Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1720, 1830-1836, 1899
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†QUISQUOUS, adj. Also quisquose, quiscos(kos), quisquis.
1. Perplexing, doubtful, debateable, dubious (Sc. 1808 Jam.).Sc. 1720 R. Wodrow Corresp. (1843) II. 485:
Being biassed with his opinion in quisquose and difficult matters.Ayr. 1830 Galt Lawrie Tod IV. ix.:
Your conduct this day has been very quiscos.Ayr. 1836 Galt in Tait's Mag. (Jan.) 33:
The leddies maybe a wee quiscoskos in character.Sc. 1899 Montgomerie-Fleming 122:
Strangers arriving in a place and being considered of doubtful character are spoken of as "Very quisquis sort of people."
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"Quisquous adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/quisquous>
