Language usage question: "outwith"

[steepholm]

I would have done this as a poll, but only have a basic account.

1 a) Are you familiar with the word "outwith"?
b) Do you use it yourself?
c) Does its use strike you as affected when coming from a non-Scot?
d) Do you get the impression that it is increasing in usage outwith Scotland?

2 a) Are you Scottish (or have lived a considerable time there)?
b) Welsh/English/Irish?
c) From outwith the British Isles?

Comments

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

It's "overwhelmed in anticipation" - you might put off attempting a task because you're overfaced by it, or you might be overfaced by too much food on your plate.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I like! Thanks for increasing my vocabulary: I'll definitely find uses for that.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

It was my aunt who told me about it, so it's probably northern English, though she's also spent time in Scotland, France and (mostly) London. Which suddenly reminds me of another completely unconnected verbal thing, but it might interest you; she once told me that she suspected the origin of the phrase "to lose one's marbles" was a similar phrase in French concerning "les meubles", ie furniture (by implication in this case mental furniture).

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Sounds plausible. It's quite hard to see why marbles (whether the sculpture type of the children's toy) should represent sanity. Furniture makes slightly more sense, I guess!

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that you weren't already familiar with it, but it occurs to me that I first met it in a riding context, especially with regard to jumping. You have to be careful not to overface a young or inexperienced horse, ie you mustn't point them at something too big for their level of skill and training.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it's related to the phrase "face down" - as in "He was almost overfaced by the thought of taking on Messi but in the event he faced him down."

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

My immediate thought is that there is no connection, other than that there are a lot of phrases using the word "face", but I am not an expert in these matters. Also I can't find "overface" in any of my dictionaries, which disconcerts me a little after having used the word for so long. Perhaps it counts as a technical term?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

It does get into the OED, where it's connected with 'outface'.