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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.

TIT, v.¹, n.¹ Also titt; tite (Slk. 1821 Hogg Perils of Man (1972) x.). [tɪt]

I. v. tr. To pull or tug gently but firmly, to jerk or twitch (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags. 1972). Also intr. with at.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 113:
'Tis nae a' for naething ye tittet her worstet.Bnff. 1829 J. Dunbar Poems 116:
Drought aye by the throat me tits To join Hell's pack.Ags. 1852 Montrose Standard (5 March) 8:
A little jumpin' Jockie, whilk the nations gars jump up an' doon just wi' titten' the tow.Ags. 1886 Brechin Advert. (31 Aug.) 3:
He's been tittin' at my goun tail for some time.Abd. 1934 D. Scott Stories 81:
Ilka step 'at A took A tittit my whisker.Mry. 1970 Northern Scot (14 March) 4:
I had to keep titting the reins determinedly.

Phrs.: 1. titt the buttony, a children's prank (see quot.); 2. to tit the wrang tow, to be mistaken, “to bark up the wrong tree” (Bnff. 1972).1. Abd. 1958 Abd. Press & Jnl. (22 Sept.):
A piece of mischievousness, called variously Titt The Buttony and Chittie Nilly. You tied a button on one end of the string, dangled it by a pin from the window sash on the outside of somebody's window, withdrew to safe hiding trailing the long end of the string with you. Then you shook the string in your hand and the button tapped the window.2. Abd. 1914 J. Leatham Daavit 26:
Ye're fairly tittin' the wrang tow this time.

II. n. 1. A short, sharp, firm tug, a jerk, twitch, nudge, snatch (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis, titt, 1808 Jam.; Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 469; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags. 1972).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 68:
And lifting of the table-claith the nook, I gae't a tit, and tumbled o'er the bree.Sc. 1826 The Keel i the Creel in Child Ballads No. 281 D. ix.:
He gied the tow a clever tit.Abd. 1889 Ellis E.E.P. V. 775:
The sly cutty took a tit o's whiskers i' the bygyain.Bnff. 1918 M. Symon Wir Roup 3:
An' sae I mused, till Mains gaun by Jest ga' my tail a tit.Bnff. 1935 Abd. Univ. Review (March) 121:
Throu' space it spun till a titt fae the Sun Pu'd new warls roon him birlin'.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick vii.:
Tammas witit for 'e tit upo the strae-rape.

2. In pl.: a disease of horses in which the legs are spasmodically contracted (Abd. 1825 Jam.).