dumbie

From dumb +‎ -ie.

dumbie (plural dumbies)

1. Obsolete spelling of dummy (“a mute person”).
   • 1754, John Fraser, A Treatise Containing a Description of Deuteroscopia, Commonly Called the Second Sight, Edinburgh, page 9:

     I know aſſuredly that Janet Douglas, that was firſt a Dumbie, yet ſpoke thereafter, who had given many Reſponſes by Signs and Words, and foretold many future Events, being examined by Mr. Gray, one of the Miniſters of the City of Glaſgou, denied any explicit or implicit Paction, and declared freely that the Anſwers of the Queſtions proponed to her were repreſented by a Viſion in lively Images, repreſenting the Perſons concerned, and acting the Thing before her Eyes: This Mr. Gray exchanged ſeveral Diſcourſes in Writ with Sir James Turner concerning her.

   • 1823, John Galt, The Entail: Or the Lairds of Grippy, volume II, Edinburgh: Blackwood, William; London: Cadell, Thomas, page 158:

     “Ye should na speak sic havers, Mr Walter, but conduct yourself mair like a man,” said his legal friend grievedly. “Indeed, Mr Walter, as I hae some notion that they’re come to tak down your words—may be to spy your conduct, and mak nae gude report thereon to their superiors—tak my advice, and speak as little as possible.” / “I’ll no say ae word—I’ll be a dumbie—I’ll sit as quiet as ony ane o’ the images afore Bailie Glasford’s house at the head o’ the Stockwell. King William himsel, on his bell-metal horse at the Cross, is a popular preacher, Mr Keelevin, compared to what I’ll be.”

   • 1858, Fraser’s Magazine for Town and Country, volume LVII, London: John W. Parker and Son, pages 171–172:

     ‘So you are not a dumbie, mistress, you are not deaf and dumb?’ / ‘Dieu soit loué, no. Why do you think so? No, I am a French girl that was come to Scotland to find my relations, and they have failed me—that is all.’ / ‘He thought you were a dumbie connected with some show (his head is aye running upon dumbies), and that you might be glad of a night’s of a night’s quarters.’ / ‘Is he mute—deaf and dumb?’ / ‘Na, but he has a dumb dochter, and her mother’s gone. Well, mistress, shall we row you back to Leith?’

   • 1903, The Windsor Magazine, volume 18, pages 450, 452:

     “There’s a ‘Dumbie’ here that canna speak,” he said, “but nocht will serve him but he maun hae a twa-three words wi’ your Lordship! It’s aboot the killin’ o’ Muckle Sandy Ewan, I’m thinkin’!” […] Without rising from his friend’s knee, the Dumbie scattered a handful of something resembling white furry willow leaves in the direction of the bar and the jury-box.

   • 2001, Marly Youmans, The Wolf Pit, Harvest Books, published 2003, →ISBN, page 304:

     Agate was standing at the pump, washing dirty linen, and after a few minutes the son, a grown man himself, came over and handed her a slip of printed paper, which read, My name is Noah. I am deaf but not a dumbie, though I cannot speak. I wish you well.

2. Alternative spelling of dummy (“a stupid person”)
   • 1975, Richard Condon, Money Is Love, New York: Dial Press, →ISBN, pages 38–39:

     “ […] We will tell them we want to help them.” / “Why?” / “Are you some kind of a dumbie, Sunny? So we can find out all about money before they find out, but if they find out before we find out, we can kidnap whoever finds out so they can’t find out.”

   • 2001 November 29, The Puppet Kite Kid, “3D Moon Kite: Reworked Photos And Ideas”, in rec.kites (Usenet), message-ID <[email protected]>:

     I'm a dumbie as far as film goes.

   • 2002 August 29, Edward Crismond, “Re: Help this dumbie - Explain Northbridge and Southbridge to me”, in alt.comp.hardware (Usenet), message-ID <[email protected]>:

     I don't think you are a dumbie. No one is born knowing these things.

   • 2005 March 4, cc0112453, “Re: Divorce is postponed (for now)”, in alt.food.barbecue (Usenet), message-ID <[email protected]>:

     I'm not a newbie, more like a dumbie.

• dummy, dumby

• imbued