a. Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 3–4 crus, (3 cruse), 4–6 crous, 4– crouse, (4–5 crows(s, 5 crouss(e, 6–9 crowse, 9 croose). [ME. northern crūs, crous, agreeing in form with MHG., MLG., LG. krûs crisp, MDu. kruys (Kilian) crisp, curly, mod.G. kraus crisp, curled, sullen, crabbed, fractious, mod.Du. kroes (from LG.) crisp, cross, out of humor, EFris. krûs curly, entangled, luxurious, opulent, wanton, jolly. Not found in the earlier stages of any of the langs.; in English only northern, and almost exclusively Sc. (whence the pronunciation with u), though borrowed by Drayton and some of his contemporaries, and then rhymed with Eng. words in ou; also found in Yorkshire dial. with aa from ou. As only the figurative senses are here found, it appears to be one of the LG. or Frisian words that appeared in the northern dialect early in the ME. period.]
† 1. Angry, irate, cross, crabbed. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14740 (Cott.). Gains þam he was ful kene and crus, Dos yow, he said, vte of mi hus. Ibid., 21882 (Edinb.) To be fuse, ogain þat come þat es sa cruse. Ibid., 27740 (Cott.). It [wrath] es a cruel thing and crus.
† 2. Bold, audacious, daring, hardy, forward, full of defiant confidence, ‘cocky.’ Obs. In later use passing insensibly into 3, as when the crowing cock becomes the type.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3044 (Cott.). O him sal gret men cum and crus. Ibid. (c. 1340), 23749 (Trin.). Oure flesshe is euer to synne crous.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 592. None durst be so hardie and so crous To speik of him.
1597. Drayton, Heroic. Ep., 50 b. Duke Humfreys old alies,… Attending theyr reuenge, grow wondrous crouse [rhyme house].
c. 1620. A. Hume, Brit. Tongue (1865), 28. He is the noat of the male; as … he is a crouse cock; he is a fat wether.
1724. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 8. The wooer he step’d up the house And wow but he was wond’rous crouse.
1808. J. Mayne, Siller Gun, III. 131. Crouse as a cock in his ain cavie.
1862. Hislop, Prov. Scot., 16. A man’s aye crouse in his ain cause.
1883. Huddersf. Gloss., Crouse [pron. craas], bold, brave, lively.
3. In somewhat high or lively spirits; vivacious; pert, brisk, lively, jolly.
a. 1400[?]. Chester Pl. (Shaks. Soc.), I. 51. Heare are beastes in this howse, Heare cattes make yt crousse.
1593. Drayton, Eclogues, vii. 73. The little Fly, Who is so Crowse and Gamesome with the flame.
1641. Brome, Joviall Crew, I. Wks. 1873, III. 366. Most crowse, most capringly.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, 12. Crowse, brisk, budge, lively, jolly.
1792. Burns, Duncan Gray, v. Now they’re crouse and cantie baith.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., Crowse, brisk. ‘As crowse as a lop.’
1858. M. Porteous, Souter Johnny, 8. My faith! she was a wife right crouse.
B. as adv. Boldly, confidently, briskly, vivaciously: esp. in phr. to crack or craw crouse (Sc.), to talk boldly or over-confidently.
a. 1455. Holland, Howlat, 221. Cryand full crowss.
1681. Colvil, Whigs Supplic. (1751), 145. And after thou hast crackt so crouse, Thy mountains do bring forth a mouse.
1786. Burns, Twa Dogs, 135. The cantie auld folks crackin crouse.
a. 1810. Tannahill, Poems (1846), 11. My trouth but ye craw crouse.
1824. Miss Ferrier, Inher., lxvi. Some people will maybe not crack quite so crouse by-and-by.
