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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CLYPE, Clipe, Cleip, Claip, Clape, Clep, n.¹ [kləip Sc., but Rxb. + klep]

1. “A tell-tale” (Cai.¹ c.1920, clipe). Gen.Sc.Sc. 1899 Mont.-Fleming:
Every schoolboy has known a “clype” in his own class, and probably wolloped him well too.Abd. 1931 A. M. Williams Bundle of Yarns 47:
The clype of the class told her that Johnnie had a preen.Abd. 1984 Robbie Kydd in Alexander Scott and James Aitchison New Writing Scotland 2 13:
'How do you get away with it?' 'I dinnae sweir at clypes, that's hoo I get awaa wi it.' em.Sc. 1986 Ian Rankin The Flood 66:
"Ha! Better luck next time, clipes. Go tell fucking teacher. Ha!" wm.Sc. 1995 Robin Jenkins Leila 149:
They obeyed his order that politics were not to be discussed in college, but of course he did not know what they said in their dormitories. He had no spies or clypes. Edb. 1998 Gordon Legge Near Neighbours (1999) 190:
As my mother always says, 'See you,' she says, 'you're nothing but a clipe.'Bwk. 1876 W. Brockie Confessional 187:
Codgers an' cuifs, an' lang-tongued clarty clapes.sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
clipe a tell-tale. Gall. 1930 (per Wgt.³):
Picking up a stone he waited till Sandy reached the other side of the rock and then, grinning at the irate herd, shouted out, “clype! clype!” and raised his hand aloft as if to throw.

Hence clypie, cleipy, clipie, clepie, adj., (1) “loquacious, addicted to tattling” (Lth. 1825 Jam.², clypie, s.v. clype); also in n.phr. clypie-clash-pie (Abd.¹⁹ 1936), — pyet (Bnff.² 1912), = Clash Pyet, q.v.; †(2) “deceitful” (Sc. 1888 C. Mackay Dict. Lowland Sc., clepie); ‡(3) also used as a noun: “a loquacious person” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., clypie, obsol.).(1) Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) xxii.:
But . . . weel-a-wat we had a curiosity still, and that was a cleipy woman . . . that rhaemed away and better rhaemed away, about the Prentiee's Pillar . . . and such a heap of havers.(2) Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of the Lairds xxxvi.:
The dule and sorrow that you and cleipy Caption would sigh and wallywae about.(3) Rxb. (Teviotd.) 1825 Jam.²:
She's a clever lass, but a great clipie.

2. Idle tale, falsehood, gossip (Bnff.², Abd.¹⁹, Ags.¹, Lnl.¹ 1936); tale-telling.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 28:
That's the clype o' the queentry, an' ye sudna hear't.Abd. after 1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherd MS. 41:
Gae he nae reason for this hasty step? None that I ken except the country claip Said Bess, 'bout Mrs Henny an' himsell.Abd. 2000 Herald 17 Jan 19:
If it's just a case of being disliked and leaving your car within sight of the pub we are all doomed.
A fair cop is one thing but a fair clype is another.Ags. 1892 Arbroath Guide (14 May) 3/7:
It's no richt to carry clypes oot o' folks' hooses.em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 19:
"Aw ye that kept yer tungs ill-scrapit
An sherp as gullies, for scandal's sake,
Defoulin baith yer God an fowk
Wi blasphemation, clype and claik: ... " Ayr.⁴ 1928:
He tell't me a wheen clypes.

Phr.: haud your clep, — claip, hold your tongue (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., — claip).Hdg. 1801 R. Gall Poems (1819) 30:
Whist! haud your clep, an' speak nae langer, Ye neer-do-weel, to raise my anger!