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 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FOB, v. Also fab(b) (Mry., Bnff.). To pant with heat or exertion, to breathe hard (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Mry., Bnff. 1952, fab, Abd. 1952); to sigh (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.); to catch the breath (Bnff.² 1945) as a child in sobbing (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.).Abd. 1739 in Caled. Mag. (1788) 501:
The Cousins bicker'd wi' a clank, Gart ane anither fob And gasp that day.Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 66:
The hails is won, they warsle hame, The best they can for fobbin.Bnff. 1869 W. Knight Auld Yule 16:
Nae burstin' belch was he, I wat, Altho' he fobbit sair, and swat.Ags. 1895 Arbroath Guide (17 July):
Princie lyin' fob-fobbin' wi' his tongue.Abd. 1922 Weekly Free Press (11 Feb.):
Aw'm fair oot o' win', an fobbin' like a fat kittlin, as they say.ne.Sc. 1935 D. Rorie Lum Hat 52:
Thae knottit j'ints a' shot wi' pains, That fobbin' as we breist the brae.Abd. 1993:
Lyin fobbin like a fat kittlin in e sun.