Now dial. Also 5 sos, soos, 6 sose, 6–7 sosse. [? Imitative of the sound of lapping.]
1. † a. (See quots.) Obs. rare.
In many English dialects soss is used as a call to dogs and pigs at feeding-time.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 465. Sos, howndysmete,… cantabrum.
1530. Palsgr., 273/1. Sosse or a rewarde for houndes, whan they have taken their game, hvuee.
b. Sc. and dial. A sloppy mess or mixture; a dish of food having this character.
1691. Ray, N. Co. Words (ed. 2), 66. A Soss; a mucky Puddle.
a. 1728. Kennett MSS. (Halliw.), Of any one that mixes several slops, or makes any place wet and dirty, we say in Kent, he makes a soss.
1802. Sibbald, Chron. S. P., IV. Gloss., Soss, a large dish of flummery.
1842. J. Aiton, Domest. Econ. (1857), 128. Tea sosses ought not to be endured in the manse kitchen…: porridge is infinitely preferable.
1847. Chambers, Tradit. Edinb., 164. Lucky could furnish forth a soss—that is stew.
1886. S. W. Linc. Gloss., 137. You mak such sosses, for all the world like pigs.
2. A sloven, slut or slattern.
1611. Cotgr., Halebreda,… a luske, a slouch; a sosse.
1901. in Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v., A bonny soss o’ a wife Nancy Taylor ’ud mak’!
