Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1891, 1964
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HECKLE, v.2, n.4 Also hek(e)l, heg(e)l (Jak.).
I. v. To walk with a stoop or unsteadily and jerkily as if on crutches, to hop on one leg (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1956); to hobble.Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 9:
Oot o dis wi dee! Hent disell!! Heckle noo! Flitt.
Vbl.n. heckling, in dancing (see quot.). Sh. 1964 J. & T. Flett Trad. Dancing 223:
Another lady . . . confirmed the continuous reel of four and the hopping step, and told us that the local term for the latter was "heckling".
II. n. A crutch (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)).
[Freq. dim. form of Heck, n.2, v.2, q.v.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Heckle v.2, n.4". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 4 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/heckle_v2_n4>
