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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

GRAWL, v. To scrounge. Sc. slang.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Miller ii.:
. . . the needy, naked shoals That winter cruel Sends crawling forth, frae cauld bleak holes, To grawl for fuel.
Ib. iii.:
Thousands are huddled together in the narrow lanes and alleys of large towns, grawling for food among the refuse of your kitchens.

Hence grawler, a beggar.Sc. 1821 D. Haggart Life 62:
Not so much as sweeten [i.e. satisfy] a grawler.

[Phs. a vocalised form of grovel.]

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"Grawl v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/grawl_v>

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