Chiefly Sc. Forms: 5 widde, wedde, pl. wedeis, -ys, wyddis, 6 wedy, viddy, -ie, woddie, pl. widdeis, weddeis, veddeis, 6–9 widdie, 7 wyddie, 8–9 woodie, woody, 9 widdey, wuddy -ie, 5– widdy. [Sc. and north. dial. variant of WITHY.]
1. A band or rope, properly one made of intertwined osiers or the like.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, III. 215. Thai band thaim fast with wedeis [ed. 1570 widdeis] sad and sar.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. xii. Out throw the wod come rydand catiues twane, Ane on ane asse, a widdie about his mone.
1513. Rec. Burgh Prestwick (Maitland Club), 45. For … cuttyn of the vyddyis of þe dur.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), II. 90. Witht widdieis [v.r. windassis] and towis.
c. 1730. Burt, Lett. N. Scot. (1754), I. 87. Instead of Ropes for Halters and Harness, they generally make use of Sticks of Birch twisted and knotted together; these are called Woodies.
1789. Burns, To Dr. Blacklock, vi. I hae a wife and twa wee laddies, They maun hae brose and brats o’ duddies;… But I’ll sned besoms—thraw saugh woodies Before they want.
1824. Carr, Craven Gloss., Widdy, twigs of willows or hazles dried partially in the fire, and then twisted into wreaths for many agricultural purposes.
2. A rope for hanging, a halter; used (like halter and gallows) in various allusive expressions referring to hanging.
In later use sometimes app. understood as = gallows (in forms wuddy, woodie perh. by association with wood).
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 823. Callit him thryss thevisnek, to thrawe in a widdy.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxxiii. 48. He had purgatioun to mak a theif To dee withowt a widdy.
1508. Kennedie, Flyting w. Dunbar, 367. Thou has a wedy teuch … about thy crag to rax.
c. 1536. Lyndesay, Compl. Bagsche, 151. This Prouerb, it is of verite,… Hiest in Court, nixt the weddie.
a. 1568. in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Club), 299/40. All tymes in thair legasie, Fyre, sword, watter and woddie, Or ane of thir infirmeteis.
1717. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), II. 221. In short, I think what the wooddie leaves the water gets.
1762. Bp. Forbes, Jrnl. (1886), 213. God sin the Liars girn i’ the Widdy.
1785. Burns, Twa Herds, xvi. Then Orthodoxy yet may prance, And Learning in a woody dance.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xxxiv. There is as much between the craig and the woodie as there is between the cup and the lip.
1893. Stevenson, Catriona, iii. There ’s the shadow of the wuddy … that lies braid across your path.
† 3. A certain quantity of iron: perh. orig. a bundle bound with a ‘widdy.’ Obs.
1482. in Charters, etc. Edin. (1871), 168. The hundreth widde of Oismond irne … cumand to Leith.
1483. Acta Audit., in Acta Dom. Conc., II. Introd. 124. iijxx xv wedeis of irne, price of the wedde ij s.
1484. Exch. Rolls Scot., IX. 239. xx wethyis ferri … xx wyddis ferri.
1527. in Sir W. Fraser, Sutherland Bk. (1892), III. 79. Fowrtein xx of veddeis of irne.
1603. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 516/1. Ilk hundreth wyddie of Oismond iryn of unfremen cumand to Leith.
4. attrib. and Comb. (in sense 2): † widdy-neck, one deserving or destined to be hanged. (See also WIDDIFUL.)
c. 1480. Henryson, Fox & Wolf, 653. In dreid and schame our dayis we indure; Syne widdienek and crakraip callit als, And till oure hire hangit vp be the hals.
a. 1583. Montgomerie, Flyting, 765. Spew bleck, widdie neck!
