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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.

SUIT, n.² Also sute (Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xi.), suet-; söt (Sh. 1899 Shetland News (8 April)), soet (Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 10), süt (Sh. 1951 Sh. Folk Book II. 64), seut (Ork. 1893 Sc. Antiquary VIII. 55); seit (Ags. 1964 D. Phillips Hud yer Tongue 36); seet (Abd. 1845 T. Denham Poems 177), sit(t) (Abd. 1913 W. Fraser Jeremiah Jobb 21, 1930 E. S. Rae Waff o' Win 53); shute (Sh. 1886 J. Burgess Sketches 68; Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 65, wm.Sc. 1903 S. Macplowter Mrs McCraw 120), shuit (Ags. 1947 Forfar Dispatch (10 April)), shöt-; sheet (Cai. 1891 D. Stephen Gleanings 61). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. soot (Gsw. 1807 J. Chirrey Misc. Poetry 60). Ppl.adj. suitteet, soot-begrimed (Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 18). [l. and m.Sc. søt, syt, srt, also ʃ-; ne.Sc. sit, sɪt; Cai. ‡ʃit. See P.L.D. §§ 37, 128.]

I. n. As in Eng. Sc. Combs. and phrs.: (1) suit-drap, a flake of soot, esp. one hanging or falling from the ceiling, freq. one on which moisture has condensed from rain, snow. a leaking roof, etc. (Sh., n.Sc., Fif. 1971). Ppl.adj. soot-dropped, grimy. Also fig. in pl. as an expression of warning to a speaker to be careful what he is saying as he may be overheard. See Drap, n., 5. (2), v., 4. (7); ¶(2) suit-stour, fine particles of soot, sooty dust; (3) suit-water, sooty water, water that has passed through or over soot.(1) Sc. 1722 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 18:
Soot-Draps hang frae his Roof and Kiples.Dmf. 1823 J. Kennedy Poems 42:
My soot-dropped am'rie now wears a dark gloom.Cai. 1907 J. Horne County of Cai. 124:
“Sheet-drap” — soot falling from the roof, induced by the thick cloud of smoke always nestling under it.Abd. 1960 Stat. Acc.³ 223:
“There's seet draps” (keeping conversation from the children).(2) Cai. 1871 M. McLennan Peasant Life 219:
I maist think I ate soot-stour for porridge.(3) Sh. 1892 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 247:
Auld an' young maun noo hae it [tea], laek shute-watter, mornin', e'enin', an' midtime-a-day.Sh. 1901 Shetland News (5 Jan.):
As black as sin, wi' söt-watter.

Hence suit(t)ie, etc. (1) adj., sooty (Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 41, sittie; Per. 1811 J. Sim Poems 20, seety; Dmf. 1873 A. C. Gibson Folk Speech Cmb. 114, suety; Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 156, seuty; Sh. 1953 New Shetlander No. 35. 5, söttie, 1964 Nordern Lichts 11, shötty). Combs. (i) sittie-drap, a soot-flake (see above); (ii) sootyman, sootiman, suttyman, sutieman, a chimney-sweep (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinstone Propriety II. 198); (iii) sootipillie, the great reed-mace or bulrush, Typha latifolia. See Pill, n.²; ¶(iv) sooty ronamus, a dirty-looking woman (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.); (v) sitty-rumple, = (2)(i). See Rumple; (vi) sooty-scone, a kind of scone, with soot as one ingredient, baked on Shrove Tuesday (see quot.); (2) used subst. (i) a nickname for the devil (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems Gl.), commonly as Auld Suitie (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.; Bnff., Abd., Slg., Dmb., Lnk., Rxb. 1971). Also in Eng. dial.; (ii) a male blackbird (Arg. 1936 L. McInnes S. Kintyre 10); (iii) as black as Eppie Suittie, exceedingly black, with a pun on the surname Suttie (Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 9).(1) (i) Abd. 1968 Buchan Observer (16 April) 7:
The sittie-draps Dae their dance o' death upo' the warm bink.(ii) Edb. 1756 Caled. Mercury (3 April):
The Fire-masters, Townguard Officers, and Sooty-men, repaired to the House, whereby the Flames were soon got extinguished.Edb. 1782 Caled. Mercury (5 Jan.):
The Tron or Sooty Men of Edinburgh, to give information to the Procurator Fiscal, or Clerk of Court, of all such dangerous and ruinous chimney-stalks.Ayr. 1810 A. Boswell Poet. Wks. (1871) 49:
The sable Sootiman would dust his sacks.Mry. 1830 T. D. Lauder Moray Floods 288:
Wi' her face as black as a suttyman's.(iii) Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 430:
Sootipillies — A moss plant, which grows on a thick stalk, like a willow wand — the head is about half a foot long, and of a sootie colour.(v) Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C.:
If ye dinna behave yersel' auld sitty-rumple 'll get ye.(vi) ne.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
On Fastern's-een . . . when a sufficient quantity of skair-scones is prepared . . . as much of the substance is left, — into which a quantity of soot is stirred, and a marriage ring is put, — as will make a large and thick scone, which is called the sooty-scone. . . . When it is baked, it is divided into as many portions as there are unmarried guests, each of whom . . . draws a part. The person who is so fortunate as to draw the piece containing the ring, is assured of being the first married of the company; and to know who their intended partner will be, the piece of cake is dreamt on. . . . This power of looking into fnturity, however, is not confined to the person who obtained the ring, but, by the mystical virtues of the sooty-scon, is alike equal to all who partook of it; the ring only conferring the privilege of being the first married of the company.(2) (i) Bnff. 1932:
Wi your brookie face, ye're as black's Aul Sittie himsel!