Sc. Also 5–9 thete, 6 theatt, (tyghte), 8–9 theet. (Etymology obscure: derivation from ON. þétt-r tight, has been suggested; cf. tyght in quot. 1573.] pl. ‘The ropes or traces, by means of which horses draw in a carriage, plough, or harrow’ (Jam.): now chiefly of the plough.
1496. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 293. Item, for xiij stane and a pund of towis to be thetis.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. ix. 77. The renis and the thetis, Quharwyth hys stedis ȝokkit war in thretis.
[1573. Lanc. Wills (Chetham Soc.), III. 61. Twoo payre of tyghtes or trases for horses wth withes of iren.]
1599. Aberdeen Regr. (1848), II. 183. Cutting with his knyff the theattis of the said pleucht.
1792. Statist. Acc. Scot., IV. 395. The rashen theets [are supplanted] by the iron traces.
1844. Stephens, Bk. Farm, II. 694. The sort of harness with which he is first invested is that of the plough, consisting of a bridle, collar,… and back-band and chains, or theats, as these are called in some parts of the country.
b. In fig. and allusive expressions: cf. traces. Out of theats (also out of theet), out of bounds: see quot. 1710, and cf. ‘to kick over the traces’ (KICK v.1 1 c).
1682. Peden, in Life & Proph. (1868), 13. Good Lord, cut their theets, that their swingle-trees may fall to the ground.
1710. Ruddiman, Gloss. Douglas, s.v. Thetis, Ye are out of theet, i.e. ye are extravagant or in the wrong.
1731. T. Boston, Mem., v. 53. They were going to call a new upstart, one that broke the thetes.
1871. W. Alexander, Johnny Gibb, ii. Keep baith laird an’ tenan’ straucht i’ the theets.
