Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DOBBIE, Dobie, Doby, n., adj. Also doobie, -y, doubie, dowbie, dawbie. [′dɔbi. ′dubi]
1. n. Also in n.Eng. dial.
(1) A dull, stupid and clumsy person, a lout (Ags. 1910 Mrs J. B. Smith W.-L., dawbie; Fif.16 1948; Slg.3, Edb.1, Kcb.1 1940; Rxb. 1825 Jam.2, 1923 Watson W.-B., dob(b)ie, ‡doobie, †dowbie); the dunce of a class (Fif.13 1940; Bwk. 1900 (per Abd.27), doobie; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also attrib.Sc.(E) 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws xiii.:
We a' ken you for sic a notorious daidlin kind of a dobie wi' the lasses.Edb. 1856 J. Ballantine Poems 58:
Whiles the doubie o' the school tak's lead o' a' the rest.Edb.3 1929:
Up dux and doon doobie.Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 21:
doobie A fool or idiot.Rxb. 1825 Jam.2:
He's a country dobbie.Slk. 1832 Hogg Queer Bk. 44:
He shook his doby head.
†(2) A sprite, a brownie.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xiv.:
He . . . needed not to care “for ghaist or barghaist, devil or dobbie.”s.Sc. c.1830 T. Wilkie in Proc. Bwk. Nat. Club (1916) 93:
It was a custom with every person in the South of Scotland when they yirded (hid) money, to commit it to the protection of a Dobie, or a Brownie, or any tutelar saint of the family.
2. adj. “Dull, sullen” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., dooby).
[Phs. Dobbie, familiar variant of Robbie. For sense (2) of the n. cf. Robin Goodfellow.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Dobbie n., adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/dobbie>
