Sc. and north. Chiefly in To say (or know) neither buff nor stye: see BUFF sb.5 A. b.
a. 1750–1824[?]: see BUFF sb.5 A. b.
1823. Galt, Entail, li. He was clean dementit at that time,… he would neither buff nor stye for father nor mother, friend nor foe.
1885. ‘J. Strathesk’ (J. Tod), More Bits fr. Blinkbonny, i. 5. Ye can neither make buff nor stye o’ them.
