Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1709-1723, 1818, 1887-1936
[1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0]
BROO, Brow, n.3 Favourable opinion (Abd.22, Fif.1, Slg.3, Lnk.3 1936). Gen. used in the neg. See Bree, n.4 [bru: Sc.; brʌu s.Sc. See P.L.D. §101.]Sc. 1709 T. Boston Memoirs (1853) 212:
He had always a brow for a good cause.Sc. 1723 G. Wilson The Trust 122:
The Keepers of this Trust used to have a Brow, as we say, for a Bargain.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xxv.:
I had never muckle broo o' my gudeman's gossips.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood xxi.:
Peter Pennecuik — honest Peter had nae broo o' Sempill.Fif. 1895 "S. Tytler" Kincaid's Widow xii.:
"I hae nae great broo o' ghaists," resumed Peg.Ayr. 1913 J. Service Memorables R. Cummell ii.:
I . . . had far mair broo o' the Saturday's play than o' the lear o' a' the beucks.Kcb.9 1936:
I've nae broo o' him.Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 20:
Bit A hedna muckle brow o'd . . . for the rummelleen o'd an the clairty, creeshy look o'd wad heh gien a body the scunners. The forms broos, brows, braize (Ayr.3 1914) are also used in Ayr. [bru:z, bre:z]Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 166:
I thocht it best to article him to Mr Bungo the writer, no' that I have ony broos o' the law mysel', but . . . I have always observed that, whoever doesna get his siller, the Writer aye maks sure o' his.Ayr. 1900 "G. Douglas" House with Green Shutters (1901) xxi.:
When a young chap takes to hanging round bars . . . I have verra bad brows o' him always.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Broo n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/broo_n3>
