Howdie

It's a beautiful point of presumptive murder, and there's been nane like it in the Justiciar Court since the case of Luckie Smith the howdie, that suffered in the year saxteen hundred and seventy-nine.

Sae Beatrice wis ready whan she wis cried on in the middle o the nicht tae halp the howdie. It wis a saicont bairn, an Derriakin wis muckle-boukit, sae the birth gaed quick.

'I've sent Davie for Lizzie, the howdie,' she said. 'Ye're not to worry. A seven month bairn can survive.'

The children born in Hawick in the olden times were, with few exceptions, ushered into the world with the aid of the howdie or midwife; for the practice of midwifery was, unless in very special cases, almost confined to women.

Howdie there, Wanda. How about a cuppa .

He says howdie and says he got a deal for Doogan.

Then he went round the gypsy saying “Howdie?” to the youngsters inside, who obviously seemed fear stricken.