Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Irish/Scot.) lively, fun; of a woman, buxom; thus unsonsey, dull, staid.

1724		A. Ramsay Tea-table Misc. (1733) I 72: Genty Tibby, and sonsy Nelly. [Ibid.] 455: Sonsy, fortunate, jolly.
1757		Smollett Reprisal I ii: A right sonsy damsel.
1767		‘Andrew Barton’ Disappointment III iii: She’s a sonsie, blinkin lass, and they’re a bonny pair.
1768		A. Ross Helenore in Wattie Scot. Works (1938) 12: A sonsie pair of lad an’ lass was found.
1785		Comical Hist. of Simple John 3: Ye’ll be my soncy dauty, up and down; a perfect beauty.
1789		Burns ‘Come rede me, dame’ in Merry Muses (1964) 58: But for a koontrie c-nt like mine, [...] We’ll tak tway thumb-bread to the nine, And tha’s a sonsy p-ntle.
1806		A. Douglas ‘May Morning’ Poems in Scot. Dialect 23: An’ younder’s canty Tibby Sma’, / A sonsy mettle hizzy.
1815		T. Whittell ‘The Indifferent Lovers’s Wedding’ Poetical Works 108: Unsonsey jade! she deserves her carriage.
1818		J. Hogg Brownie of Bodsbeck I 275: He has a sonsy weel-faur’d lass to bide wi’.
1823		Scoys Mag. 1 Apr. 38/1: Oh! Alas! a sonsy lass like smoke away has pass’d.
1833		W. Carleton Traits and Stories of Irish Peasantry III 289: An old crone called ‘Sonsy Mary,’ was called in.
1837		R. Barham ‘Witches’ Frolic’ Ingoldsby Legends (1840) 167: Then up and spake that sonsie quean.
1849		Norhern Star 29 Sept. 24/6: The bonny sonsy lasses.
1851		Belfast News Ltr 3 Dec. 4/1: A lovesome word and a sonsie smile / Can win their hearts for me.
1881		Dundee Courier 29 Sept. 4/2: A Sonsie Sow — Her size and fine proportions were much admired.
[1888		S.O. Addy Sheffield Gloss. 229: Soncy, clever, cunning; ‘She’s a sauncy girl’].
1896		Southern Reporter 13 Aug. 4/3: Ye’re no’ quite so soncy as ye was.
1909		C. Nicol ‘Song’ Poems 81: She will mak’ / A happy sonsy, loving wife.
1913		A. Irvine My Lady of the Chimney Corner 110: Well, t’ have yer bowels think yer throat’s cut isn’t sauncy!
1925		L. Doyle Dear Ducks 72: She was a comfortable sonsy-lookin’ wee bit of goods.
1927		P. O’Donnell Islanders (1933) 57: I’ve as sunsey a wee girl as is in the parish, God bless her.
1934		Eve. Teleg. 28 Mar. 2/4: The sonsie, smirkin’ dear.
1950		(con. 1936–46) K.S. Prichard Winged Seeds (1984) 133: She was smiling, however, and more like her sonsy, good-humoured self.
1977		(con. 1940s) S. McAughtry Sinking of the Kenbane Head 8: Mother was small, like Dad, and sonsy. At the least excitement a round spot would glow on each of her cheeks.
1983		W.F Marshall ‘The Talking Flea’ Livin’ in Drumlister 106: The woman, the more she was sonsy, / Was light of her fut on a flure.
2008		Eve. Herald (Dublin) 9 Apr. 22/1: A fine big sonsy girl, the sort any farmer would [...] choose for a wife.