven hoof . . . An' the horns an' tail scared mony a coof.
Ags. 1816 G. Beattie John o' Arnha' (1826) 13:
For dastard coofs they dinna care.
Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 171:
Ah! shame on mine and on your head! Twa caitiff cowart couffs!

[O.Sc. cof(f)e, coif, a rogue, E.M.E. cofe, cove, now in slang use = chap, fellow, of unknown origin.]

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"Coof n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/coof_n1>

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