v. Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 6 swowp-, suowp-, swop-, sowp, 6, 9 soup, 6, 9– soop, 9 supe. [a. ON. sópa (Icel. sópa, Norw. and Sw. sopa), for earlier *swópan, related to OE. swápan: see SWEEP v.]
1. trans. To sweep (a house, etc.).
c. 1480. [see the vbl. sb.].
1533. Bellenden, Livy, III. iii. (S.T.S.), I. 252. The soroufull moderis fell … to þe ground, sowpand þe templis with þare hare.
1538. Lyndesay, Supplic. Contempt. Syde Taillis, 30. Quhare euer thay go, it may be sene, How kirk and calsay thay soup clene.
17[?]. Ramsay, Wyfe of Auchtermuchty, x. To soup the house he syne began.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, xxxii. They that had their bread to won wi’ ae arm … had mair to do than to soop houses.
1861. E. B. Ramsay, Remin., Ser. II. 44. ‘I soupit the poupit,’ was John’s expressive reply.
absol. 1862. Hislop, Prov. Scot., 136. Let ilka ane soop before their ain door.
2. To remove, clear away, by sweeping.
c. 1480. Henryson, Fables, Cock & Jewel, 76. Iowellis ar tynt … apone þe fluyr, & swoppyt furth anone.
3. With up: To assist the progress of (a curling-stone) by sweeping the ice in front of it.
1805. G. McIndoe, Poems, 56. Supe, supe him up,—another says.
1832–53. Whistle-binkie, Ser. III. 39. He’s weel laid on, soop him up, soop him up.
1891. H. Johnston, Kilmallie, II. 110. The second and third players were ‘sooping up,’ or ‘giving heels’ to laggard stones.
Hence Sooping vbl. sb.
c. 1480. Henryson, Fables, Cock & Jewel, 70. He fand a ioly iasp … wes cassyn out in swopypg of þe hous.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, xxxii. Wi’ their sossings and their soopings.
