Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1818
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¶GILLIE WHEESEL, -IL, n.comb. Also killie-wheesh. A gipsy pick-pocket.Sc. 1818 Blackwood's Mag. (Feb.) 526:
Tam Gordon, captain of a numerous band of 'gillie wheesils' (signifying in the west of Fife, the lads who take the purses).Sc. 1818 Blackwood's Mag. (April) 15:
His band of young gypsies, called the 'gillie-wheesels' and sometimes the 'killie-wheesh', attended most of the fairs.
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"Gillie Wheesel n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gillie_wheesel>
