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 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!