Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SHOO, int., n. Also shu(e), schue (Sc. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 106), shew (Sc. 1761 Magopico (1836) 31); sheugh, sheuch (Fif. 1896 G. Setoun R. Urquhart xx.); sho (Ayr. 1870 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 82). [ʃu:]

I. int. As in Eng., a sound to scare away birds or other animals; in Sc. also to reject abruptly another's statement or suggestion, pooh!, pshaw!, nonsense! Also in Eng. dial. Comb. shue-gled(s)-wylie, a children's game (see quot.).Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xvii.:
Sheugh, sheugh — awa with ve, that hae spilled sae muckle blude, and now wad save your ain.Fif., Rxb. 1825 Jam.:
Shue-gled-wylie, a game in which the strongest acts as the gled or kite, and the next in strength as the mother of a brood of birds; for those under her protection, perhaps to the number of a dozen, keep all in a string behind her, each holding by the tail of another. The gled still tries to catch the last of them; while the mother cries Shue, shue, spreading out her arms to ward him off. If he catch all the birds, he gains the game, Fife. In Teviotdale, Shoo-gled's-wylie.Sc. 1843 Anon. Willie Armstrong ii. iv.:
“Raala, I'm no faen o' this ploy.” “Shu, shu, man — we'll hae rare fun.”Ags. 1892 A. Reid Howetoon 70:
Shoo! afore I could even think Jock Robison, she cam' owre my heid wi' the besom.Hdg. 1896 J. Lumsden Battles 181:
Shoo! fine countrie!

II. n. A burst of derisive laughter or mockery.Ork. 1909 Old-Lore Misc. II. iii. 132:
They would trip up his heels and then set up “a shoo o' lauchin' at him.”