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 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

YAUP, adj., v., n. Also yap(p), yawp, yaap; yaip, yape. [jɑp; †jep]

I. adj. 1. Eager, keen, ready, active (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 110, yaip; Sc. 1808 Jam.). Also adv.Abd. 1739 Caled. Mag. (1788) 501:
He didna see the dreary sight, Till some yap gilpy tell'd him.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 128:
The farmers sons, as yap as sparrows, Are glad, I trow, to flee the barras.Per. 1801 Letters J. Ramsay (S.H.S.) 67:
Here I fancy he will find a ravelled hasp, and people very yaap for more.Lnk. 1838 J. Struthers Poetic Tales 82:
To the crusie lightin' [I] began fu' yaup.s.Sc. 1839 Wilson's Tales of the Borders V. 185:
The lady was eager or “yape” as the Scotch call it, for a transaction.Per. 1891 H. Haliburton Ochil Idylls 40:
I'm juist as yap an' yauld As e'er was youth.

2. Having a keen appetite, eager for food, hungry (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 110, yaip; Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 693; Kcb. 1900; ‡ne.Sc., Lnk. 1974), used fig. in 1839 quot. Also adv. and in deriv. forms yaupish, ya(p)pish, yawpish (Ayr. 1912 D. McNaught Kilmaurs 298; Rnf., Lnk. 1974), yaupsouch (Gall. 1822 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 419), yappy, id. See -Och, suff., I. 2. Also adv. yaply and n. ya(w)pness, yawpishness, hunger, peckishness.Sc. 1723 Sc. Presb. Eloquence (1786) 141:
Young infants are very yap in the morning.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 27, 79:
Right yape she yoked to the pleasing feast. . . . Unto their supper they right yaply fa'.Sc. 1784 Caled. Mercury (15 Sept.):
Like yapish chiel's wi' hunger gauntin'.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie lxxxviii.:
I'm growing yawp, and hunger, is a wet divot to the low o' love.Dmf. 1823 J. Kennedy Poems 138:
For supper rang the usual bell, And yaply to his meltith fell.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch iv.:
Notwithstanding my yapness and stiff appetite.s.Sc. 1839 Wilson's Tales of the Borders V. 322:
Ah! sir, though my wallet was yape, my heart was youden.Per. a.1843 J. Stewart Sketches lxxiii.:
Lest her Majesty get yappish on the road to Taymouth.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 27:
Reverent sir, remember in prayer lethy Hellsness, wha's sae yap for her dinner.Lnk. 1880 Clydesdale Readings (Short) 74:
My yawpishness increased to a fearfu' extent.Gall. a.1900 “Mulciber Veritatis” Gallowa' Herds 14:
Satirical sauts will scoore them o' fauts, Gae them yawpness for porridge o' duty.Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 124:
Ill-cled, fair runtit, yappy, sair Wi' mony scarts an' thuds.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 7:
Bit A was yap now, tui; no a beite o meat hed a etten threh ma brekfist.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick vii.:
He's come a lang, lang rodd an' maan be mair nur a bittie yap.

II. v. To gape with hunger or otherwise, to be hungry (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ayr. 1896 Galt Works (Meldrum) II. 287, yawp, 1926 Wilson D. Burns 194). Ppl.adj. yawpit, pinched- or starved-looking (Rnf. 1958).Sc. 1736 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 87:
Your head's nae sooner up than your stamock's yapin.Ayr. 1818 J. Kennedy Poet. Wks. 98:
Dug frae the guts o' mooly chase, To gi'e their yawping crapings ease.Slg. 1898 J. M. Slimmon Dead Planet 109:
Thy helpless yaupin' littlins cry Their hunger to the wild.

III. n. 1. A gaping, specif. with hunger, a keen appetite.Bnff. 1933 M. Symon Deveron Days 4:
Ye loons, I've an awfu' yapp, Fess plates and trenchers ben.

2. One who has a vacant stupid look; a fool, oaf, yokel (Abd. 1911 Weekly Jnl. (20 Jan.); Ags., Fif., s.Sc. 1974). Poss. a different word of imit. orig.Ayr. 1896 Galt Works (Meldrum) II. 287:
“He's juist a yawp,” said of a blatant fool.