The word ‘outwith’

[HBStowe]

Trying to settle an argument with a colleague. He’s English and works in England, I’m Scottish and work in Scotland (in case it’s relevant).

So... do you use / regularly come across the word ‘outwith’? I.e. ‘If you are trying to email me outwith opening hours please use my personal address’.

My colleague says it’s not a real word. I say it definitely is and I encounter it all the time. Is this a thing? Is it a proper word? I notice it’s underlined in red on my phone which doesn’t bode well, but I am absolutely certain I’ve seen this word in use before in other places.

What’s the verdict MN?

I’m a mix of English and Welsh with a smidge of Scottish and I know and use outwith. I do use a jumble of colloquialisms from Wales and Scotland though (the smidge of Scottish is a grandmother I spent a lot of time with as a child).

Not saying outwith is a colloquialism btw - just that I hade acquired language from various sources!

I did t realise this was a Scottish thing until we had an English woman take us for a training course one day and she was thoroughly confused by us all. And that was before we got to the debacle of us using 'how' in place of 'why'.

Excellent use of outwith....
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/man-caught-exposing-penis-at-edinburgh-store-claims-it-fell-out-of-his-trousers-through-faulty-buttons-1-4918008/amp

I had no idea this was a Scottish thing but my mums Scottish so I assume I must have picked it up from her!

It's a perfectly cromulent word, but it makes you sound a bit pretentious when "outside" and "beyond" are usually perfectly good substitutes.

Lol!!

I've heard outwith used very rarely and don't use it myself. However this is the second time I've seen the word on mn today!

I’m Scottish. I use it a lot, especially at work and in emails. (Can’t imagine not having this word!) I can’t remember when I realised that it wasn’t used in the rest of the UK though but I assume it would have been at work too.

It's a perfectly cromulent word.

Isn't cromulent a word they made up on The Simpsons?

I think that’s the point.

Out with us a perfectly legitimate word. I’m not even remotely Scottish.

I am, however, frequently accused of having swallowed a thesaurus.

it is Scottish and is a definite legal term to mean beyond or outside of but not exactly that ie "it is a requirement to store a backup copy of data outwith the office" " it is outwith the remit of this court to consider past offences"

it does not quite mean outside or beyond

you would never say I'm going to send the children to play outwith
( outside)

Omg is ‘timeous’ also Scottish? That’s another lovely, helpful word I use all the time!

I'm in England - never used it, never heard it said, have only seen it online (probably from Scottish people !)

I have never heard this word.
It reminds me a bit of oftentimes which when I hear it I think "not a proper word" although It's in the dictionary.

I’m in England, but grew up in Scotland and find it a very useful word. My English colleagues always look a little confuse the first time they here it.
I like it because it is a direct opposite to ‘within’, which ‘without’ is not and ‘outside’ is not always appropriate.

Obviously a Scottish thing! Always has a red line under it whenever I type it!

I remember going to “uplift” my student grant cheque.

I’m English and used to use “outwith” a lot when writing reports concerning properties. But my boss was Glaswegian so maybe that’s where I picked it up. It’s a great word.

I couldn’t quite get my head around “onpass” rather than “pass on” though (maybe that is a Scottish thing?).

Love the fact that 200 posts in, everyone is still going "it's Scottish".
I think we established that six pages ago!
I think it's a great word.

I'm a Londoner and use 'outwith' a lot. Bit at all the people who've never heard of it.

Im in England and use it. Near the border though. My previous legal colleagues all used it too. Pretty common.

I use it all the time. Its a very useful word. And yes, I'm in Scotland. I have to write a lot of formal documents and would be lost without it!

Me too BertrandRussell!