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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

‡FLYRE, v.¹, n.¹ Also flyer, fleyr, fleir. Sc. forms of Eng. fleer. [fləir]

I. v. 1. As in Eng., to jeer, gibe, to leer, to laugh scornfully or unbecomingly. Now obsol. both in Sc. and Eng.Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 155:
Wi' baith silk and sattins flyre, At Kirk upo' the Sabbath day.Sc. 1806 R. Jamieson Ballads I. 348:
He hunkert him down like a clockin hen And flyret at me as I wad hae him.Abd. 1852 A. Robb Poems 26:
Fu' aften flyer't intill her face, An' birz'd her to my duntin' breast.Sc. 1873 D. M. Ogilvy Willie Wabster 8:
But when he scoured anither skite, It gar'd him flyre and flisk and flyte.

†2. To make wry faces, as one about to cry (Ags. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1825 Jam.), sometimes with up; to look surly. Also tr. to twist (the face) in a grimace.Peb. 1715 A. Pennecuik Descr. of Twd. 100:
Falset began to fleir and greet.Abd. 1780 Abd. Jnl. (11 Dec.):
Fu the Clown doth laugh an' flyre His tawny face.Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 96:
How then he'd stare wi' sour grimace, . . . Syne flyre like some outlandish race, At wretched me.

†3. To grumble, complain (Rxb. 1825 Jam.).Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales II. 235:
Ye sanna hae that to flyre about.

†II. n. 1. A leer, grin, grimace.Mry. 1790 Aberdeen Mag. 31:
Frae the gardy-chair, syne, wi' a hach an' a flyre, Auld fairnyers will soon be begun.

2. A fit of laughter.Sc. 1714 W. Fraser Hist. Carnegies (1867) 283:
Some in conversation are in a perpetual flyre of laughter, which is very undecent.