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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.

TAUPIE, n., adj. Also taup(p)y; tawpa (Sc. 1808 Jam.), tawpee (Sc. 1824 S. Ferrier Inheritance xl.), tawpie, -y; ta(a)(p)pie, tappy (Uls. 1953 Traynor), tapy. [′tǫ:pɪ, ′tɑ:pe]

I. n. A giddy, scatter-brained, untidy, awkward or careless person, gen. applied to young women, occas. also to men (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Cai. 1905 E.D.D.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 271; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen. (exc. I.) Sc.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 149:
Pottage, quoth Hab, ye senseless Tawpie!Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Journal 28:
A haave-colour'd smeerless tapie, wi' a great hassick o' hair.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 54:
A wheen useless taupies that can do naething but rive at a tow rock and cut corn.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xvii.:
She greets, the silly tawpie.Sc. 1823 Lockhart Reg. Dalton III. 117:
Hoot, you tawpie — will ye never learn to be a man o' sense?Slk. 1824 Hogg Justified Sinner (1874) 482:
Ye hae left the door open, ye tawpie.Ags. 1890 A. N. Simpson Muirside Mem. 123:
He was a gey glaiket tappie.Kcb. 1897 A. J. Armstrong Robbie Rankine at Exhibition 29:
Robbie's only dochter ca'd him for a' the shemlin' tawpies.Edb. 1931 E. Albert Herrin' Jennie ii. i.:
Ach, ye silly tawpie. It's only a cat.Bnff. 1939 J. M. Caie Hills and Sea 15:
I felt mysel' the greatest tawpie in Strathbogie.wm.Sc. 1967 R. Jenkins Guests of War v. ii.:
I'm no tawpie to be hurt by plain words.

II. adj. Foolish, awkward, slovenly, foolishly thoughtless (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Also in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1706 Short Survey Married Life 14:
Tapie, Gaping, Glouring, Lingen-tailed Giglets.Ayr. 1822 Galt Entail xvi.:
She's oure thin-skinned to thole long the tawpy taunts of her pridefu' customers.Per. 1835 J. Monteath Dunblane Trad. 95:
While their gyte taupy dochters in cotton-duds trail.Lnk. 1853 W. Watson Poems (1877) 141:
Tawpie young lasses keekin' in glasses.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxv.:
An inhaudin', unedicat taupie chiel.

Hence taupi(e)t, ppl.adj., foolish (Sc. 1825 Jam.), tapiness, n., an unkempt, slovenly condition.s.Sc. 1802 Prophecy in 19th Cent. 9:
The holiday finery is than changed to dirt and tapiness.Rnf. 1813 G. McIndoe Wandering Muse 145:
But like anither taupit fool, (O' brains he had nae harl).Rnf. 1888 J. Nicholson Wee Tibbie's Garland 177:
For tho' a woman, I declare I'm just a taupit wean.